Beautiful Places visited on Thursday and Friday

The Getty Villa in Malibu was still under the morning Marine Layer when we arrived on Thursday.  This added to the mystic of this replica of a villa buried under Mt. Vesuvius volcanic mud over 2000 years ago.  Thanks to J.P. Getty and his billions spent on museums and art collections, we get to go and view with awe this amazing scene.  

The Getty Villa is home to collections of antiquities from the Roman, Greek, Etruscan, and other ancient cultures.  Here are photos of some of my favorites that I saw on Thursday:

The Iris were a bloom on this late Spring morning, but no water in the pool due the drought. 

"Jug with a Man and Deer," Early Cypriot, 230-1650 B.C., Terracotta

We viewed beautiful silver objects found by chance in rural Normandy in 1830, and dedicated the the Gallo-Roman god Mercury about 2,000 years old.  These were studied and cleaned at the Getty and viewed for the first time outside Paris.  No photos were allowed.

"Gravestone of a Woman with Her Attendant," Greek, about 100 B.C., Marble.

"Faustina the Elder," Roman, A.D. 140-160

"Gravestone of Apollonia," Greek about 100 B.C., Marble and pigment 

"Bust of a Boy Named Martial," Roman, A.D. 98-117. Marble.
The inscription on this bust reads:  "Dearest Martial, a slave child, who lived two years, ten months, and eight days."

"Statuette of a Boy Riding Piggyback," Greek, 500-475 B. C., Terracotta and pigment.
"Doll," Greek 500-400 B.C. 

"Bust of a Woman," Roman, 25 B.C.-A.D. 25, Bronze and glass paste (eyes).

"Gravestone of Tatianos and Tation," Roman, made in Phrygia (present-day Turkey), A.D. 175

"Bust of Emperor Commodus," Roman, A.D. 180-185, Marble

"Statuette of Mars Cobannus," Gallo-Roman, A.D. 125-175, Bronze

The fog is clearing as can be seen in the balcony view looking toward the Pacific Ocean.

The side garden with fountains with water to preserve the plants.

"Vessels and Jewelry from a Burial.  The gold coin minted in present-day Turkey by the Roman general Marc Antony in 34 B.C.

"Applique with ceres," Roman, A.D. 100-200, silver,
"Statuette of a Goddess," Roman, A.D. 50-75, bronze
"Statuette of a Fertility Goddess," Greek, made in Boiotia, 600-575 B.C. Terracotta
"Mixing Vessel with Triptolemos,"  Greek, made in Athens, about 470 B.C., Terracotta

"Young Boy, Possibly Cupid," Roman, A.D. 1-50, Bronze, silver and copper

"Aphrodite," Greek, 200-150 B.C., Bronze

On Friday, I enjoyed the blooming Lotus blossoms on the pond in the Chinese Pavilion at the Huntington Gardens in San Marino. These Chinese gardens are called the Lotus Gardens with images of the Lotus blossom carved on the top of the bridges.

Lotus with Lois