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...