Geographically my life is divided between two continents. A quiet, rural existence in one country and and a fast paced somewhat adventurous city life in the other. The two places couldn’t be more different with respect to climate, architecture, culture, yet one thing remains constant in my transition from one life to the other- the ever present sound of a train.

The Ferrovie Sud Est, established in 1931, traverses Puglia’s long peninsula from the metropolis of Bari to Gagliano, the southern most part of Italy’s heel, passing within a hundred meters of my house on the hour, or thereabouts. The single track typically carries a single car train, most of them resembling what one imagines a train car would have looked like when the line was established in the 30’s. But they must be older. Through the window I can usually count the number of passengers on one hand of the slow moving car and can’t imagine how the line stays in business. It must have really changed life when these isolated little towns were suddenly connected to the cities in the region that were then connected through the national train line to the rest of the country. The trains don’t run on Sundays so on these days the tracks and the world around them become my secret paradise to explore, observe and sketch what can’t be seen from the road.

In my city life however, the train experience is shared. The Chicago “L” which slices and crisscrosses the city through 8 main lines, mostly elevated, belongs to everyone, whether you ride it or not. It’s inescapable. You either hear the rumble or see the strong yet elegant metal structure from nearly everywhere. It’s a defining characteristic of this urban habitat of 8 million. I love it. When I first moved to the city I rode around the ‘loop’, which circulates the cities center, over and over just for fun. The $2.25 ticket which could get you anywhere, was cheaper and just as fascinating as any museum to a young architect learning her city.

the puglia sketchbook

the chicago sketchbook

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