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Below: Japanese bridge in Monet’s garden, GivernyRight: Honfl eurJust a short distance from Paris is Giverny, a quaint artists’ retreat on the banks of the Seine. The village became home to Claude Monet and his wife, Alice, in 1883 and just seven years later had turned into a veritable artists’ colony and haven of creativity. Monet’s paintings of water lilies have long been synonymous with the Impressionist movement. The original water lilies and Japanese bridge can be seen at the Fondation Claude Monet, which includes Monet’s home and water garden. Today, the Musée des Impressionnismes, a stone’s throw away, continues this creative tradition with regular exhibitions.The term ‘Impressionist’ stems from an 1872 painting by Monet depicting the port and industrial chimneys of Le Havre at dawn. Titled Impression Sunrise, an art critic was unimpressed and dismissively dubbed Monet’s style of painting ‘Impressionism’. The name stuck, becoming associated with what is surely the best-loved art movement in the world. To this day, Le Havre offers a captivating mix of industrial and natural grandeur where estuary and Channel meet. In the centre of town, there’s a remarkable feeling of space and light in this port city almost completely rebuilt after the terrible destruction wrought through WW2. Auguste Perret, a modern architect with a big vision, was put in charge of the post-war reconstruction. The whole design turned out to be bold and grand. Perret’s modern transformation of Le Havre made the heart of the city become the fi rst modern town in France to be recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.Perret’s plan has been added to by further exceptional modern buildings, including the MuMa, André Malraux Museum of Modern Art, with the largest collection of impressionist works outside of the Musée d’Orsay, and the Volcano arts centre, the latter by leading Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. The most recent enticing architectural addition of a swimming pool complex, Les Bains des Docks, was designed by the renowned French practice of Jean Nouvel.North of the docks, Le Havre faces the Channel full on. Here you’ll fi nd the large yachting marina and, in summer, beach huts and pop-up restaurants lined up along the shingle beach as far as Sainte-Adresse, the elegant seaside suburb. With a wide aspect out to the open sea, the slopes above are peppered with bijou villas – and a 19th century fort turned botanical gardens with tearooms and a spectacular view.Next year Le Havre will celebrate its 500th anniversary from the end of May through to early November. This will be a major event in the Normandy calendar with unexpected art installations, exceptional exhibitions, futuristic street parades and much, much more. A bientôt en Normandie!• For more information, including details of upcoming festivals and accommodation, see www.normandy-tourism.org.,Images: Le Havre © Franck Godard; Honfl eur © Pixel Creation – Fotolia.com; bridge © Fondation Claude Monet Ð all rights reserved.ADVERTORIAL www.nadfas.org.uk NADFAS REVIEW / AUTUMN 2016 63