Picasso - Sculpture - MOMA

Only the third retrospective  ever devoted to Picasso's sculpture, this MOMA exhibit contains 140 works and spans 40 years of an incomparable 80 year career, including what's believed to be his very first piece created in Spain at 21.

Pieces were gathered here from all over Europe, museums and private collections. Picasso exhibits a love of putting together found objects, as with this Cubist inspired sugar cube balancing on a glass of absinthe. Later a Woman in the  Garden of welded, painted iron. Halfway through his career the more voluminous and vessel like Head of a Woman and nearly 3 decades later, woman in sheet metal. 

Every room tells a different story. Re-read chapters you know and discover new ones.  Through early February, 2016.

Holiday Season in New York City

The traditional end-of-year holiday season doesn't usually conjure up skyscrapers or palm trees, but the Kaufman's are flexible. 

Friday Seder and pre-Hanukkah celebration was at St Paul's, the oldest church building in Manhattan, adjacent to the World Trade Center. (Hang in there & all will become clear - in a Kaufman kind of way.) Steve's niece Jill and her husband Guy helped establish the temple which meets twice a month at this Episcopal church, attended by George Washington after his inauguration on Wall Street in 1789. (No, he didn't sleep here, just prayed.) Their children Guy/Trace Sophie and Hunter, along with Jill's parents/Steve's cousin David and his wife Harriet rounded out the Kaufman crew. There were LOTS of kids, food and activities. Karen finally learned to play dreidel which she plans to bring to her game loving family's Christmas party. 

A Holiday trip to NYC would not be complete without a viewing the skaters at Rockefeller Center, the oversized surrounding decorations, official Christmas tree and jostling with the crowds to see this year's over-the-top themed store windows. 

For over 30 years, Steve has celebrated the year's end with his men's forum members and their wives. The beauty and warmth of Le Grenouille matched the spirit of the evening. Besides the company of 20 very close friends, we'll be long remembering the incredible wine, food, crepes along with warm chocolate and Grand Marnier soufflés.

An evening's rest and then brunch with Karen's mom Jinny and brother Chris at the always wonderful Blue Water Grill. Although the traditional brunch fare is delightful, book a bit later and indulge in the delectable sushi and other fish offerings. Note - reservations a YES and ask for a booth near the windows.

The end of the holidays will include Florida, but more on that later. 

Through the eyes of a Dane

Anders is one of Karen's most longtime friends. When he asked to come from Denmark to visit the US for the first time, naturally the answer was "of course", but how to decide what to do in less than two weeks? 

Landing in NYC, the whirlwind included Times Square, the Met, Guggenheim, Grand Central Station and the 9/11 Memorial. Then wandering along Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty was about all we had time for before visiting Karen's mom and brother Chris.   (Touring NYC with Karen is a fast paced affair, guaranteed to cure jet lag!)

A sailor and educator  about life in the 1800's made stops in boat building Mystic Connecticut and whaling Nantucket mandatory. They didn't disappoint. 

Not to be missed - Sturbridge Village. It reminded them both of where they'd met in Denmark and the years Karen had spent at Lejre, working as an 1800's weaver while illustrating books for the center. 

And while in the neighborhood, why not try out the local "hipster" BBQ joint. Sorry, no open faced sandwiches and liverpostej here!

Finally, here in Boston and it's Steve's turn. So where might you guess we headed? After a visit to Harvard Museum's  glass flowers - it's off to Fenway. 

Remarkably, not only did our Danish friend learn the essential  rules under Steve's tutelage, he insisted on watching games on TV during the week. Steve felt validated!

Then we were off to Maine. Lighthouses, rugged coasts, lobsters, sunsets, warm

days and cool nights. You know the drill. There's nothing like it - particularly for a Dane with the sea in his DNA. 

Back in Boston, there's whale watching, Walden Pond, Concord,  the MFA, Freedom Trail, Italian delights from the north end  and just hanging out watching the boats sail the Charles. Oh, and a traditional diner for a dose of comfort food. With huge omlettes, home fries, people sitting at the counter with chatty waitresses, well this certainly isn't Denmark! 

It may not have been the most balanced view of the US, but it's a big country and you have to start somewhere. We're certain our Dane has thousands of images dancing in his head and may still be catching up on the rest he didn't get while here on his vacation. PS - the request has already come in to inquire about renting a sailboat in Maine for a month - one of these days!  

When next in New York, try Williamsburg!

What could tempt Karen to brave the northeast winter storms?

A Council for the Arts at MIT sponsored event in Williamsburg, to celebrate the closing night of the very racy Powder Her Face opera directed by MIT's very own Jay Scheib. You might say that's what you get for being CAMIT's vice-chair, but frankly, it was a great excuse to revisit this part of NYC that has been going through a tremendous metamorphous this last decade.

The Wythe Hotel is a gem, with cleverly appointed rooms that cross cozy iconographic French with contemporary industrial. The staff is amazing, the restaurant a gem and it's wonderfully situated between ferry and subway stops, just a few blocks from the main drag. This is not the Williamsburg of kielbasa and perogies, although they are still to be found. This is a place bursting with creative energy from wall murals and artists spaces to warehouses being converted into maker-labs.

It was a terrific 3-day visit. Being snowed in for a couple of days really wouldn't have been so bad. Instead a quick trip to Boston for meetings, visit with Cal and a grateful hop back to Useppa, Florida.