Pickle Homer and Bonky at Giverny

>be me, bonky
>with my friend Pickle Homer
>we're at monet's house in Giverny
>it's an hour and thirty minutes outside Paris
>we did a group package we found online
>so we're here with a lot of other tourists from around the world
>we’re admiring the simple rustic charm of the house
>we're admiring the porcelain tiling in the kitchen
>we're nostalgic for the warm smell of plaster and paint and good, sturdy wood
>gentle country sunlight is streaming in through the linen and lace windows
>pickle homer says this is what he always imagined heaven is like
>we are examining des grandes chefs-d'oeuvres
>we are all quiet and reserved and respectful
>we see la chambre de blanche
>we're delighted by imagining the private universe of monet and alice hoschedé's love blossoming
>our hearts break at reading Monet's letter to his friend upon Alice's death!
>we go to clear our minds in the garden
>pickle homer says "we're looking at the very pond where monet painted his famous lily-pads
>i'm in awe
>i ask if we're going to see the lily pad painting
>he smiles knowingly
>Les Nymphéas, he whispers
>this is the best day of my life!
>we are corralled into an exhibit room
>there is soft reverential whispering
>our eyes adjust to the lighting in the room
>we see the lily pads!
>just as he painted them in la belle epoque!
>we are in awe of their scale
>we are enchanted by the diversity of flowers
>we are swooning at the masterful technique
>we are in vapors over the subtle play of colors
>we are revivified by the energy of the work!
>the tour guide informs us that these paintings were given to the French state by Claude Monet the day after Armistice in 1918
>they are a symbol of peace
>in a world that sorely needs such reminders
>we observe a moment of respectful silence
>we see Les Nuages
>it is stunning
>we see Le Matin Claires aux Saules
>it is living and breathing art
>we see Matin
>it is a monumental achievement
>pickle homer looks at me
>a triumphant smile breaks across both our faces!

[Editor's note: the pieces described in this work of fiction are on display at La Musée de L'orangerie in Paris, France (1er Arrondissement,) and NOT at Monet's Home in Giverny. The two locations are combined for dramatic effect.)