Seville Snapshots: Red line, Jackson station

My heart still thunders every time the L thunders past me. The whoosh throws me off-kilter as it heads south towards the Dan Ryan. People filter in and out, not even aware that we’re all clustered in this rank-smelling station on Jackson together.

The tiles are interesting to me, the worn steps as familiar to me as they were twenty years ago. We’d hop on the Blue Line at Cumberland and get off right in the Marshall Field’s basement to the minty smell of Frango samples, often on our way to shop on Michigan Avenue. I actually got lost one wintery afternoon while walking down the stairs of the Red Line on State, befriending a homeless woman named Magnolia as I waited for my mother to find me.

While Madrid’s metro is far superior, the L was the first public mass transit that I ever learned to use and the one I feel a kinship to. Tipsy rides up the Red to Wrigley, ringing around the Loop like Spiderman between the skyscrapers, disappearing into the underground stations and watching the light of a bright summer day get swallowed up as I descend.

Ok, so this isn’t a shot of Seville, but my life in consumed by a perfect summer in Chicago. It’s honestly my favorite city in this wide, wide world and a place I’m lucky enough to have my roots in. While I stuff my face full of Italian beef and free pop refills, I couldn’t resist testing out Camarón during my long afternoons catching up with friends. Maybe next week I’ll sneak a picture of Seville in, but If you’d like to contribute your photos from Spain and Seville, please send me an email at sunshineandsiestas @ gmail.com with your name, short description of the photo, and any bio or links directing you back to your own blog, Facebook page or twitter. There’s plenty more pictures of gorgeous Seville on Sunshine and Siesta’s new Facebook page!

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About Cat Gaa

As a beef-loving Chicago girl living amongst pigs, bullfighters, and a whole lotta canis, Cat Gaa writes about expat life in Seville, Spain. When not cavorting with adorable Spanish grandpas or struggling with Spanish prepositions, she works in higher education at an American university in Madrid and freelances with other publications, like Rough Guides and The Spain Scoop.

Comments

  1. ahhh Chicago, I love thee and miss thee. As soon as I saw the title I hoped you would include something about the smell of piss and you did not disappoint. I’m not sure which is worse waiting here in the smelliness or at Damen in the freezing cold of winter in the middle of the night for 20 minutes for the train to come. God bless Europe’s public trans but I still miss these places so much, so many memories…Enjoy!

  2. Love the pic! What camera do you have and what settings did you use? Chicago was also my first experience with public transportation in a big girl city! Although it wasn’t until the summer of my freshman year of college, it was still quite the experience coming from my pueblo of 711. :) Hope your summer is going well!
    Besos, Maddie

    tweet me! @madelinefritz

    • Hey chiki! Are you back in Potosi right now? I’m in Chicago until September 4th in case you find yourself around here!
      I bought a Canon Rebel T3 last year at Sears, and used creative auto/raw on blue monochrome. Quick fix for tricky shots! I also used picmonkey.com to do a bit of editing to put the border on.

  3. I’m always trying to convince Spaniards of the merits of Chicago! I happen to think it’s very representative of the Midwest. :)

  4. I remember Jackson station! I lived in Chicago for a year for art school, and LOVED it there! :)

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