It's Glühwein Season!

Katja is happy to report that after a lull in her international travel she's back to her jet-setting ways, starting with her recent trip to Germany for her annual Christmas markets instead of Thanksgiving trip. This year the destination was Frankfurt, where she stayed at the lovely Villa Kennedy hotel. The beautiful hotel, named in honor of President John F. Kennedy's 1963 visit, was once a grand family home. But for Katja it's all about the hotel's fabulous Christmas tree covered in feathers (who doesn't love a fashionable tree), and the big gingerbread house and very tasty free cookies (her sweet tooth has been well established).

Although indulging in lots of Glühwein and other treats at the Christmas markets was her top priority, Katja always likes to get in a bit of culture when she travels, so she took in an opera, Iwan Sussanin, by Michail Iwanowitsch Glinka, and made her way to the Museum für Moderne Kunst to see the exhibiton William Forsythe: The Fact of Matter. She loved the exhibition, with its many interactive displays, although she regretted her choice of outfit, which did not allow for full participation. As adventurous as she may be, she never likes to appear like anything less than a lady, so navigating The Fact of Matter's 200 gymnastic rings in a miniskirt was out of the question.

This was Katja's second time visiting the Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkt, which takes place on the Römerberg Plaza, in the reconstructed Altstadt (Old Town), and she was not disappointed.

Of course it's hard to be disappointed when one has a glass of Glühwein in hand, or even better, a concoction called the Schneemann, a mix of Glühwein and Eierlikör, topped with whipped cream (what's not to love about that). And then of course there were all of marzipan and poppyseed treats that she loves so much...

The market does, however, shut a little early for her liking - the New York girl that she is she's used to things starting much after nine, not ending at nine. In fact the city seemed eerily quiet at night, especially her first evening there, when there was a full moon.

The moon did, however, lend the city a rather dramatic flair, and made her not short walk back to the hotel exceptionally beautiful.

Although Katja is a fan of lazy mornings, she's also an explorer, and made certain to be out and about early enough to visit markets in other cities. One day she hit Wiesbaden's Sternschnuppenmarkt (Twinkling Star Christmas market), where she actually got some Christmas shopping done (instead of just buying things for herself), and of course indulged in more of the usual market treats.

But perhaps the best treats she had in Wiesbaden were at Café Maldaner, a Viennese style pastry shop with an incredibly large selection of cakes. Besides a delicious poppyseed cheesecake, she enjoyed an Einspänner (what's not to love about espresso with whipped cream), her coffee drink of choice from her days in Vienna.

Katja also made her way to Strasbourg, known as the capitale de Noël (capital of Christmas). The city's Christmas market, the oldest in Europe, first took place in 1570; today there are numerous markets scattered throughout the town.

While many of the treats were similar to those in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, the crepes were much better (it is in France, after all), and the vin chaud could also be had in larger cups, which she most appreciated (she does love her wine).

Katja thought that Strasbourg was a lovely city, filled with many charming nooks and crannies, and decorated beautifully for the holidays.

But of course the highlight for her was the train station, covered in penguins, an image from Thierry Suzan's Vertige Polaire. Strasbourg is obviously a very cultured city with impeccable taste, welcoming its visitors in such a wonderful manner.

The trip went by much too quickly (like they all do), and before she knew it she was heading back to the airport, her suitcase filled with sweet treats to indulge in at home. Sad to be leaving, she consoled herself with some pre-flight bubbly in the Lufthansa lounge.

But really, she'll take any excuse to drink champagne...

And I'm (Almost) Off

Katja is happy to report that in a few days she’ll finally be up in the skies again, heading somewhere further afield than the East Coast (Frankfurt, to be specific). Her passport is especially happy, as it’s been feeling rather neglected, not having been put to use since July.

In the meantime she’s been doing her usual research, museum (go see Fashion and Virtue, a small but very nice exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art), and ballet thing, as well as her regular trips to Boston. She did go slightly off the usual beaten path one weekend, when she made her way to Fawn Lake, Virginia, to help celebrate a family member's big birthday.

Despite the craziness that surrounded the festivities, Katja was able to enjoy some relaxing moments,

and, more importantly, treats at Dairy Queen, a place she loves. As tasty as the much trendier artisanal ice cream may be, Katja thinks there's noting quite as good as a Blizzard (or peanut butter sundae), and she thinks the seasonal Candy Cane Oreo Blizzard is most delicious.

But, being the city girl that she is, there's only so much peace and quiet she can take, so by Sunday afternoon she was more than ready to get back to the hustle and bustle of New York City (despite the gloomy weather it's been having recently).

Anyway, Katja would go into further detail about her exploits over the past few weeks, but she worries she's beginning to sound a bit like a broken record. Plus she needs to figure out which one of her new legwarmers to wear to ballet class.

Decisions, decisions... It's hard work being a fashionista.

Well Hello November...

Katja can’t believe that it’s already November, and that there are only two months left in 2015. But even though she's wondering what happened to the year, she's a happy girl, as she loves this very festive season.

Also, the fact that it's November 1 means that there are only 24 days until she heads to Germany and France, and then to London shortly thereafter. Katja hasn’t been out of the country since early July, so a trip abroad is long overdue.

In fact Katja hasn't even hopped on a plane since late July. But she has, at least, been able to keep her nomadic soul from becoming too, too restless with regular trips to Boston, and has found herself on the train up there every one of the past three weeks.

As usual the reason for the visits was the mix of culture, friends, and cocktails that she loves so much. Her first trip was for a performance by Symphony Nova, an organization with which a friend of hers is involved. She very much enjoyed the concert, which included works by Nino Rota, Jean Françaix, and Gustav Helsted, and took place in the lovely Old South Church in Copley Square (not pictured below, but since she forgot to take a picture she figured she'd just show another cute church in Boston instead).

The performance was followed by gossip and wine, thankfully enough of the latter to make the one am bus back to New York much more bearable. While a more rational girl would have spent the night in Boston, Katja wanted to get back home to her own bed, and even more importantly, to be back in New York to take the Saturday ballet class that she loves (especially as she wanted to show off a lovely new seasonal skirt by Les Petites Jupes de Patricia).

The following two trips were to see Boston Ballet’s production of Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler: A Ballet by John Neumeier. Katja wanted to be among the first to see the show, so she attended the opening night performance, as well as the party afterwards. She loved the ballet, but can’t say she was overly impressed with the party – the Boston Ritz’s “ballroom” doesn’t quite fit her idea of what that word means. I mean, she wasn't expecting Versailles style grandeur; while she's most certainly a diva, she's not quite that demanding...

However, something a little less dim and a little more glamorous would have been nice. Nevertheless, she had fun catching up with friends and drinking more bubbly than necessary (because really, who is she to complain when the bubbly is free-flowing), and was one of the last to leave the party (what else is new). And, despite the late night, she was able to drag herself out of bed at a reasonable hour the next morning for a day filled with shopping, wandering around the city, and visiting friends.

Then, of course, it was back to the Boston Opera House to see the ballet's second cast perform. And, once again, there were post-performance drinks to be had; she recently reconnected with an old friend, and they caught up over wine and nibbles at Les Zygomates.

Things were much the same on her most recent trip to Boston, when she saw the performance a final time, and then found herself, yet again, catching up with friends over drinks at the Ritz, albeit this time at the hotel’s Avery Bar. While a change of scenery would have been nice, as long as she’s in good company and has a glass of wine in hand, she's a happy girl.

Katja has also been filling her days in New York with art and socializing, as well as ballet classes and work (which thankfully falls under the category of art). She recently attended a reception at the Museum of Modern Art for Joaquín Torres-García: The Arcadian Modern. Katja wasn't overly familiar with the artist's work, so she enjoyed perusing the exhibition and seeing new things,

and of course sipping red wine in the museum's courtyard afterwards. She also stopped by the Craig F. Starr Gallery to see the small exhibition Robert Indiana: Sign Paintings 1960-65, which she loved. Katja is of course biased, as Robert Indiana is the artist she researches, but who wouldn't be happy to encounter a random mid-day hug?

And, while socializing and doing her art thing, Katja has been slowly adjusting to the colder weather. She's not a fan, which she knows she's mentioned before. But, looking on the bright side, it does provide an excuse for her to indulge in her favorite comfort foods. In fact, she's very happy to report that Café Katja, her favorite New York restaurant, has its Käsespätzle back on the menu. The melted cheese and onion deliciousness is certainly not very healthy, but then again you only live once.

The colder weather has also had Katja craving khachapuri, a cheesy and rather decadent Georgian treat, which she indulges in at the restaurant Oda House, conveniently located at the other end of her block. She'll just have to make certain to do a few extra pliés and tendus (thankfully leotards are stretchy).

And of course there's all that Halloween candy... But then again, as the always wise Oscar Wilde said, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

It's Not That Time Yet

As much as Katja loves Christmas (and is counting the days until her trip to Germany for the Christmas markets), she was slightly disturbed to stumble upon a rather sizable display of Christmas trees and décor a few weeks ago. I mean, she hasn’t even figured out what she’s going to be for Halloween. On that subject, it most definitely is pumpkin season, as well as that time of year when the weather starts getting noticeably cooler.

While Katja has been happy to switch to her fall/winter wardrobe (as cute as they are, she was starting to get bored of her summer dresses), she’s really not a fan of the cold. She hasn’t, however, let the cooler temperatures keep her from trekking up to the Upper East Side for her ballet classes, and from getting out and about in the city. Because while she's definitely not a cold weather kind of girl, she's even less of a stay at home and just hang out kind of girl.

Besides Ballet Academy East (her home away from home), Katja has been spending a lot of time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She can often be found researching at the Watson Library (which she highly recommends to anybody with art historical research to do), as well as waddling through the museum's endless galleries. It is, after all, no fun to just read about art when there are so many wonderful things to see. Katja also recently attended a preview and reception for Ancient Egypt Transformed: The Middle Kingdom.

She enjoyed checking out the exhibition, and then having drinks in the beautiful Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court; she does, after all, love a glass of red wine along with her art. And even better to be able to sip that wine next to Antonio Canova's Perseus with the Head of Medusa (1804-6), which she thinks is pretty fabulous.

Katja had another opportunity to mix cocktails and culture at Choreographers and Cocktails, a benefit for the Joyce Theater, which is one of her favorite places to see dance. The event took place at the DANY Studios, where seven different companies - American Dance Machine for the 21st Century, Abraham.In.Motion, Dorrance Dance, KEIGWIN+COMPANY, MADBOOTS DANCE, Monica Bill Barnes & Company Productions, and Pam Tanowitz Dance - held open rehearsals. She very much enjoyed the evening, wandering from studio to studio, a glass of wine in hand, to watch the dancers rehearse. And afterwards, during the cocktail hour, she even got in a bit of dancing herself (she is, without question, a first on the dance floor kind of girl).

Of course she doesn't need wine to enjoy her culture, and could also be found at various performances over the past few weeks. She caught two Fall for Dance programs at the lovely New York City Center - the first one she saw featured Compagnie Hervé KOUBI (which she loved), Steven McRae, Project FFD: Pam Tanowitz, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the second Nrityagram, San Francisco Ballet, Stephen Petronio Company, and Dorrance Dance.

And while Katja generally sticks to dance, she decided it was time to change things up a bit by seeing some plays. A big fan of the novels of Emile Zola, she was excited to see Thérèse Raquin at the Studio 54 Theatre. She thoroughly enjoyed the play, and was happy that it did Zola's novel justice. She also very much enjoyed seeing a friend in Letters To Sala at the Barrow Group Theatre. Of course she's biased, but she thinks she has amazingly talented friends.

Not surprisingly, Katja also managed to make her way up to Boston a few times over these past weeks. The nomadic type that she is, she can't go much more than a week without traveling somewhere, and as Boston has rather unexpectedly become something of a second home to her, she's happy for any excuse to go up there. And it's never too hard for her to find a good excuse, such as a cocktail making seminar that a friend organized at Ames Street Deli (she chooses her friends wisely). The theme of the evening was New Orleans cocktails, and the cocktail of choice was the Sazerac. Luckily the bartender let her make hers with cognac instead of whiskey, as she's not really a whiskey drinking kind of girl (cognac, on the other hand...). And not to boast, but she must say she was rather impressed with her cocktail making skills.

Katja also went up for a season kick-off party for the Young Partners of the Boston Ballet. She enjoyed catching up with friends and having a few too many glasses of red wine, but mostly she's looking forward to the start of the season, and seeing John Neumeier's Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler.

Of course Katja does more in Boston than just go to parties (not that it would be bad thing if that's all she did), and thus made her way to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, a place she hadn’t been in ages. She thinks the museum, in a building designed to evoke a 15th century Venetian palace, is ever so lovely. She's a big fan of the themed rooms, the Tapestry Room and the Gothic Room probably being her two favorites (although they're all rather wonderful, so she can't say for certain). And, as the dance lover that she is, she's partial to John Singer Sargent's painting El Jaleo (1882).

So, basically Katja's just been hanging out with friends

and doing her usual art-dance-adult beverage thing. It's a rather nice routine to have, don't you think?

I Love NY

After a summer spent largely on the road and in the skies, Katja has been enjoying spending time in New York (there really is no place quite like it). She's been taking full advantage of all the city has to offer, although as usual her activities have largely revolved around art and dance, and have frequently been accompanied by a glass or two of champagne.

Katja recently spent a lovely evening at the Museum of Modern Art, at a member reception for the newly opened exhibitions Picasso Sculpture and Transmissions: Art in Eastern Europe and Latin America, 1960–1980. Although she began her evening with a glass of bubbly, Katja did manage to pry herself away from the open bar long enough to peruse the exhibitions, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Sadly the rainy weather kept her from hanging out in MoMA's lovely sculpture garden, so she had to sip her bubbly and gaze at Isa Genzken's 36-foot-tall Rose II sculpture from inside.

Katja also enjoyed a lovely evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It’s a place she spends a fair amount of time, whether researching at the wonderful Watson Library, or perusing the museum's vast collections. She had, however, never attended a Met Friday. September's theme is ¡Noche en el Met!, and the Friday she attended was a celebration of Mexico.

As a lover of things Mexican she knew she couldn't miss this one, which began with visitors being welcomed by the Mariachi Real de Mexico. The evening included numerous lectures and activities; she particularly enjoyed making flower crowns a la Frida Kahlo,

and the performance by the Capulli Mexican Dance Company in the Egyptian Gallery's Temple of Dendir. Although her flower crown couldn't quite compete with the feathered headdresses of the dancers, she still thinks that she stole the show.

Dance and art also mixed at a reception she attended at the New Museum for Paul Taylor American Modern Dance. The evening, a celebration of the company's new commissions, included a discussion with Doug Elkins, who is currently creating a work for PTAMD. Because it was such a lovely late summer evening, Katja and her friends spent much of the reception on the museum's rooftop balcony, taking in the beautiful sunset and views of the city (with a glass of bubbly in hand, of course).

On the subject of dance, Katja is happy to be back to a more regular schedule of ballet classes – and even more happy that Ballet Academy East's weekend schedule has gone back to its later fall times. She’s not a morning person, especially on weekends, when she likes to enjoy a good lie-in (she does need her beauty sleep, after all).

Besides dance and museum related activities, Katja has also been spending a fair amount of time catching up with friends over dinner (and a few too many drinks) at New York's great restaurants and bars.

Despite the numerous options she often finds herself back at Cafe Katja, which is, without a doubt, her favorite restaurant in the city. Besides the restaurant's name, she loves the atmosphere and the friendly staff, and she really, really loves the Spätzle, as well as the tasty Topfentorte. She might have, in the past, mentioned her love of all things Topfen (more commonly called Quark in German, and túró in Hungarian) - she thinks it's just so delicious in both sweet and savory treats. And, of course, there's nothing quite like finishing a meal with a nice glass of Schnapps. While she normally goes for apricot she also recommends the hazelnut. So really, why not just try both (or any other flavor you might fancy).

Naturally September has not been completely free of travel; a gypsy at heart Katja can never go too long without heading somewhere. She has thus made her way up to Boston a few times for quick, but very pleasant trips. She finds the train rides up relaxing (well, when Amtrak cooperates), as the scenery is lovely,

and they give her time to read, which is always such a pleasure. She recently finished Mario Vargas Llosa's Notes on the Death of Culture, which she highly recommends, and has just started Joris-Karl Husymans' Against Nature (À Rebours). Katja's most recent trip to Boston was to attend a BB@home performance, Celebrating the Legacy of Leonid Yakobson: From Oppression to Honor. She loved the four pas de deux from Rodin, each beginning and ending with the dancers posing as Rodin sculptures. Katja particularly enjoyed Minotaur and the Nymph, and in fact had seen the sculpture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art during her most recent trip to LA.

The evening ended with her catching up with a friend over a few glasses of bubbly, because just as much as Katja loves her ballet (which she really does), she also loves her bubbly. Life is meant to be lived, after all...