There are some trips you plan carefully, and there are others that start as a simple idea and somehow become a memory you carry with you for years.

Our trip to Giverny was supposed to be one simple day from Paris.

We wanted to see Monet’s famous garden, enjoy some nature, and spend a relaxing day in the French countryside.

I remember getting up early to catch the train from Paris. I was still sleepy, but excited. We took the train to Vernon, where we rented bicycles and started our little adventure toward Giverny.

At that point, I thought I knew exactly what kind of day we were going to have.

I was wrong.

Cycling from Vernon to Giverny

One of the things I would definitely recommend when visiting Giverny is cycling from Vernon.

The distance is only a few kilometers, and for us, the bicycle ride became one of the nicest parts of the day.

We rode through the countryside and along the Seine. Everything felt so different from busy Paris.

We passed green fields and saw cows and horses along the way. Birds were singing, and there was a peaceful feeling everywhere.

I have to admit, I'm not a very good cyclist, so I was going quite slowly.

My boyfriend was much better at it, but I didn't really mind being behind. Going slowly meant I could enjoy the scenery and take everything in.

Then a little rain started.

It wasn't exactly what we had planned, but we decided to keep going.

Looking back, I'm glad we did.

The rain became part of the memory.

Arriving in the Little Village of Giverny

When we finally arrived in Giverny, I immediately liked the village.

The beautiful houses, small streets, gardens, and flowers made it feel completely different from Paris.

It wasn't only Monet's Garden that made Giverny beautiful. The whole village had this charming countryside atmosphere.

You could walk around and find beautiful gardens and little details everywhere.

Of course, we had come mainly to see one place.

Monet's Garden.

Monet's Garden in May

We visited in May, and I think it was a beautiful time to experience Giverny.

The gardens were full of flowers in so many different colors.

There were different types of flowers everywhere, and I kept looking around because there was always something else to see.

And then there was the famous pond with the water lilies.

Seeing the water lilies in person was special, especially knowing how important this landscape was to Monet and his paintings.

The garden is beautiful, but I also really enjoyed visiting Monet's house.

I loved the interior design, the colors, and all the little details inside. After walking through the garden, seeing the house helped me imagine what life there might have been like.

We spent our time walking, looking around, and taking photographs.

It was exactly the kind of peaceful day we had imagined when we left Paris that morning.

Or at least, that's what I thought.

Dinner at the Old Hôtel Baudy

Later, we went to the old Hôtel Baudy for dinner.

It was such an interesting place.

The inside has a very artistic atmosphere, and it actually reminded me of one of Van Gogh's paintings.

After dinner, we went into the garden, which was beautiful too, and explored the old painters' studio.

I was looking around the studio and enjoying the atmosphere.

There was something interesting about being in a place where artists had once spent time and worked.

I was just exploring, completely unaware that this room was about to become the most important part of our day.

Then Something Completely Unexpected Happened

I was looking through the studio when I turned around.

My boyfriend was already on one knee.

He proposed to me.

I had absolutely no idea it was coming.

I was so surprised that I started crying a little from happiness.

It was such a beautiful and artistic moment. We were standing inside an old painters' studio in Giverny, surrounded by the history of artists, and suddenly we were creating a very important memory of our own.

Later, he told me that this wasn't actually where he had originally planned to propose.

He had wanted to do it beside the Seine.

But then the rain started.

He also considered proposing at Monet's Garden, but there were quite a lot of people there.

So he decided to wait.

And eventually, the old painters' studio became the place.

I'm very happy it happened that way.

It was completely unexpected for me, and I think that made it even more special.

The Photo I Love Most

We took some photos with our analog camera, and we also asked a woman nearby to take a picture of us together.

My favorite photo from the whole day is the one from the studio with the ring.

It's not a perfectly planned photograph.

But that's exactly why I love it.

It captures the moment when everything changed.

We weren't dressed for an engagement photo shoot. We weren't prepared for it. We were just two people having a day trip in Giverny.

And then suddenly, there was a ring.

And Then We Had to Catch the Last Train

There was one small problem.

We still had to get back to Vernon to catch the last train to Paris.

So after all the excitement, we got back on our bicycles and started riding.

This time, I wasn't riding slowly!

I was trying to get back as quickly as possible.

By then, I was completely wet from the rain. My makeup was running down my face, and I probably looked quite different from when we had left Paris that morning.

But I didn't care.

I was riding through the countryside with a huge smile on my face.

I had just gotten engaged.

And now I was racing through the rain to catch a train.

It wasn't exactly the romantic ending I would have imagined.

But somehow, it was perfect.

Later, We Discovered Another Little Piece of History

After our trip, we discovered something that made our visit even more interesting.

We learned that Monet had actually had dinner at the same restaurant many years ago.

And the old studio we had visited had been used by painters.

Knowing that afterwards made the place feel even more special.

We had gone to Giverny to see Monet's garden and enjoy a day in nature.

Without knowing it, we ended up creating our own little story in a place connected to artists and art history.

What I Loved Most About Giverny

Looking back, there isn't just one thing I remember about Giverny.

I remember the whole experience.

The bicycle ride from Vernon: riding along the Seine and through the countryside, surrounded by horses, cows, birds, and green fields.

The village: the beautiful houses and gardens made Giverny feel charming even before we reached Monet's Garden.

Monet's Garden: the flowers, vibrant colors, water lilies, and beautiful house were everything I hoped to see.

Hôtel Baudy: the artistic atmosphere and the old garden made dinner feel like part of the Giverny experience rather than simply a meal.

The painters' studio: this is, of course, the place I'll remember most.

Not because it was the biggest or most famous part of the visit, but because it was where an ordinary day suddenly became an extraordinary memory.

A Day I'll Always Remember

When I think about Giverny now, I don't just think about Monet, water lilies, or beautiful gardens.

I think about that entire day.

And that's probably what I love most about traveling.

You can make plans, but you can't plan the memories.

Sometimes the most beautiful memories are the ones we never planned.

And if you're ever in Paris, I hope you leave a little space in your itinerary for Giverny.

You might go there looking for Monet.

You might come home with a story of your own.

Mila Teokarevic

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