Monet's Garden

Last year we visited Monet's Garden in April and were amazed by the spectacular Spring displays. Today it was so different but equally astounding. I have never seen so many flowers in one place! Such amazing, vibrant planting of every imaginable colour. I seem to have missed out all the oranges and reds in these photos but it was there! Beds crammed with yellow and red and pink and orange and white and purple....... Just breathtaking!!
We went down early after our delicious breakfast of homemade bread and jams (apricot, tangerine and strawberry), pains au chocolate, croissants, fruit compote and melon. And tea, coffee and orange juice!
And lovely company as we've had both mornings - Australian and American couples. I always dislike the idea of having to make small talk with strangers during breakfast at B&Bs but as ever it was lovely to chat with fellow tourists about where we're all from, where we've been, experiences on this holiday and past travels. I always enjoy it!
The Little Misses make good ice breakers chipping in with funny anecdotes about how we kill our goldfish and how we play on our iPads all day long. Along with other things best kept to themselves!!!
Despite the early hour the garden was still heaving. Coachloads of people kept pouring in and sometimes there were so many people you could hardly move. But they generally charged on to the next thing and you could always find a bit of space and peace if you waited. 
Last year we didn't go inside the house so we made sure we did today. It was fascinating, restored to how it would have been in the late nineteenth century when Monet lived there. His studio was set up as it would have been with a photo of him working in there.
What a lovely place to live and work. No wonder he was so inspired!
I have never seen so many people take so many photos of themselves though. My goodness, that garden and those views and all people want are selfies!!!
We did get one family picture though which I love. See extras!
The Little Misses had had enough by the time we'd been through the house - lots of bickering, silliness and over the top hysteria about any bee (or hoverfly) within a thousand mile radius!! - so we headed for ice cream and back to the B&B. Via the churchyard again so Mr K could visit the servicemen's grave. More silliness in there and I was getting proper cross!
A lazy afternoon in the B&B reading and playing on iPads, kindles, laptops and phones!
Dinner was at the delightful Hotel Baudy again. The waitress remembered the Little Misses' names and made a lovely fuss of them.
And I had a scrummy posh pineapple fritter for pudding which took the edge off the silliness/over tiredness/over excitedness/arsiness/stroppiness and general hideousness which overtook the Little Misses at some point during dinner!