Among the gems of Los Angeles: Getty Center and Villa
It’s been 3 weeks since we landed to L.A. So far so great: most attractions are checked off the list; the weather is incomparably better to Seattle (minus 2 days of heavy rain); got a nice tan — the white stripe on my left wrist, where I wear the smartwatch, is a proof for any doubters out there.
The places we’ve visited exceeded my expectations by far. The grandeur and the class of the museums is a level up from the Seattle ones. (Note also that a number of them have a free admission: jackpot!). The beaches are multiple levels up. I won’t even comment on the difference in weather, all I’ll say is that Seattle is a pretty miserable place in December. It’s staggering to a Seattleite that an Angelenos can wear a T-shirt and shorts outside on Christmas… It’s all relative, of course. I’ve lived in Finland, and compared to it, Seattle winter is fairyland, certainly more mild and manageable.
Getty Center
Everything is beautiful about this place. The walls of the buildings and surroundings are white and cream color, and in the sunny weather it feels like you’re on a festival of light because everything’s so bright.
The tram that takes you up the hill (also white!) is an experience on its own. It looks futuristic and has an epic music playing to prepare you for the upcoming experience. It leaves every 5 minutes so do not worry if you didn’t catch it. From the windows you get to see the highways from above, as well as the hills of L.A. (by the way the most expensive neighborhood Bel Air is right on the East side).
If you decide to visit the place, you must reserve the tickets ahead of time, but the entrance itself is free (how cool!). We only paid $20 for the parking, it’s a flat rate, and got to charge our rented electric car at the EV charging stations.
I really enjoyed the architectural style and design of the Center: its neatness, the adorable fountains placed in front of the pavilions, the presence of multiple levels, the unique gardens, the sculptures placed outdoors. The art collection is no doubt impressive, with Monet, van Gogh, Renoir, Rembrandt amongst others. We saw sculptures created in B.C. era, which made our jaws drop. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Rodin’s work on display.
I really like hanging out in an art museum, looking closely at the paintings and reading the stories behind their creation, about their creators. My two-year-old has, however, other interests at this age — he’s more interested in touching everything around him (including antique art), hence it’s not an ideal place for him… As you may guess, I had no time to properly appreciate the art. Thus my highlights for the visit are the gardens. I especially enjoyed the Central Garden with its umbrella-like bougainvillea and streams going through the entire area. Luke, my son, was happy with this decision: he was occupied by the water surrounding him, and the green hills where children were rolling down it, pretending it’s a snow hill.
Getty Villa
If you’re a lover of Greco-Roman culture (like my husband), THIS is the place to be. I’ve never seen a collection of hundreds and thousands of years old statues, artifacts, vases on such a large scale. Many of these artifacts are from the times when Gladiators were fighting with the bulls in the Roman amphitheatres.
Villa’s architecture is partially a replica of Villa dei Papiri from Pompeii. Partially because Villa dei Papiri was never fully excavated after Vesuvius volcano buried it underneath its lava.
The main garden, called Outer Peristyle, features an impressive pool of turquoise water the length of almost the entire garden. This was the highlight of our visit. It was fun imagining Romans walking around the sculptures (placed according to their original findspots at Villa dei Papiri), contemplating on their own or engaging in conversations with their fellows. What a luxury! Considering how many things you have to do in a day: work, take care of the kids, cook, clean… contemplation surely isn’t on the to-do list for most people. Of course, these were not “regular” people, but the elite… That explains a lot.
I also thought that the Herb Garden was beautiful and so practical. Evidently Romans loved the herbs and added them in their dishes abundantly. I read somewhere that their cuisine resembled today’s Middle Eastern and Northern African style of cooking with spices. Romans also used some herbs for medicinal purposes.
Being parents to a two-year old we had no time to explore the museums. You know, schedules, naps; and visiting a museum isn’t exactly my son’s number one pick of places to see (perhaps that’s his last). I do not regret, however, the drive of 1.5 hours to each destination, because the places are so unique and memorable. Who knows when are we again in the City of Angels?