Impressions of Bougival

Bougival is a small town about 10 miles west of Paris, nestled along the Seine River. It’s where many Impressionist painters lived and worked, including Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, and Auguste Renoir. They painted  country scenes along the Seine, and along some paths of the Seine, you can see several  historical placards, known as the "Impressionists Walk," at locations from which the Impressionist painters painted  scenes of Bougival. It’s also where our friends, Marc and Virginie live...in a new house in the International Bauhaus style, with ultra modern appliances and features, which includes a game room (with pool table and an American pinball machine from the 1950s), a media/movie room, and a sound-proof music room for their talented musician son, Alex. The weekend Market has everything you can imagine, and Marc’s wine cellar is a wine lover’s paradise (who else has a 1921 Sauterne in their cellar?). Let’s see a few of the places we visited and things we did during the weekend visit.

During our Sunday stroll along the Seine, we ran across a Pétanque court and played a few games. Both teams were victors. 

The two Virginias 

Au bord de la Seine


Mansion of the Louis XIV property manager. Sphinxes added later

At the Early Gothic church at Croissy-sur-Seine 

Shopping at the market. Cepes are in season 

Church at Croissy-sur-Seine 

Fruit Defendu...along the Seine...where we had lunch

We’re in France, where food and wine is more than an afterthought...bordering on obsession. Who is to argue with that? Especially when you have a Corton Charlemagne with your exquisitely grilled salmon? Or perhaps the Chiroubles Beaujolais with your Dos de canette (Duck)? And après dinner, a game of pool and some pinball action?

An excellent dinner with our generous hosts, Marc & Virginie

Marc serving a special Burgundy wine

One of the finest white Burgundy wines, Corton Charlemagne

Pool...in the game room


Aperto. Spritz to sharpen our pool game

It will be difficult to leave this beautiful home, hosts, and village. But we have Paris in our sights where we have plans to visit more friends and to see the Berthe Morisot exhibit at the Gare d’Orsay Museum and the new Louis Vuitton Museum. I hope we also have time to visit the Orangerie to see Monet’s waterlilies...always one of my favorite places to visit in Paris.