Out Gallivanting

Katja is not a fan of the winter months, which always seem to drag on for much too long. Still, she’s not one to let the cold weather (or anything else, for that matter) get in the way of her constant search for fun and new adventures. Or to keep her from looking anything less than glamorous while doing so.

And, on the rare occasion that the cold keeps her from venturing out, she stays nice and cozy in style. Because even at home one should be glamorous.

Although Katja hasn't been on a plane since her trip to Vienna (thankfully this will be remedied very soon, as she's off to London in a few days), she has, of course, been doing some traveling. In fact she's been quite a regular on the Amtrak to Boston. Not quite as glamorous as flying the friendly skies, but just as long as she's going places she's happy.

Not surprisingly a lot of her activities in Boston revolved around Boston Ballet. One of these was Glass After Class, an event for the Young Partners of the Boston Ballet, which consisted of a class and then drinks afterwards. This, of course, was a wonderful mix for Katja, as she loves ballet, and she loves her wine. Not together of course, although perhaps that would make her less terrified of turning.

Katja also made her way up to Boston for the Boston Ballet gala, Le Bal Epoque. She and her friends enjoyed a leisurely dinner at the Four Seasons' Bristol Restaurant before heading over to the Boston Castle, where the event was held, for drinks and dancing. She had a fabulous time, but then how can one not when there's an endless supply of bubbly. Katja was not, however, a fan of the venue. It felt too cavernous and had very little charm, and is also home to a steakhouse. What can she say, she can be a bit of a snob at times (and as a vegetarian does prefers to stay as far away from steakhouses as possible).

As much fun as the gala was, her favorite trip was to see Onegin, which is one of her favorite ballets. Although she can't say she thinks much of Onegin as a character (a self-involved jerk, really), she thinks it is such a beautiful and moving ballet, and that anybody who has the chance to go see it should do so. In fact she saw it twice.

She also got in a performance in New York, something that she surprisingly hadn't done in a while (too busy traveling and getting up to other things). Although she is generally not a fan of fairy tale ballets, she decided to check out Les Ballets de Monte Carlo's Cinderella, a modern version by Jean-Cristophe Maillot, at the City Center. It certainly didn't rank up there with Onegin (but then little does in her opinion), but she enjoyed the performance, and loved that Cinderella's feet were not shod in glass slippers, but instead dipped in gold.

While Katja is not a fan of fairy tale ballets, she does like fairy tales in other contexts, such as the Fairy Tale Fashion exhibition at the Museum at FIT. She thought the clothing was amazing, and loved the design of the exhibition. If only she could have taken some of the outfits home with her...

Of course the trip to the Museum at FIT was just one of her many museum visits, the cultured girl that she is. She especially loves when art is combined with bubbly (something she's probably mentioned once or twice before), and was thus happy to attend a member event at the Museum of Modern Art for the newly opened Marcel Broodthaers: A Retrospective. While she can't say that the show, dedicated to a Belgian poet who at age 40 turned to the visual arts, was her favorite, she did find some of his work amusing, and enjoyed perusing the exhibition.

More to her liking was Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist inRevolutionary France, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She loved the beautiful portraits, many of Marie Antoinette, but also of other glamorous ladies (much like herself, if she may say so). And while the queen may never have uttered the infamous line "let them eat cake," Katja thinks that it's always a good idea to do so.

On the subject of cake, and since Katja hasn't been able to travel abroad these past few months, she decided to attend an event that would make her feel like she was abroad (and which involved lots of sweet treats). She thus made her way down to DC for an Evening of Viennese Waltzing at the Organization of the American States, which, unlike the Boston Castle, is a venue very much to her liking. The evening, which took her back to her fabulous New Year's trip to Vienna, began with bubbly in the beautiful fountained courtyard, followed by dancing in the ballroom (the evening officially starts with the Grand March), and a decadent dessert buffet. Needless to say she had no qualms just diving right in and trying the many treats. You only live once, after all.

And there's always ballet to burn those calories...which don't count on the weekend anyway (or so she's been told and is more than happy to believe).

It Was a Very Merry Christmas

The holiday season was such a blur for Katja - with all of her travels and festivities it went by in what seems like a second, albeit a very action packed second. Because she really, really loves Christmas, Katja often feels a bit gloomy when the holidays are over. Plus, it's started to get much too cold for her liking, and cold weather tends to maker her rather grumpy. So, she just figures she'll just reminisce about all of the great times she had. And, since it's so cold, why not do so over a glass of Glühwein or two? Because, Winterzeit is indeed Glühweinzeit.

After her Thanksgiving trip to visit Christmas markets in Frankfurt, Wiesbaden and Strasbourg, it was back to New York for a few days, during which she got in as many ballet classes as possible. They're the one thing she truly misses when she travels.

And, during the holiday season she really loves to take class at Ballet Arts, as the studio is covered in Christmas decorations, making her happy to be dancing mood even happier.

Then, after a few class-filled days (with a bit of work thrown in), it was time to cross the Big Pond once again. This time she made her way to London, to help a friend celebrate a big birthday. Always the life of the party, Katja wouldn't want to miss an important celebration. And, the generous soul that she is, she's always more than happy to help friends polish off large quantities bubbly. Or wine...she wouldn't want to come off as too fussy...if it comes in a bottle with a cork she'll drink it.

As always, London was incredibly festive for the holidays. The streets were covered in lights, and the restaurants and shops were beautifully decorated for the season. This got her in the mood to do some present shopping, which was a good thing as she had lots of it do. She swears she was only briefly distracted with some shopping for herself. But then again there's nothing wrong with also buying oneself a present.

Otherwise her time there was spent catching up with friends (over more bubbly and wine), and fitting in a dance class or two. She does love Danceworks, her London studio, and recommends it to anyone who likes to take class when they travel.

Once back in New York it wasn't long before she was on the road again, albeit to a much closer destination, Boston. She loves her friends there, so is happy to have any opportunity to visit them (something she believes she's mentioned before, she can be a bit of a broken record).

And, of course, she wanted to support her friends in Boston Ballet's Nutcracker, as they were in the midst of a very busy season of nonstop shows, so saw a couple of performances during her visit.

But obviously the highlight of the month was Christmas itself, which she spent with family in Fawn Lake, Virginia. Having been a good girl all year she anxiously awaited Santa's arrival, hoping she'd get all of the ballet related goodies (plus some other things) that she had requested. Whoever said patience is a virtue obviously does not like Christmas as much as she does.

But at least the wait for Santa was worth it, as she was well-rewarded Christmas morning. As were her friends and family. She knows it's not all about her, as greedy as she might sound at times.

And, of course, Christmas is not primarily about the presents (even though she really does like to get them), but about having a great time with those she loves, drinking and eating too much (it wouldn't be the holidays without excess), rocking around the Christmas tree, and laughing lots. Because, if there's one thing she believes, it's that we should all be happy penguins.

Life is much too short to live it any other way.

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.”

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...