Lille
Lille is in the north east corner of France, close
to the Belgian border. It is readily accessible by
train, being on the main rail route between
London and Brussels and Paris, though not all
trains stop at Lille. Journey time from London is
100 minutes or so.The Eurostar station is not far
from the centre, 10 minutes walk, past the
Flanders station which is the main station for
day trips from Lille.
There are plenty of hotels in Lille. Since the
place has become popular with British tourists,
rates have gone up. On a recent visit we stayed
at the Art Deco Hotel Romarin, one tram stop
from Gare Lille Europe, but still only a few
minutes from the centre. Rates were good.
The centre contains the Place Charles de Gaulle.
Sitting on the fountain watching the world pass
by is a popular activity. On one side of the place
is the old town, bijou shops and wobbly streets.
On other sides are bigger shops, pedestrian
centres and touristy things.
Prices in restaurants have increased with all the
new tourism, and food quality is OK (we always
prefer Belgian food).
There are some good places, especially L'Ecume
des Mers (now closed). The picture does not do
this restaurant justice, and the food, especially
the fish, was exceptional.
The art gallery is famous but has a strange
collection. It is nice to sit outside, and is only a short walk from the
centre. Lille was the European city of culture for 2004.
There are some churches to visit, with organ
recitals on Sunday afternoons. The old town is
nice to walk around, there are some ancient
monuments to visit and galleries to see. Take a
tram for a day trip to Roubaix and visit the most
unusual art gallery you are likely to see, housed
in a (partially) converted swimming pool. Once
you get out of the city there are smart houses at
affordable prices.
Lille is famous for its Sunday market. In August or September (check
dates) is the largest fairground in Europe, and we mean huge, where
people come from all over Europe to ride the rides and eat the
waffles.
On the down side, increased tourism has meant more beggars,
buskers and vagrants, and they are very persistent. On the other
hand, there is one of the best chocolate shops in the entire world,
even if it is expensive and even if they do insist on not speaking
English!
© MMXXIII Harrison Bear