University of Wisconsin–Madison

France: Angela Garcia (A New Experience)

A house with pink and white walls and green shutters sits behind a patch of pink tulips.
Monet’s home in Giverny is a beautiful pink color with green accents.
Several paintings hang above a statue of a cat sleeping on a pillow and a vase with yellow orchids.
Monet was heavily influenced by Japanese art and a lot of his Japanese print collection is displayed throughout his home.

The last excursion that was organized by IES BIA and that stood out to me the most was the trip to Giverny. Giverny is located northwest of Paris and is a cute little town famously known for being the home to Claude Monet. Along with the IES French Studies students, we took a bus in the morning and arrived in Giverny shortly after. To start the day, we went to the Giverny Museum of Impressionism where we had the opportunity to see various impressionist paintings such as those created by Monet, Signac, and Caillebotte. After the museum, we decided to explore the town. We had lunch at one of the restaurants nearby and even got to visit Monet’s grave.

Angela smiles, holding a stuffed duck and an umbrella, walking on a path surrounded by plants and flowers on both sides.
The rain did not deter us from enjoying Monet’s gardens!

My favorite part of the trip was being able to walk through Monet’s gardens and his home. Even though it was a rainy day, the ponds and selection of flowers were beautiful. Monet curated his gardens to look exactly how he envisioned them to be. His home was also beautifully decorated. The house was painted pink with green shutters and surrounded by many pink tulips. The rooms followed a specific color scheme. For instance, the dining room was yellow and featured a yellow table, yellow cupboards, and even yellow plates! This experience felt surreal since I have studied Monet and his art since high school. I never thought I would be able explore the place where he created some of his most famous paintings!

 

Angela takes a selfie wearing a gray Wisconsin sweatshirt.

Angela Garcia

Hometown: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Major: Computer Science & Information Systems

Program: IES Paris Business & International Affairs

I chose this program because I wanted the opportunity to immerse myself into the French culture and language. This program also offers courses that align with my academic requirements and interests. I am excited to improve my French and meet people of diverse backgrounds in the city of lights!