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Paris Day Trips - This Paris day trip includes a visit to the Royal Castle and Gardens of Versailles, followed by a visit to the town of Giverny to tour the house and gardens where impressionist painter Claude Monet lived and worked.
Upon arrival in Versailles you start with a tour of the chateau which was built over the period of 1623 to 1710. It was started by Louis XIII, then continued by his son Louis XIV and finished by Louis XV. Originally it was as a hunting manor, but was continually added on to, making the grand palace it is today. The building is so large that at one point over 10,000 people lived in it, including the entire royal court, the government and their servants. The interior highlights include the Hall of Mirrors, the King's Apartments and the Queen's Apartments.
After visiting the main palace you have time to explore the gardens. Due to overcrowding Louis XIV had a small palace (Le Petite Trianon) built in the woods behind the chateau so that his immediate family could vacation away from the main building. Louis XV's wife, Marie Antoinette, had a small farm (L'Hameau) built around a pond so she too could escape the crowds and play at being an idyllic shepherdess complete with perfumed sheep!
The formal grounds, fountains, reflecting pools, lakes, smaller palace and hamlet are just as impressive as the main building.
After visiting Versailles you have free time for lunch in a typical cafe or brasserie (meal not included). Your guide will be happy to make suggestions.
This afternoon you drive to the charming town of Giverny and the small pink house with green shutters that Monet rented. He selected the town after seeing its quaint beauty from a train window. He loved to garden, and immediately began to design the landscape to suit his artistic ideal.
As he became more well known and his paintings began to sell, he was able to purchase the house and some additional land nearby. There he added a water garden and a Japanese bridge to frame his favorite water lilies. This is the garden you see today, the subject of his most famous works, known as the water lily series. Many of his artist friends think his garden was his greatest masterpiece.
The original home has been restored, and much like the painter's pallet, each room represents a different color decorated with Monet's collection of Japanese art. Nearby the atelier (design studio) which was added to the property in 1916 features large copies of his works. Monet lived in the house until his death in 1926.
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