a day at the getty villa

In honor of today being a gorgeous day outside in Los Angeles, I've decided it's time I finally get around to posting photos from a gorgeous Malibu day back in September when two friends and I visited The Getty Villa.




The date was September 21st. I remember that because it was the day of the Space Shuttle Endeavor's final flight throughout the Los Angeles skies. We arrived in Malibu just in time to park and go up to the terrace to see the shuttle come flying in over the ocean on its way to Hollywood, strapped on top of an NASA airliner. Sadly, it didn't get very close to shore, thus its tiny appearance in this big blue sky...




But the photos I took at the Villa, were much better. The design of the main building/musuem was inspired by ancient Roman architecture, recreated in incredible detail, and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. It houses a massive collection of Roman and Greek antiquities, as well as borrowed collections/visiting exhibitions. When we were there, an exhibition on The Last Days of Pompei was on the second floor of the museum, complete with mummified remains found under the ashes.

The artifacts were all interesting, but I loved the garden, complete with koi ponds, lilies, olive trees and herbs that the Romans used for medicine and cooking. We were also highly amused/slightly creeped out by the fact that many of the statues in the garden and surrounding the reflecting pool had black pupils painted on their white eyeballs. Why, I do not know. And I'm still a bit too creeped out to research it and find out. So instead, let's enjoy pretty pictures :)

One of the fountains in the garden

Close-up on pretty lily pads

And even closer. Note it's purple :) 

A view of the villa from the end of the reflecting pool

A view of the reflecting pool and gardens from the steps of the villa

Close up on the carved ceiling tiles decorating the patio walkways surrounding the garden

And the full view of one section of the walkway ceiling