The first of my favorite experiences in Paris was seeing eight of Monet’s water lily paintings at the Musée de l’Orangerie. (Thanks Moira for the recommendation.) The paintings were so rich and colorful in person; their size alone is impressive. (My pictures really don’t do these paintings justice AT ALL.) To complement seeing these paintings I took a day trip to Giverny, the location of Claude Monet’s house and gardens. You take a short tour of his house and then get to explore the gardens. There are two parts in Monet’s garden: a flower garden called Clos Normand in front of the house and a Japanese inspired water garden on the other side of the road. It is truly a painter’s garden—full of soooo many colors and flowers. It’s obvious that the beauty that surrounded him was why he stayed inspired for so long. I’d recommend that any artist take the trip to see Giverny. More Paris to come tomorrow!