World Quest

Sitting in the parking lot of Versailles, we got out our road map of France and plotted our route to Giverny, where we would be spending Friday and Saturday nights at the Le Petit Logis Bed & Breakfast and visiting the world famous Monet's Garden.

After looking over the road map (and ignoring the in-dash GPS because we could not find instructions on how to properly operate the device) we decided on what looked like the best route for our 1 hour drive and got underway.

We finally arrived in Giverny almost 4 hours later.

A few things we did not take into account; choosing what looked like the most direct route also took us through undeveloped countryside and small towns where speed is negated severely, French road signs on these back roads are either relegated to being a small cement marker 2 feet off the ground or are simply non-existent (we passed one road because we missed it, turned back around and still missed it and finally saw the sign on our third return pass), traffic in even the small towns is brutally heavy and no one is any particular hurry.

In actuality, this would not have been all that bad except we were hungry and I was aggravated at missing roads and signs. The truth is the countryside and small towns were beautiful and after a while we realized that we were getting to see some wonderful scenery. Later in the week, when Cindy finally figured out how the GPS worked, we discovered we could have taken the same or a similar route to enjoy the scenery, but would not have missed roads or turns because the voice guidance system ("In 250 meters, at the roundabout, take the second exit") would have accurately directed us along the way.

But we finally arrived in Giverny, parked at a lot near Monet's Garden and our host at the Bed & Breakfast we were staying at, Le Petit Logis, drove out to meet us and lead us back to the B & B, which is a scant 4 kilometers outside Giverny. The place is beautiful, as you'll see in the photos below and Carl & Maria are absolutely wonderful hosts!

After we unloaded our luggage, Carl directed us to the well-known Hotel Baudy for dinner in their restaurant. While it is true we were hungry, their food was excellent in and of itself because of the freshness of the ingredients, talent of their chef and the atmosphere that surrounded you in the dining area. In fact, we enjoyed the food and the ambience so much that we also indulged ourselves with lunch and dinner there the next day.

Our appetites sated and our bodies weary, we returned to Le Petit Logis, took the photos below and retired for the night to prepare for our visit to Monet's Garden the next day.

Here is a view of the outside of the portion where we were staying. Carl and Maria live on the other side of this and Maria's parents live to the right.

As you step through the sliding glass doors you enter the dining area and beyond that the living room area. The stairway to the left leads upstairs to the sleeping area and you can see a bit of the second floor at the top of this picture.

Looking back from the living room area to the dining area and out the sliding glass doors

Going upstairs. (I didn't fall down these, thank goodness)

Looking up from the dining area to our bedroom with Cindy waving from the opening.

Looking down on the dining area from Cindy's vantage point at the opening.

The view of the sleeping area where Cindy's mom slept from our bedroom. She had her choice of 3 beds to choose from and the bathroom is at the far end of this room straight ahead.

Opposite view from the bathroom with our bedroom at the far end straight ahead.

Our bedroom from the doorway (yes, we had already messed up the bed).

Our bedroom facing back toward to door.

I mentioned our fantastic hosts, Carl and Maria, earlier. Here is a photo of them in front of the fireplace downstairs. They were always so gracious to us, prepared fabulous breakfasts for us (Maria makes homemade strawberry jam and oh, it was SO delicious!) and gave us so many tips and helpful pieces of advice, as well as working out directions for us to the Loire Valley the morning we left. I can highly and without equivocation recommend Le Petit Logis Bed & Breakfast to any and all travelers who find themselves in or near Giverny. Contact them at lepetitlogis@yahoo.co.uk I guarantee you will fall in love with them and their B & B.

After a night of blissful sleep, we were ready to visit Monet's Garden on Saturday morning.

Next Post: Monet's Garden - Can We Just Live Here?