Hello!
It has been sooo long! I have not been blogually active these past months because of school, and feeling unable to record my hectic life. BUT...I have just made an online portfolio where I am showcasing some of my work! CHECK IT OUT!!
http://eleanorkaufman.carbonmade.com/

The fall semester is coming to a quick end and I have been kind of going out of my mind with projects and homework etc.Not kind of---really out of my mind. More deets later. Thanksgiving is next week! A week ago I couldn't even think about taking the time away from my work for thanksgiving- which is a ridiculous thought. However, I have finally calmed down a bit and have found it in myself to really look forward to the holiday with my family..as it should be.
I had a gathering last night at the apartment with some school peeps. I made homemade pizzas (chicken pesto onion tomato, basil, brocoli and olive,broc, onion, tomato) with a walnut mixed greens and gorgonzola salad. Fun was had by all and it was a small but delightful palooza.
Alex went home for Thanksgiving already. I already miss him
OK, off to journalism class! DONT FORGET MY PORTFOLIO! :)

Moving back to Boston today. I am excited to settle in the apartment again. Last night I went to the bars in Keene...it was pretty much a high school reunion. Hilarious who you start talking to- people who you saw everyday in school and never said a word to, now you seem to have everything in common with..
As I am sitting here in my empty room, every car that drives by, beeps. and I hear these little beeps all day. My dad has quite the reputation here on Westmoreland road as he has been outside all summer painting and working on the house. I'm sure he has talked to every one of our neighbors at some point, explaining the work he is doing, describing his next handy feat. And these people- these "beepers" have watched his progress-the transformations from a gray, chipped- porch house to a beautiful and lovely creamy yellow house with a sea blue porch. From the unfinished barn-to a beautiful newly painted barn with Gropius gray windows. And now, they all beep when they drive by. haha I find it very amusing. I haven't met half these people, but I love that they beep for my dad...and for my house.

Market time in Aix

Mount St. Victoire

One day in Aix, I hopped on a bus that went up to The mountain St. Victoire, a beautiful, majestic-looking peak, where Cezanne did his famous paintings of the mountain. These paintings, in which he worked to merge nature- what he saw with his eye, with an "order". He believed that nature had more of a durable structure, that much impressionism did not recognize. I sat up on the mountain and did a little of my own sketching. It was a beautiful day and there was no one around. Very relaxing. On the way back, I met a man from Poland who was traveling with his orchestra-based out of Warsaw. He plays the viola in the orchestra- Sinfonia Varsovia (check out the website on the right). We talked the whole bumpy, curvy ride down and when we returned to town I told him that I hope to see his orchestra in Boston some day. I think that would be such an amazing way to travel--moving from one city to the next, playing music in amazing venues all around the world.

Aix

Najim from Paris, who was visiting his family in Aix--needed to relax in the country.

Orange, mint and pistachio sherbet

and the adventure continues...

Hello all!
I am back in the United States, sitting at home in New Hampshire. I returned from my trip about 5 days ago. It is strange being home, and I often get nostalgic thinking of my adventures in Europe. However, I had such a positive experience, with so many awesome memories to take home with me--that it almost feels like I am still traveling. I LOVED greeting my parents at Logan airport! When I came walking out of my gate, they were there amongst all of the other anxious parents and loved ones. I ran up to them with all of my sacks and luggage and it felt soooo good to be with them again. After a while traveling on my own, I started to become more and more aware of the families around me. At times, I got sensitive to seeing families and friends together- a mother cleaning ice cream off of her messy daughter, a french family riding the train-the children singing and matching their tone to the sound of the train on the tracks, and both parents cracking up. Or a group of friends on the beach, eating and sharing familiar jokes. These things, I noticed while traveling alone, and they made me so happy to see and at the same time they made me long for those contacts again.
So I have returned home and am getting back into my routine here. Soon I will head back to Boston and begin school. I am excited for this school year and I cannot wait to see what types of ways my experiences traveling will come through in my art and my work. I have seen so much beauty and these places. I have seen so many things that have inspired me. Lets see where they take me.
I think I will continue to post about my trip, and revisit my adventures. I hope you all will continue to follow my blog, I want to keep sharing this with you.
Chao
-Eleanor

Back in San Sebastian

Hello! Back in San Sebastian...a familiar place- finally. I was in Nice for a couple of days and wasn't too fond. Very big and too spread out. I like the smaller towns better, where I feel I can become part of the town instead of feeling like an outsider. It feels good to be back. Spent the day lying on "Concha" beach with the rest of the topless peeps soakin the rest of the rays and then did some shopping that I probably should'nt have...but I had fun. Staying again at Roger's House for the next two nights. Just cooked dinner and tonight there is an amazing fireworks show on the beach...I have come at the perfect time. It is the last two nights of "La Semana Grande", a week -long festival here in San Sebastian with music events, fireworks, etc etc. I am glad to be back here and relaxing in a familiar place after spending so much time in unfamiliar- and at times...uncomfortable places. Sunday I head back to Madrid and my flight is Monday!
PS..I keep saying "merci" and "oui"...my mind is still in France.
PPS..I can't wait to hug mom and dad
PMS..I am listening to Lauryn Hill in the kitchen
PPP: Thanks to a boy named Matthias from Marseille, I was able to get back to San Sebastian in an unstressful manner. He was so helpful at the train station and missed his train just so he could help me get on the train I needed. I am so thankful.
PMM: Maybe this is a generalization...but maybe it is true as well...I found a lot of the French people to be pretty cold and unfriendly. I feel a difference being back in Spain.they seem to me more open to others.
NPR: There are 4 more guys here from Italy...and they are cool i guess...but i miss my other Italian roommates....seguro
Ok chao
-El

Aix-En Provence

Here in Aix-En Provence!I am staying in a hotel in a tiny little room who's door opens up into the lobby and whos' toilet is in the same room as the bed. Its perfect.
Once I was settled last night I went out to get something to eat and explored a bit. This is such a beautiful place! The weather is not too hot and at night it cools down to a very comfortable temp. It is different, and wierd being in a place where I cannot communicate very well at all. For the most part people speak ok English and I am able to communicate with them using flying hands and basic words. Last night I was able to practice the little French that I do know with a friend that I met. There are many similarities between Spanish and French and after speaking with him for a while, French was already becoming a bit familiar to me and I was able to speak at a basic level...very basic. I really like the French language...I like the sound of the words and how they all clink together with a certain elegant cadence. I would like to learn at some point.
Right now I am sitting in a little cafe with french techno music having a cafe. This is a precious place and I love getting to know the French way here in Aix-En Provence.
For now, Au Revoir!
-Eleanor
PS- Mazel Tov Em Katz on getting a job in Bostonia...and an apt! Can't wait to be in Boston with you!

In France!

I am in France! I traveled through the night and arrived in Paris at 7:10 this morning. I spent the day walking along the Siene River, stumbling upon pretty amazing things like first- the Notre Dame then the Louvre, and then I found the Eiffel Tower. By then my feet had just about fallen off. Paris is a nice city, very big but not a bad big... Standing at one point on the river you can see everything around you and your sight follows down the river, uninterrupted by huge skyscrapers, it is very pleasant to walk around there. It was kind of an overcast day which cast this really cool, erie glow over the whole city..I think I captured it best in the golden statue against the gray sky. Later, I trekked back to the train station and was on my way to Southern France. Now I am sitting in some motel in Aix-en Provence with a badly dubbed French film playing in the background-where obviouslyAmerican actors' lips are moving in the wrong ways with the sleezy-sounding French voice-overs.
My train came in late tonight and I wasnt able to find a hostel. I met a really nice girl on the train who had helped me translate the conductor's announcements and she helped me find a place to stay. This wasn't what I was expecting (a super-8-like motel in the middle of a nothing-street), but I am glad to have a shower and get a chance to rest after my super long day. Tomorrow I will take the bus into town and see what I can see. I will try and find a hostel in the center of the town. My train mate suggested some things too see around here as well as told me that I should spend less time in Aix and instead travel to a few different towns in this general area. Well I am excited that I am here, and I hope I can find what I am looking for tomorrow!
PS- the language things is quite frustrating. I am so used to being able to communicate...even in Spanish. But here in France, I am completely at a loss for words... (literally) and I so wish I knew even some basic French. I would like to learn. For now, I have my tiny little French phrase book which is helpful, but It is hard to memorize things especially because I am not used to the pronunciation. We'll see! For now, Au Revoir e Bonsoir!
A a three-man band from Sweden camped out in front of the Eiffel Tower...so good! (keep watching, the video will flip the right way)

A Culinary Shmorgisbord!

(r-l: My roomates!Lorenzo, Simone, Andrea, some other Italian we played volleyball with probably named Lorenzo, and Alexander..




Hola!
Today is my last day here in San Sebastian. Tonight I will take a train to Paris and travel through the night on the sleeping car. Tomorrow I will arrive and then take another train to Avignon in the south. Last night was so fun! A bunch of the people from the hostel gathered in the tiny kitchen and cooked up a storm! Every night the group of Portuguese cook some culinary masterpiece and we are all so impressed. Last night it was shrimp stirfry with rice and vegetables. My Italian roomates yelled and gesticulated as they threw their pasta into the pot and strategized for their tomato and cheese sauce. And I ended up joining forces with these two Canadian girls. We made pasta with a delcious meat sauce. They threw in some chorizo and I made some bangin meatballs with onion, garlic and herbs. I opened my bottle of red wine and we all sat and enjoyed. I must say, we girls ate sooo well.Even my Italian roomates were impressed with our spread. By the time we had all eaten, the kitchen was a mess and there were drunken conversations happening in so many different languages that I think none of us actually knew what was being said. We all went out dancing and stayed out quite late. Today I had to leave the hostel so I am hanging around town until my train tonight. San Sebastian has been wonderful, and I will surely miss the shananigans at Roger´s House...
For now, adios
PS, This woman singing was simply standing beside the band holding their cd for advertisement. Then out of no where she emerged from the side with her a powerhouse-of-a voice and awed me..and the crowd.

SAN SEBASTIAN!!

Hello! Greetings from San Sebastian in the North of Spain! Its so great here! I arrived yesterday after a long train ride from Madrid. When I stepped off the train all of a sudden the smell of the ocean filled my lungs and it was such a good feeling. I am staying in a Hostel called "Roger's House" and am sharing a small room with Roger. Just kidding. With four Italian guys from Genoa, Italy. haha.They are great. Right now they are in some heated conversation....of which I have no idea. But one of them, Simone knows the best English and he translates for me. I spent the whole day on the beach with them. The waves are HUGE! A few times the wave literally spat me onto the shore...like it picked me up and threw me onto the sand. It was great but then after the second time I started to get offended...like mother nature had something personal against me. I really like this hostel. Its right down town in the middle of everything..stores, markets, heladerias (ice cream shops), and bars...and the ocean. There is a kitchen that is open for us to use and last night I went grocery shopping in a market, came back and made dinner for myself. Its cool because while cooking, people come in and out and you get to know all of their stories. Last night there was a hostel terrace party, where two hostels converged on a terrace and schmoozed. Then we all went to a bar nearby. Tonight the Italians made dinner for all of us...delicious pasta with gorgonzola and brie. So good. It is sooo cool being in this hostel. There are people from everywhere. While we were eating our Italian dinner, a group of three Portuguese guys started cooking some delicious smelling meet and vegetable dish.we sat and talked with them, each of us trying to mend our language barriers, finding words in common, hobbies etc. My room has a terrace that looks out onto a bustling plaza with restaurants and screaming children. Its kind of weird sharing a room with four guys..it takes some getting used to, like I wasnt sure if it was totally wierd if I just started clipping my toenails. I felt a little awkward, but then I realized I didn't care. Its definitely a different experience. They are really nice though and Simone speaks Spanish as well so I practice with him. I've met a lot of Australians here too. And there is a ton of surfers. Since we are in Basque Country, the people speak Vasco...but not really. I haven't heard much of it, mostly with the older people. San Sebastian is a great city and I think I will stay a day later and then continue on to France. This video I took from my bed, looking out to the Plaza below. I never actually found the singers...I could only hear their distant singing.

Leaving Granada

Today I leave Granada. I took my last walk down Reyes Catolicos and Gran Via. I said goodbye to friends, and I am off to San Sebastian in Northern Spain. It has been quite amazing here. I look forward to remembering Granada through my many pictures, but there are some memories that simply are in the mind and no where else...these I like best.
Goodbye Granada.

This street in Plaza Carmen is filled every night with people. There are millions of tapas bars and every once in a while a flamenco duo comes along and plays for you....and Blanca at the top dances her Flamenco for us...

Intercambio

This is Antonio..my intercambio. He is wonderful. and hilarious. He and his friend Pablo are inseperable and I think they would have a hilarious talk show together. He speaks English to me and I speak Spanish back. It has been a really fun experience getting to know him and I am going to miss him much...

Real Alcazares y other Sevilla

Caitlin y yo on the Giralda