Impressionist Writing in Monet's Gardens
A travel writing exercise and fan cross-over.
Woman in the Garden
This piece is going to be different from my usual historical pieces. Normally, I'd tell you some tale about Monet himself, the history of his house and gardens, etc. But today, in the spirit of the impressionist art movement, I thought I'd experiment instead with giving my impression of the place. Like Monet did with his paintings, I'll take you on a walk with me so we can experience it together.
Let's start with an overall template. This place is luxury without being quite luxurious. It’s …humble abundance.
And with this phrase rolling around in my head, I find a shaded bench to sit under right across from a giant pink rose that stretches for the sky. I pull out a box of macarons as colorful as the flowers around me (we are in France, after all, I have a box of macarons on me at all times) and pick one to eat based on the fruity smell. I offer a “cheers” to the rose and bite through the pastry’s crunchy outer layers to its inner filling. Blueberry. It melts in my mouth and I tilt my head up to the sun. My eyes flutter but they don’t close. Who can blink in Monet’s gardens?
I find myself wishing I was a flower. I lift my wrist to my nose to see if the spicy Egyptian perfume I put on this morning…
