Well there seem to be floods on both sides of the world at present. Our friends in Tasmania assure us the flood have left our house unscathed, but pictures and videos look a little scary. Apparently the view of the river from home is amazing.

 Meanwhile our visit to Monets garden at Giverny was almost cancelled due to the Seine flooding. The garden had been closed for 3 days previously, and although the levels were high our visit went ahead as planned. Cold , blustery weather gave way to sunshine upon arrival. An hour later the water lilies had opened, and by the afternoon we were seeking shade !

Monets garden is divided into 2. The first we visited, the lily pond, is famous for its bridges, wisteria and obviously the water lilies. I had not appreciated how sculptural it is. Having some colour the effect is more restrained,  and is obviously the work of a master gardener. Despite the increasing number of tourists coming I felt very much at home, it’s the sort of garden I’d enjoy designing and planting.

The second half, his house and its associated garden was an explosion of colour. Much like an artists palette it had blocks of colour, but these were mixed elsewhere as if mixing paint. His house was equally intriguing, quite small in areas the monochrome colour scheme in some rooms was stunning. Overall this excursion was one of the best we’ve ever done. I urge all Gardeners to visit here, if only once. Well worth while flying halfway around the world. 

Doing back to back cruises the ship appeared deserted at times during our Harwich port call. Looking from our balcony now though, passengers are starting to appear, ready for boarding and 4pm departure. With a  day at sea tomorrow, on our way to Lerwick in the Shetland Isles, will mean no blog for a while. Cheers M & H