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In Heartland of French Impressionism, Locals Miss Americans

Lisa Bryant

   GIVERNY, FRANCE - The roses, dahlias and daisies are in full bloom at
   the home of 19th-century artist Claude Monet. So are colorfully clad
   tourists, posing for pictures in front of Monet's iconic lily pond.

   But one popular perennial is absent: the Americans.

   The coronavirus pandemic has put on indefinite pause a century-plus
   pilgrimage here by U.S. artists and tourists -- the leading foreign
   visitors to this heartland of impressionist painting. Instead, it is
   mostly the French who are flocking to Monet's home and garden amid the
   ongoing pandemic, as they rediscover their heritage.

   With coronavirus cases soaring in parts of the United States, polls
   show many Europeans, including French, do not want American tourists
   entering their countries right now. Chances are remote at any rate,
   current European Union restrictions bar travelers from the United
   States, along with many other countries.

   But in this tiny Normandy village, nestled between rolling hills and
   the Seine River, the Americans are sorely missed.

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