The Villa houses Greek and Roman antiquities, and it is built exactly, to scale, in perfect reproduction, like the Villa dei Papyri, which was partially excavated in Herculaneum, a city buried under ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79. While much of the Getty Villa is reproduced work, many of the items are actual antiquities. And everything is stunning. J. Paul Getty built it to house his collection of antiquities, and because he wanted modern people to have the opportunity to spend time in, and understand, what an actual Roman Villa would have been like.
Detail on a fountain
A very small example of how the walls
in an ancient Roman villa would have been decorated.
An actual lily pad excavated from Herculaneum.
(Lie.)
The day was sunny and breezy and perfectly lovely. It helped that the company was so fantastic.
Most of the kids and all of the grand kids. (So far.)
Then, of course, no visit home would be complete without some snuggle time with my favorite reptile. Meet Mephistopheles:
If only he knew how much I miss him.
Oh! How unrequited love burns!
Mephistopheles was the very first gift ever given to me by my husband. Only at the time, he wasn't my husband, not even my boyfriend. It was the fall of 2000, and Mike knew I'd dreamt of having a pet ball python for years. When he gave me Meph, the snake could barely curl 'round my neck. Now? Now he's over five feet of gorgeous, scaly perfection. We could not figure out how to safely bring him across the country to New York, so we left him in the care of our very dear friend Cade. And Cade has taken wonderful care of him! And, hey! If you ever feel like taking a road trip across the country and bringing Meph along, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE HIM BACK. (And I think Cade would love to give him back.)
Have you ever seen something so
gorgeous in your entire life?
4 comments:
Awesome snake. Great pictures!
I must have that fountain! It practically screams "Hey you kids, get off my lawn!"
Do I remember hearing something about you wearing the snake at your wedding? Or was just that a rumor...
wow! good thing the boyz and the snake are so good lookin' ... no one will ever notice that I look mostly drunk, had a migraine that day I believe... but still, could you post one of just the boyz? pleeeeeez I know am being selfish, but I can't bear to have pix of yucky me on the 'net... the one with the group isn't so awful and you look beauteous!!!
xoxox elenes
Hawk - I want it too!
Kim - It was true. Very true. That was when his tail could just barely reach his neck, and that was for my first wedding. (SCANDAL!)
Scrumpi - Awww! I'm sorry. Done!
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