Monet makes the world go round...

Only a short cycle planned today as we are visiting Giverny. The village is a long ribbon of cottages, set along a contour just above the flood plain of the River Epte. It turns out to be a perfect place to visit on a bike as there is a very strict speed limit on the road passing Monet's famous garden, and visitor's cars are completely banned from the entire length of the village. The famous lily pond, formed in the river, is on the far side of the road from the village, opposite Monet's charming, typically French, shuttered house, in a garden of rambling roses.


The whole village has been preserved by money from the Monet Trust, and it is very pretty, with rose gardens, cottages and boutique hotels.
From here a dedicated cycle path by-passes the traffic for miles, then, just after lunch and back alongside the Seine, the promised showers arrive. Our first rain since Portugal! We shelter under an enormous tree, with a wide view of fields, then make our way to Louviers, where, as we are so used to dry weather, we wimp out and stay in a central hotel instead of using their campsite. When the rain eases in the late afternoon we walk across to the Cathedral just in time to watch a beautiful bride and her new husband emerge, bells peeling. It starts to rain but there is plenty of room for them under the enormous portico. The wedding party cars drive around the main roundabout several times, honking horns. We are in the wedding mood as we had viewed the wedding album at Nichola and Paul's, of their twin son Jonathan who had a beautiful wedding last year, (and Nichola is to become a Granny in November!)


Miles to date:- 2605

Location:Near Giverny to Louvriers