So Close and Yet so Different
In a “previous life” I lived in Paris for 14 years and worked in public relations for one of the major cross-Channel ferry operators, among others. My job was bringing French journalists to the UK to show them the sights and to prove to them that yes, you could eat well in the British Isles. It was a fabulous job, I loved every minute of it, and it meant I got to know not only loads of tourist attractions in the South of England, but I also got to know the Nord-Pas de Calais Northern region of France quite well.
I worked most closely with the local papers in the ports, but on one or two occasions I went to meet journalists in Lille. All I can really remember was that it was about an hour’s drive from Paris and it was grey and not very inviting.
How things change! John and I recently finished a weekend with a night in Lille and discovered a vibrant and welcoming city that’s only 80 minutes from London.
Lille has an exceptional architectural heritage combining Flemish, Burgundian, Spanish and French influences. Today, the city mixes the memory of this past with the face of the future.
The Old City is rich in history and beautiful old buildings which often reflect Lille’s merchant past. The new Euralille sector is resolutely if not audaciously modern, whilst the south of the city, Lille Sud, is the trendy home of young fashion designers. Bursting with culture, city-wide events such as lille3000 focus on the future, on innovation and contemporary creations, featuring cultures from around the world. Named European Capital of Culture in 2004, Lille lives its culture on a daily basis. Art seems at home here, residing alongside an impressive array of museums, theatres, ballets and concerts.
But it’s not only culture that calls Lille home. Festivals of all kinds take place all year long, while gastronomy is seated at the head of the table in this warm city whose human dimensions and generosity are stirred into a cocktail of Flemish joviality and French elegance.
On the night we arrived in Lille, we popped out of our centrally-located Grand Hotel Bellevue for a wonderful meal of fresh seafood and a quick evening stroll. It was very late but many restaurants were still serving, their tables of happy diners paying witness to the active Northern night life. We chose to eat at L’Ecume des Mers where the food is by Chef Christian Leroy and the decor is by interior designer Régis Dho, whose client list includes the likes of master macaron maker Pierre Hermé. Just reviewing the menu on their website is making me drool! Our nicely appointed and very well soundproofed hotel room overlooked the Grand’Place, the city’s central square bordered by the Old Stock Exchange and the Chamber of Commerce. We knew we wouldn’t have far to go to start exploring Lille.
Around every corner we discovered something new, something old, something different to what we see here in England. The sky was a fabulous blue with not a cloud in sight, and photographic opportunities abounded. I was drawn to the really old-fashioned shops and tea rooms but appreciated the more modern ones to the same degree. The details on the historical monuments of Lille are amazing, giving pause to reflect on the lifetimes spent fashioning them. You can’t buy that kind of handiwork now.
We eventually wound our way around the Old City, through parts of more modern Lille and back into a really sweet neighbourhood full of restaurants. Here we opted for the traditional Northern cooking of La Vieille France, whose interior is full of traditional objects and whose menu is full of traditional dishes. It’s a fun place where you’re constantly looking around you, where the food is good and the value is brilliant. The menu is nostalgically hand-written on school ruled paper and reads like a Top 10 of traditional French dishes made by French grandmothers. We chose an unctuous beef marrow bone with sea salt followed by a traditional Carbonnade of Beef, topped off with a wonderful “café gourmand” – a selection of small pastries with a deep and rich cup of coffee. Most often it’s an espresso, but at La Vieille France they serve an enamelled pot of delicious percolated brew. And all this for €12!
We only stayed in Lille for 24 hours, yet we began to feel at home in this unique city. We didn’t have time to visit Lille’s many museums, to catch a performance at one of its numerous theatres, or even to climb to the top of the newly-opened belfry of the Town Hall, which was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in September 2005. The belfry will be one of the first sites we visit when we return to Lille – which is so easy and quick from the UK, we’ll do it again soon and often, each time discovering something new in this city which is so close yet so different.
If you want an excuse to visit Lille, go during “La Braderie de Lille,” the famous 2-day flea market in September when the city is transformed into a huge pedestrian zone where thousands of stalls offer for sale goods of all kinds. It’s as if Lille were transformed into an enormous car boot sale for the weekend! All of the city’s restaurants sell mussels for the duration, with are usually consumed with local beer. In a traditional show of one-upmanship, each restaurant competes to see which one can make the highest pile of empty mussel shells in the street outside their establishment. It’s an amazing sight in an amazing atmosphere of fun, festivity and commerce.
This year, la Braderie de Lille will take place on September 2 and 3, 2011.
Consult the Lille Tourism and Convention Bureau for where to stay, what to do and where to eat. Website in English; downloadable brochures and city tours.
Public office in the Palais Rihour, on the Place Rihour
Tel.: +33 359 579 400
info@lilletourism.com
www.lilletourism.com
Restaurant L’Écume des Mers
10, rue Pas
59000 LILLE
Tel : +33 320 54 95 40
Fax : +33 320 54 96 66
www.ecume-des-mers.com
Grand Hôtel Bellevue
5, rue Jean Roisin
59800 LILLE
Tel : +33 320 57 45 64
Fax : +33 320 40 07 93
www.grandhotelbellevue.com
Restaurant La Vieille France
51, rue de Gand
59000 LILLE
Tel : +33 320 31 00 57
Fax : +33 960 53 14 91
www.lavieillefrance.fr
Like the train? Eurostar offers short breaks to Lille from just £65 return.
www.eurostar.com
For those who prefer the freedom of having their own car, Eurotunnel operates Folkestone to Calais shuttle services in 35 minutes with returns from £44 per car.
www.eurotunnel.com
At the top of internet search results is Short Breaks offering 2-night breaks to Lille from £99 per person, including BB hotel & Eurostar return.
www.short-breaks.com/Lille
Bon voyage !
