What Happened to August?

Katja has been on the road or in the skies every week this past month, which a few mornings caused her to ask herself, “where am I today?” She has, however, at least been certain that whatever city she happened to be waking up in would have a good museum (it’s important to have priorities when traveling). Sadly none of this travel required Katja to use her passport, as she does love to escape to foreign lands, but she can’t complain as the cities she went to - Boston (a few times), Washington, DC, and LA – are all lovely places to visit. And while her on the go schedule has left her with that I have no idea where the month has gone feeling, she knows it only means that she’s been up to lots of good things. She is, after all, the kind of girl who believes in taking the time to smell the roses (as well as this beautiful flower she stumbled upon in a lovely garden in Boston).

Katja had very much missed seeing her friends in Boston, as she hadn’t been there since May. She thus had a very packed social schedule during her trips to the city, catching up with friends over coffee, dinner, and a cocktail making lesson at Study Restaurant. The cocktail being discussed that particular evening was a classic, the gin martini (stirred, not shaken - apparently James Bond does not know what he's talking about). She should have been responsible and ended the evening after her rather large concoction, but what can she say, she doesn't always chose the most responsible option, so instead the evening ended a few unnecessary cocktails later. And not that she needs an excuse, but she does remember reading something wise recently about one never looking back and remembering the nights one got a lot of sleep...

Luckily Katja has lots of energy, so despite being in less than top form the following day was able to make it to the Museum of Fine Arts to see Tropical Mythologies, an exhibition of the works of Gustavo Fuenmayor.

His work, which addresses Latin America’s colonial past and its legacy, includes the most beautiful charcoals. The exhibition ends soon, so if you’re in Boston go see it (or look for his work elsewhere)! Katja also stopped by the Boston Ballet to see various people. She can't wait for the new season to start, and has already planned various trips in the next few months for Boston Ballet related activities.

The trip to DC was quick and there wasn’t quite as much fun to be had, but Katja was able to stop by the National Gallery of Art, which she thinks is one of the most beautiful galleries out there, both for its great collection and for the gallery itself (just look at the lovely fountain).

As she's on the topic of museums Katja figures she'd mention the China Through the Looking Glass exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which she was able to catch one of the August days that she actually was in New York. She loved the show, but then again it's only natural that all of the beautiful clothing would appeal to her fashionista self. The exhibition ends in just over a week, and it's definitely worth fighting the crowds to go see it.

While in New York, besides getting to that thing called work, she naturally got in as many ballet classes as possible at what seems to have become her second home, Ballet Academy East.

She also spent time with friends and made it to a few shows of the Joyce Theater's Ballet Festival; she particularly liked the performance by Amy Seiwert’s Imagery. Katja also stopped by the post-performance receptions, as she does love some bubbly (and cheese straws) with her ballet.

Katja was very happy to get to go back to LA so soon after her last trip, just as she was very happy that she was upgraded on the flight over. She does fancy herself a first class kind of girl, and it certainly made the trip much comfier (despite the rather grumpy looking man next to her). She even got a decent meal that included a salad with proper greens, as well as raspberry sorbet for dessert. But the pre-meal warm nuts and the later in the flight warm cookie were definitely the highlights.

This time Katja stayed in downtown LA, so she was able to try many of the yummy restaurants near her hotel, including Bäco Mercat (delicious ricotta fritters and lace battered squash blossoms), Faith and Flower (a delicious summer squash salad and fresh burrata pizza, not to mention the cocktails), Bier Beisel Imbiss (an absolutely divine poppy seed pastry…she does love her poppy seed), and Guisados (tasty tacos). Because she hadn't stayed downtown for a while she really enjoyed wandering around the streets,

checking out the street art and stopping by local landmarks such as the Grand Central Market.

Of course it wouldn't be a proper trip if there wasn't at least one museum outing (or performance), so she spent a very lovely afternoon at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She checked out the 50 for 50 exhibition, and wandered through the permanent collection, which she hadn't done for some time. She was particularly fond of a little 14th century work by Paolo Veneziano that she stumbled upon.

Like all her trips to LA (well her trips in general), it went by much too quickly. But this time Katja was actually looking forward to a rare travel free week filled with lots of ballet classes, so she didn't feel too too sad when she had to say goodbye to LA and make her way to the airport. And besides, as the jet setting penguin that she is, she knows she'll be back before she knows it.

Palm Trees and Pools

Katja’s July travels didn’t end with her trip to Boca; she was in New York just briefly before it was time to head to the airport yet again. This time, however, she decided that a change of scenery was in order, so took a flight out of JFK instead of Newark. The experience reminded her why she generally avoids JFK; that said the Pre✓ line was infinitely speedier, so perhaps she should focus on the positive. It's not like there's really much glamour in travel these days anyway, so it's the small things that count. And, ultimately, dealing with the lack of comfort and masses of clueless travelers is worth it in order to visit places both new and old. Plus, flying is always a good time to do the things she likes to avoid doing, like sewing the ribbons and elastic on her pointe shoes.

This time Katja's destination was Los Angeles, a city she loves. As in New York there's a lot of craziness, diversity, and creativity, but amidst a landscape of palm trees and pools. And the city has infinitely better weather. She’d be tempted to move to LA if it weren’t for the whole having to drive thing (she doesn't have a license), and the fact that it’s much too far from Europe. So instead she opts for frequent trips out west.

Katja stayed with fabulous friends in Pasadena, and spent much of her visit catching up with them, lounging around the pool during the day, and around the outdoor fireplace at night. Of course much red wine was had, paired with delicious cheeses that she and her friend picked up at the Epicure Warehouse Sale (very much worth the drive to one of the city’s not so glamorous neighborhoods).

Wine and cheese are two of Katja's favorite food groups. Another one is frozen yogurt, so she embarked on a daily trip to Menchies to indulge and keep cool (not that she needs an excuse, but it was unusually humid for Southern California). The South Pasadena Menchies is located in the charming Mission District, an area that has lots of fun little coffee shops and stores. Two of her favorites are Hodgson’s Antiques, which she highly recommends for vintage jewelry, and The Red Shoes, where she's picked up cute dancewear over the years.

Of course Katja is much too hyper to spend the whole time just lazing around, eating and drinking. Plus, all of the indulgence needed to be counteracted with some calorie burning (leotards hide nothing, after all), so the visit also involved hikes around the Arroyo Seco. She loves the beautiful views, especially from the Colorado Street Bridge, and is a great fan of the local flora, especially the tiny cacti scattered everywhere.

Katja also stopped by the Huntington Botanical Gardens, a truly spectacular place that is home to twelve gardens spread over 120 acres, and definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the area.

Katja is a sophisticated, highly cultured jet-setter, so no trip would be complete without seeing some art and/or attending a performance. This trip involved a very special treat, a private tour of Charles and Henry Green’s Blacker House, an incredible example of American Arts and Crafts architecture. The architects made extensive use of exotic hardwoods when designing the 12,000 square foot home, which they filled with highly detailed furnishings and fixtures, all intricately linked to the space they occupy, each room thus functioning as a Gesamtkunstwerk.

Although previous owners stripped the house of much of its furniture, lighting, and fixtures, the present owners have restored the home, recreating the interiors down to the most minute details. The house also has a lush vegetable garden, and the owners kindly sent Katja and her friend home with a variety of heirloom tomatoes (people are so nice in California). They devoured the tomatoes that evening, along with some burrata, and of course wine (it just brings out the flavor in everything, and tastes pretty good on its own, too).

Just as no trip would be complete without some culture, it wouldn’t be complete without a good party. This time the party was An Evening with Star Chefs, a fundraiser held for Rosemary’s Children Services. The event took place at the Ambassador Gardens, a lovely outdoor space. It was a festive and beautiful evening, filled with lots of wine (what else is new) and tasty chef-made creations. Despite all of the gourmet treats the highlight for Katja was the ice cream sundae bar. What can she say, she has a sweet tooth. Plus, she's a creative type, and loves anything that's do-it-yourself, especially when it involves colorful candy (even a sophisticated girl can be tempted by such simple things).

Katja was very sad to leave LA, both because she was having such a lovely time, and because she currently doesn’t have a flight booked anywhere, a situation that obviously needs to be remedied as soon as possible. But in the meantime she’s happy to be back in New York, spending time with friends, enjoying all the city has to offer, and of course getting back to her ballet classes.

And then there is that thing called work…

Florida Fun

July is a travel-filled month for Katja, so just a few days after returning from Mexico City it was back to Newark, this time to hop on a plane to visit friends in Boca Raton. Thankfully she was able to detox during her few days in New York, as even a jet-setting party girl needs some calm and healthy every now and then (and, of course, her ballet classes).

Her trip got off to a good start when she was upgraded; Katja felt very classy drinking her Coke Zero out of a proper glass instead of the usual plastic cup. Plus there was a good selection of snacks from which to choose.

She was curious about the Pasta Chips (her main question being why chips made of pasta would be particularly appealing to anybody), but not certain they were a wise choice. Luckily the nice flight attendant let her take a few backup treats in case the Pasta Chips didn’t hit the spot. They sort of just tasted like flavored crackers.

Although Florida is known for its beaches, Katja is not a lie around the beach kind of girl. Even when wearing sunscreen she’s convinced sunbathing will give her wrinkles, plus she’s much too hyperactive for inactivity. She does, however, love long evening walks and cocktails by the beach. So, a few hours after arriving at her friend's house they made their way to JB’s by the Beach, where they enjoyed a beautiful sunset and indulged in decadent frozen cocktails, the type Katja usually avoids due to their high sugar to alcohol ratio, but which are an integral part of any beach holiday. She also had a slice key lime pie, one of her favorite desserts, and a must have treat any time she visits Florida.

Katja is not a morning kind of girl, yet she found herself up relatively early her first full day in Boca…it must have been the Florida sun. She was thus in dire need of caffeine, so headed to The Seed, a charming local coffee shop with fun decor, good coffee and lots of tasty baked goods (including delicious pies).

As she lives in New York City it’s a treat for Katja to go to a proper shopping mall, so she spent much of the day at the massive Town Center at Boca Raton. Luckily she had enjoyed a hearty lunch at the Tin Muffin Café - another local spot with delicious baked goods (she does have quite the sweet tooth), and perhaps the most elaborately decorated bathroom she’s ever encountered (current theme, Fourth of July) –

so she had lots of energy to wander around the mall and check out the seemingly endless stores. She’s a stylish girl who loves her fashion, and was particularly pleased with her purchases from francesca’s.

Of course there was also some wandering along the beach - she hit both Spanish River Park and Delray Beach. She also just enjoys strolling down the palm tree lined streets, spotting the many little lizards, which she thinks are ever so cute.

All the meandering around town in the Florida heat provided her with the perfect excuse to indulge in lots of frozen yogurt (not that she ever really needs an excuse). It’s one of her favorite treats, and one she’s sampled in more cities and yogurt shops than she can keep track of. Yet she must say that she was quite impressed with the stuff at the Yogurt Emporium, the peanut butter and the mint chip being particularly tasty.

She was, however, much less impressed with the outfits and numerous bad dye jobs she saw on her night out in Delray. But, the company was good,

as were the so many she can’t remember how many appetizers she shared with friends at The Office. It was, however, the restaurant’s cocktails that she enjoyed the most (surprise, surprise), her strawberry and jalapeño margarita being just slightly more sophisticated than the frozen concoctions she had been drinking earlier in the trip. And, since weekend getaways are never the time to practice moderation, she decided more cocktails were necessary, and made her way to Cabana el Rey, where she had a very tasty passion fruit pisco martini (or at least that’s what she thinks she ordered…it was that kind of night).

Although Katja is a true big city girl, she thoroughly enjoyed her Florida getaway. She even brought a bit of the beach back with her, which she admired over a glass of rosé (the perfect summer wine). It is, after all, always best to ease oneself back into things after a trip. And, of course, to start planning the next escape.

México Lindo y Querido

Mexico City holds a special place in Katja’s heart; it’s a wonderful, crazy city, perhaps not for the faint-hearted, but so culturally rich, with beautiful neighborhoods and parks, great art, friendly people, and delicious food (and cocktails). She thinks it’s one of the world’s great cities, and wishes more people would visit because there’s just so much to see and discover. And, like New York it’s a city that doesn’t really sleep, so there’s always an adventure to be had.

Katja's favorite place to stay is Las Alcobas, a lovely boutique hotel in Polanco, a neighborhood filled with lots of restaurants, shopping, and interesting museums (that said the whole city seems to be filled with wonderful museums). Besides the hotel's convenient location and friendly service, she loves the comfy bed, luxurious shower, and lavender bath products, not to mention the free mini bar treats (she does love her treats).

Katja spent her first (rainy) day in the city wandering around the neighborhood, first stopping by one of the many Mexico City museums she loves, the Museo Soumaya. The beautifully impressive building is made of more than 16,000 hexagonal aluminum plates, and was designed by Mexican architect Fernando Romero.

It houses a great and diverse collection, which is spread over six floors that are connected by an exposed spiral ramp (and an elevator in case you're feeling lazy).

And, conveniently, the Museo Jumex, which has great contemporary exhibitions, is located right across the street. Katja also likes to stop by the nearby Antara shopping center when she’s in town. Perhaps heading to a mall seems silly, as most of the stores there can also be found back home in New York, but it’s a beautiful outdoor space, and great for people watching, especially at the very popular food court. While doing the latter she indulged in a sundae from Nutrisa.

Since Nutrisa is a health food store it bills its treats as healthy; Katja's not convinced, but then again she doesn’t really care as she thinks the store's ice cream is rather yummy, not to mention the fact that calories don’t count when on vacation.

The following day Katja made her way to the Centro Histórico for an afternoon of more museums, shopping (she recommends stopping by the Museo Mexicano del Diseno's shop), and food. She first hit the Palacio del Iturbide, where she saw the exhibition El Retorno de la Serpiente – Mathias Goertiz. Goertiz was a German painter and sculptor who moved to Mexico, and is perhaps best known for his collaboration on the Torres de Satélite. There were many beautiful works in the exhibition, however Katja was particularly fond of Mensaje Autorretrato (c. 1964), simply because it made her smile.

She then made her way to the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, a 16th century Jesuit college turned exhibition space/cultural center. Besides perusing great exhibitions (currently the XI Bienal Monterrey and an exhibition of Islamic art), visitors can enjoy the tranquil courtyards, one which houses a sculpture by British artist Anthony Gormley, and murals by Mexico’s great muralists, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Siqueiros.

Taking in all that art and culture made Katja rather hungry, so she decided to stop by Café de Tacuba for a lunch of chilaquiles, washed down with a large glass of horchata (two Mexican treats she loves, although there really are so many Mexican treats she loves, because the cuisine is simply divine). She enjoys dining at Café de Tacuba as it’s a charming art-filled restaurant, and there are always musicians

serenading the hungry customers. Katja knows she could probably get better Mexican food elsewhere, but eating there has become a tradition. And as much of a forward thinking kind of a girl that she is, she still loves her traditions.

Fueled by lunch, Katja found the energy to hit one more museum, the Museo Nacional de Arte (a beautiful building with a magnificent staircase). There she saw Yo, el Rey, an exhibition of the Hispanic monarchy in art. The show includes a great assortment of paintings, objects, and documents, as well as two beautiful 19th century dresses. Katja thought that the blue one trimmed in black pom-poms from the house of Worth would look especially lovely on her, but then again, she has a way with fashion, so what wouldn't look good on her. And of course no trip to the Centro Histórico would be complete without a stop at the Pastelería Ideal, to admire and indulge in some of the bakery's wide array of pastries and cakes. Katja is, after all, the kind of girl who expects to have her cake and eat it too.

After a day of culture it was time for dinner – since it had been Mexican for lunch she decided on Italian for dinner, and chose La Nonna for some al fresco dining (unfortunately she also got some rather bad, and loud, singing with her meal). Of course her beloved red wine goes wonderfully with Italian food, and while Mexico might be better known for tequila and beer, the country produces delicious red wines. That evening she opted for a wine called Minotauro, which she admits she chose for its name and label; she’s a sucker for such things. Luckily her choice also happened to be delicious, because as much as she’d like to recommend the Little Penguin wine, which of course has the cutest label out there, she just can’t (although perhaps for sangria or Glühwein).

On the final day of her trip Katja made her way to San Angel, a charming neighborhood in the southwest part of the city. It’s home to beautiful little parks and some not so little houses, and one can pass hours just walking around checking out the neighborhood’s many nooks and crannies (and the homes’ fantastic architectural details).

On Saturdays it’s also a fabulous place to shop, with stalls selling handicrafts, jewelry, paintings, and other assorted things scattered around the Plaza de San Jacinto, as well as the popular indoor market, Bazaar Sábado. Katja had quite a successful afternoon, and picked up numerous gifts for friends, as well as a few things for herself (it’s important to treat oneself, after all). Of course all the shopping and wandering made her hungry, so she stopped by the Fonda San Angel for a delicious chile relleno de queso Oaxaca.

And it wouldn’t be a trip to San Angel without heading to the Restaurante San Angel Inn, once a Carmelite monastery, for a delicious margarita (or two) in the restaurant's lovely courtyard. Because it all feels so very civilized she always breaks her no drinking in the afternoon rule, as it would be such a shame not to indulge.

And, as I believe she’s said once or twice before, rules are only made to be broken...just make certain not to get caught if they're somebody else's rules...