The Getty Villa

A couple of weekends ago I snuck over to Los Angeles, CA for a surprise visit with my sister. I had some time to kill before seeing her, and The Getty Villa was recommended as a gorgeous place to check out. I dropped off my bags and immediately went online to reserve my ticket (it’s free, but you do have to reserve tickets in advance). I had exactly 40 minutes to drive from one side of LA to the other. With just 5 minutes left to make it on time, I was gently informed by the parking attendant that the scheduling was “loose,” that the ticket reservation was mainly to track the number of visitors per day. Oh well. At least it was a gorgeous drive up the Pacific Coast Highway.

Tranquility and splendor are the two words that describe this place to me. The gentle murmuring of the water fountains is all you’ll hear at The Getty Villa. It is so relaxing, and a great place to chill. I was perfectly happy to sit in the warm sunshine and let the stress of traveling melt away. Batteries recharged, I ambled throughout the various rooms checking out ancient Greek art, including the towering marble columns, sleek sculptures and intricate jewelry. It never ceases to amaze me how these ancient cultures were able to create such advanced works with such ‘low tech’ devices.