In search of more educational stimulation, I found myself at the Getty Center. Designed like a futuristic college campus, this museum -- affiliated with the villa -- focused on European art made before the 20th century.
I took a one-hour tour through its collection highlights, which provided an overview of major works from "Venus and Cupid" to "Irises." I also went on a 45-minute tour in the gardens before joining a one-hour tour of the special exhibition Rubens and Brueghel: A Working Friendship.
After having a quick lunch, I spent another hour Looking Toward Modern Art, a tour that detailed the origins of modern art in the late 1800s and explored how artists rejected traditional rules of representation to develop new forms of art. Later, I attended a 45-minute architecture tour that examined Richard Meier's design of the facility. Cramming so much learning into so little time was an enriching experience.
,
Speaking of time, my vacation was approaching its final 24 hours. Upon leaving the Getty Center, I drove southbound on Sepulveda Boulevard en route to the 405 to head back to the hostel. Before I could reach my destination, though, the unthinkable happened -- I rear-ended another car!
