Givernizzle

I apologize for being retard (late) on my posts, it's been a busy week. Funny story about using retard...if we're ever late to French class, we have to say "Je suis retard"...sounds like "I am retard". Aren't you glad I'm learning French?!

Anyway, on to the story...

So the Sunday after the Erotic Museum experience, Christy and I decided to try something a little tamer so traveled to Giverny to see Claude Monet's house and gardens!

It's about an hour train ride from Paris then a 4km bike ride from the train station to Giverny. The bikes should have been fun but mine wouldn't change out of first gear and Christy's had two flat tires. Wah, wahhhh. Not to mention the seat felt like I was sitting on some contraption from the Erotic Museum that I would never want to try..ouch... Oh and when we returned the bikes, the man said checked my gears, saw they did NOT work and replied "There's no problem here" Uhhh...you just saw there was a problem....good luck homie.

Anyway, we rode (slowly) down to Claude's crib. We stopped for lunch and the menu had a mouthwatering array of options and we just couldn't choose. I managed to pick out a beer for myself but couldn't get any futher. We decided to ask the waiter for his recommendation, he asks "do you like steak?" Oui! I had a funny feeling I should have ordered the salad...

I should have trusted my gut...instead I ate guts...well that's what it looks like at least. Raw beef complete with a raw egg on top. If we'd used our brains we'd have known beef tartar is not cooked buuuut no. we were stuck with an expensive plate of salmonila ridden beef. Bon appetit!

We both managed to eat it fairly quickly. Mostly because if we looked at it too long we would have vomited. The veggies on the side were good at least.

Before:

After:

Moral of the story:
Order your own food and get it bien cuit (well done)
The French like their food bloody, something about seeming fresh. Bleh

We then went to Monet's house. I really wanted some retail therapy after eating raw meat, but the only thing to buy was a gardners hat. I wanted that hat so bad.

Anyway, I didn't really know what to expect I just knew I LOVED the water lily paintings and grew up pretending I lived in his gardens. I thought it would be some nicely renovated flowers around a pond. WRONG.

It was hands down the most beautiful place I've ever been (well top 10 up there with Laguna Beach, Hogwarts, Theta, Chipotle, and Yogurtland). The gardens were endless, starting with rows upon rows of bright flowers, trellises, arches etc. Monet was definitely in to his plants, even his house was covered in ivy. The guy had a huge family (his second wife had kids from a previous marriage too). In fact, his step son and daughter ended up falling in love. Weird? yea a little. but they were artists too. You kinda have to expect them to be weird.

Check it out:
La Maison de Claude Monet (Monet's Pad!)

Initial set of gardens:

After wandering the first set of gardens you think it can't get much better, then you go underground to an come up to Les Nympheas..or the Japanese inspired water lily garden. Ohhh mahhh gahhhh. It was a surreal experience. Words don't do justice, I know I say that all the time, but this stuff looked fake. Like plants on steroids or something. So green. I kept touching it all to make sure it was real. I hope the Monet Foundation didn't mind...

Les Nympheas!

NO ENHANCING I swear, ya i just look THAT goodTrés jolie

Hello leaf.

Next up: the gift shop! I wanted to buy a poster or something so I could see the beautiful gardens daily, but no posters did the gardens justice. I ended up getting a tea pot for my mom. Really great idea when you're BIKE riding back. I had to zip the tea pot in my jacket = awkward stares from everyone. NO I'M NOT PREGNANT and NO I DONT HAVE A TUMOR. sheesh.

Bike riding montage:
Christy throwin up her gang signs...

Chya, we can take pictures while riding bikes.

Wez got skillz.


And I'm not trying to flip off the camera, my middle fingers were the only ones to reach the brakes.

Profile of the awkward teapot in my belly.
Move over Alberto Cantador KIM BURNELLSTRONG is here!

See I'm wearing a yellow shirt and everything. I just can't take both hands off the handles yet.

Now, the glamor shot of the day:
My first attempt at taking a picture of myself while bike riding....

Teapot and forehead in full glory.