Who would drive over an hour and pay $15 to park at the fabulous Getty Villa in Malibu, then spend their entire outing in the gardens, never venturing into the museum to see the antiquities collections? That's crazy! Yet it happens to me a lot when I go places with other people.
Here's the
scenario: We arrive at the Getty Villa museum around noon, and the
person I'm traveling with HAS TO eat now. Not later, now.
The outdoor
restaurant is the obvious choice so we spend about 45 (long) minutes
making sure the companion is fed and ready to amp it up a little.
Wandering around the elegant outdoor gardens with fountains spitting,
spilling and pouring, my friend(s) dawdle, slow down, then sit down.
That's when I see that things are never going to get better. Not long
after they sit, they want to leave and get home before the rush hour
traffic.
If you can ever make it into the Getty Villa, its world class collection
of art spanning 7,000 years from the end of the Stone Age to the fall of
the Roman Empire is amazing. The outdoor reflecting ponds and four
gardens are worth a stroll, but do go inside to see pristine treasures
such as painted vessels, Cycladic figures, coins, jewelry and gems. The
famous "Victorious Youth" bronze statue was rescued from the sea and
dates back to 300-100 BC. Seeing the bronze boy standing there, it feels
like the sculptor captured his soul as if he's going to step off his
pedestal and come to life.
It's easy to figure out that the world clamors to see the
collection--you'll hear every language on Earth as you wander through
the marble, inlaid halls seeing priceless artifacts along the way. And
best of all it's free to see. The parking is $15, and you must make
reservations for parking online at getty.edu as parking space is
limited. Go see as much as you can, then go back again. It's that good!