Malibu, part 4 --- The Getty Villa, Dinner at Geoffrey's, Thanksgiving

Scene from the Getty Villa Roman Gardens

Roger here...  So, on this day, Robyn and Atul picked us up at our RV park to join us for some  fun in Malibu.  Atul had made arrangements for us to tour the Getty Villa.  It was far more than we expected.

Located on the Pacific Coast Highway, we anticipated a tour of a millionaire's mansion.  We were wrong.  The Getty Villa was built as the original repository of his extensive art requisitions.  It eventually became too small to adequately display the collection.  Most of it was moved to the newly-built (and massive) Getty Museum.  When the Villa was reopened, much of the ancient artwork from the  Mediterranean world found a home at the Villa.  

The ruins of Pompeii were the model for the Villa.  Roman symmetry and architecture were carefully copied.  

The guided tour that Atul arranged was of the outdoor gardens. It was amazing.


The main courtyard, surrounded by the villa, was constructed in alignment with the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west).  At the center of each of the inner courtyard villa walls, an entry led to gardens that were symmetrically identical in every way.  Even the plants and their position were the same in each garden.
The long rectangular pool in the inner courtyard was surrounded by fountains and statuary. It felt like we were in ancient Rome.

The opening picture in this post shows one of the side gardens.  The picture on the left hones in on a colorful mosaic alcove complete with a stair step fountain.  Below is a closer look.

I really like the closer look of this fountain that was also shown in the opening picture.

I was intrigued by the two masks on either side of the alcove.  Robyn thought they were scary.












At the conclusion of the guided tour we went inside to explore an extensive array of Mediterranean antiquities on our own. 

Life-sized statuary was prevalent in the inside galleries.  It was hard to imagine the age of these works of art, as well as the immense skill of the sculptors.

Hey, is that guy Jupiter?

Seldom does Dianne ever not read every word on every placard when she visits mus-eums.  I am married to a scholar.

We examined ancient pottery, ancient medallions, ancient coins, and yes, more ancient mosaics.  

Before finding our way to the car, we went back outside to take a couple of people pictures...

... and a photo of the scenic vista extending down the hillside to the Pacific Ocean.  This was certainly more than a millionaire home tour.  

I'm hungry.  Are you hungry? 

I offered the eating options.  We could stop at a simple fish shack with delicious fresh seafood.  Or, we could dine on the terrace at Geoffrey's (a place where Dianne and I had eaten several years ago with dear friends) and watch the sunset over the Pacific.  Geoffrey's was the choice.  The setting, the service, the bloody marys, and the food were amazing.

After dinner it was time to say goodbye to Robyn and Atul for another day.  More adventures to come.

Oh wait, I forgot Thanksgiving!   Robyn (with Atul's help) prepared a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for us in their home.  

Whole Foods provided the ingredients.  Robyn and Atul prepared the feast.  We ate leftovers for several days.

Much more to come in future posts.

Pet Pictures of the Day...

Robyn and Atul gave our dogs a three-month subscription to Bark Box for Christmas two years ago.  Once a month a cardboard box arrived filled with dog toys and treats.  The dogs were ecstatic when they arrived --- especially Bandido.  Since that time, Bandido thinks that every FedEx or UPS delivery is a Bark Box.

Dianne and I decided to repack a few of their toys in a cardboard box for the dogs to open during this trip.  Bandido went nuts when he figured out it really was a Bark Box.

Bandido says, "There are toys in there.  I just know it."

Tequila says, "Forget the toys.  I hope there is food."