Welcome to the ninth installment of the Ladies of Castor & Pollux.

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The Ladies of Castor & Pollux - Lady No. 9 - Alessandra Olanow

Photo by John von Pamer

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Favorite recipe?
Kale and white bean soup – so simple but so yummy - it's healing.

Last great book you read?
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  It's a gem.

Summer drink of choice?
Red Lillet with a slice of orange on ice. Oh, and a mint leaf.

Animals-names and breeds?
None, but I spend a lot of time with my dear friend Betil’s dog, Fred, who is the
most handsome basset hound I’ve ever met.

Do you exercise? What do you do, if so?
I do yoga about 4 times a week at Mala Yoga on court street, and i run…a lot.
My favorite path is over the Brooklyn Bridge and back on the Manhattan Bridge.

Salty or sweet?
Truthfully - both. The Mast Brothers make this incredible bar of dark
chocolate, black truffle, & sea salt. Very little makes me happier.

Who inspires you and why?
My grandmother, Ligia. She does everything with a smile.

Pool or ocean?
Always ocean. Nothing is more liberating to me than being in the sea.
It's one of the few times that I feel at peace.

Favorite city?
Even though we have a love/hate relationship, New York will always be my number one.

Last great vacation?
I stayed at the Riad el Fenn in Marrakech, Morocco. It was magical.

Favorite tv show?
I don’t have cable but I loved "Little House on the Prairie" when I was a girl.
Those Ingalls, what a family!

Weirdest job you've ever had?
I worked as a lifeguard in Florida at a waterpark called Adventure Island when I was 16.
I usually was stationed on the top of "The Gulf Scream" - a 210 foot body slide. I was
the one that showed you how to cross your arms and legs and said okay...go. Plus, I had a whistle. 

Favorite restaurant?
Frankies Spuntino in Carroll Gardens. Everything they make is so fresh and delicious.

Favorite object in your home?
A painting by my very talented friend, Ayca Koseogullari.

Favorite piece of clothing?
Believe it or not a pair of Filippa K grey jeans I got at C&P years ago – it was one
of the first things I bought there and they are definitely my ole standby.

Favorite blog or website?
NPR, Design*Sponge

Something you're scared of?
Heights. Terrified would probably be more accurate.

Favorite record?
The Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Listening to this album
always was and always will be a great adventure for me.

Favorite popsong?
Take on Me - Aha

Your Ideal day?
Learning something new, spending time with the people I love
and laughing. (Not necessarily in that order).

Favorite gift you've ever received?
A trip from my brother to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro last year despite
my fear of heights.

Favorite flower?
Paper whites

Favorite perfume or scent?
Gardenias

Astrological sign?
Virgo

What do you do for a living?
Illustration and art

Where do you live?
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn

Your lucky number?
5. I was actually born on the fifth and as a kid picked that as my favorite number.
I guess the creative side didn’t kick in until later.

What piece of art would you buy if you had no budget?
Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt. I might as well go for it, right?