Vernon - Giverny

Saturday we painted behind Hotel Baudy in Giverny
 

Sometimes painting in Monet's gardens, Giverny is overwhelming. But in this quiet spot down the road you can forget the magnificence for a bit and focus on the paint.
 

I caught Caroline coming through the hedges
 

And my mind's eye was remembering

This wonderful detail of a Monet painting.
 

The Baudy, formerly a grocery store in Monet's time turned into a hotel to accommodate all the artists flocking to Giverny. There's a charming 'museum' of sorts - a studio of the times where they did life studies (drew the nude) and various and sundry.
 

 

 

 

Earlier in the day we went into Vernon for the weekly marché and general exploring.

The church Collégiale Notre-Dame is quite impressive in scale.

Caroline pointed out rainbow reflections of the stain glass windows on the stone pillars.

Caroline pointed out rainbow reflections of the stain glass windows on the stone pillars.

Vernon is full of Normande split-timber houses

I could live here.

 

The Saturday country market seems huge

Often you're buying direct from producteurs or the farmers themselves.

 

I've been eating as many Mirabelle tartes as possible during their brief season of August-September.
The mirabelle is a specialty of the French region of Lorraine, which has an ideal climate and soil composition for the cultivation of this fruit. This region produces 15,000 tons of mirabelle prunes annually, which constitutes 80% of global commercial production.
There are two main cultivars grown for fruit production, derived from cherry plums grown in Metz. The Metz type is smaller, less hard, and less sweet, and has no small red spots on the skin. It is very good for jam, while type is better as fresh fruit as it is sweeter. Since 1996 the mirabelle de Lorraine has been recognized and promoted by the EU as a high-quality regional product, with a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). This label guarantees a minimum fruit size (22mm) and sugar content, and can only be used in a specific geographical zone of production.
The city of Metz dedicates two weeks to the Mirabelle plum during the popular Mirabelle Festival held in August. During the festival, in addition to open markets selling fresh prunes, mirabelle tarts, and mirabelle liquor, there is live music, fireworks, parties, art exhibits, a parade with floral floats and competition, and the crowning of the Mirabelle Queen and a gala of celebration.
Merci Wikipedia
 

At the same time each tartelette offers the opportunity to solve the mystery of the pyramid.
Caroline, of Art Colony Giverny, along with teaching us color and form in Monet's garden is helping me personally learn to make a pastry pyramid out of paper. What more could you ask?