My Birthday at The Getty Villa

My birthday is today. 

With my husband in New Jersey working on the recovery of Hurricane Sandy, this birthday will be celebrated solo. Since he is gone I went and did something that I ALWAYS wanted to do- visited The Getty Villa in Malibu, California. 

When you go to a museum by yourself, you can stand in front of something that takes your breath away for 15 minutes and you are not bothering anyone. 

J.Paul Getty decided that he wanted to re-create a first-century Roman country house, the Villa die Papiri, so that he had a place to display his growing collection of art. 

It is now open to the public and it is absolutely beautiful. 

Most of the art is from the cultures of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria. 

My visit was actually on Thursday where I went early. I highly recommend this because touring the gardens early made for beautiful photos without other tourists in the background. 

You can bring your coffee and sit and chat around this pool for as long as you like. 

The outdoor pools and fountains reminded me of the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle. And I LOVE Hearst Castle so it was love at first sight here. 

This is my favorite photo, I laid on the tile to take it. 

Did I mention it was free to go here, kinda. You just have to pay for parking which is $15.00. And I was able to check out an iPod Touch where it gives you a tour at your own pace, hence why I am wearing headphones in the photos. 

The Inner Peristyle has got to be one of the most serene places I have ever been to. It is gorgeous. 

If you noticed that there are only have pictures of the outside, some of the items in the museum cannot be photographed. Honestly, I don't think that any photos can do justice of the beautiful artwork that is displayed here. You would just have to experience it for yourself.

If you ever get a chance I highly recommend visiting this beautiful place. I'll be going back for sure. 

~Amanda