"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting." (-Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Not long ago, I was flattered and quite surprised to receive a note on my blog from a descendant of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and she told me that he always did have wonderful quotations. I would certainly have to agree: I have many times clipped and written down quotations of his that impressed me, and here I am doing it again.

I have mentioned visiting the "new" Getty Centre in Los Angeles in a past blog, and several people have educated me about the “old” Getty, which I've never seen. The brochures I read made note of "the Villa," which is now on my list of places to try to head to if I can one day, perhaps when I’m in Malibu visiting Pepperdine University for work.

The new Getty Centre is up on top of a marvelous hillside that you reach by tram. My initial impression was that the place is very organized, and they easily move you from parking deck to tram to sculpture gardens to amazing hilltop grounds.

I think what struck me the most about this place was that I anticipated seeing memorable artwork, but I hadn’t been prepared for the magnificently beautiful grounds themselves. There are lush gardens and fountains everywhere, coupled with mammoth outside sculptures in various locales, and views over the city of Los Angeles that are breathtaking if you happen to arrive on a day such as I did, with no smog and sun shining resplendently above.

I decided on the spur of the moment to go exploring on a weekend, and when I arrived at the Getty Centre, I was certainly glad I did. Some of you have heard me mention this spot before, so you know it impressed me. Much of the indoor artwork can be photographed (without a flash, of course.) The mazes and garden flowers are spectacularly beautiful, and there are plenty of cafe areas where you can take advantage of the views and enjoy a quick bite if you like. The art itself is grouped in buildings and in sections of buildings so that you can venture to the areas that appeal most to you. I also saw a wonderful photography exhibit in one building. I tended to gravitate to buildings with more modern pieces, but one could spend days going back and seeing all there is to see.

The Getty was, to me, an oasis in the midst of the city, and I encourage anyone who can go to do so. I don't think you would regret it. I mentioned that it is huge, but having had a mother who was later in life physically unable to walk, I can say that I noticed that there were wheelchairs there, and it did seem to be accessible, which pleased me. I wish my mother and dad could have seen this spot; I know they'd have appreciated it. Thanks for indulging me a second time about this impressive place.

I laughed when I found this quotation amongst others I'd written down in the past:

“I went to the museum where they had all the heads and arms from the statues that are in all the other museums.” (-Steven Wright)

Photos don't do justice to the incredible vistas that were before me. The buildings themselves are modern and architecturally lovely.

My second impression was that it's positively huge, and I guess I hadn't expected that either.