Flower Power in Giverny

I've been going a little crazy from lack of sleep. I usually need lots, like a baby. A combination of the tiny apartment being so crowded and early mornings for school are what are doing me in. Still, I'm not looking forward to saying bye to my aunt and mom who leave tomorrow and Wednesday, respectively. Yes, I'll have the bed to myself but it's been so fun having lady time.

For example, today we went to Giverny to check out Monet's home and garden. THAT is a very lady thing to do. Especially when I would have loved to have taken this one day to sleep in. Last night, I met Laurent and his friends at a bar that I'd been to with Linda a few years ago. I rode Chris' bike there (taking it out for the first time) and met Laurent and his friends at Menilmontant. Laurent is super nice and interesting. I gave him decor advice for his new place and he told me about interviewing a British ex-pat who moved to Bangkok, met a man living as a woman, paid for his sex change and then married her. Oh, he also told me a little about his current job as a personal assistant for a famous actor (vous devrez deviner qui!) but his boss would be happy to know that he was super discreet. He didn't even tell me who his boss was, his friend did. I was impressed.

Anyway, back to the flowers and waterlilies. It felt so refreshing for my forehead. You know? In that way when you're tired and you have a bit of tension there? Monet's garden was very soothing and it's nice to not think about anything but how pretty flowers are for an extended period of time. He fashioned a pretty incredible retreat for himself. I went a little crazy with the ol' camera and was impressed to see one lady diligently making a little painting by the water, just standing with her mini-notebook in the palm of one hand.

We wandered the small village all afternoon and narrowly missed a torrential downpour. Then we hopped back on the bus and train and came back to Paris. Nighty night!