La Ville de Lille

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Well, the verdict was that I decided to give Lille a chance, and it turned out to be a very pleasant day (yesterday) indeed. I admit I didn't decide fully until about 11am; the skies were still very gray but I found a movie theater called the Majestic that was playing indie films in their original languages--and to my luck the one I had seen an ad for (Hallam Foe) was British and starring the boy from Billy Elliott, starting in just 15 minutes... so I took that route (plus it was time to find a public restroom!). When I got out of the movie at 1:00, I went seeking the Place (plaza) Charles de Gaulle in the old town, at the urging of the native hostel staff; turning the corner into that square was like the first color scene in Oz... all at once, the sun came out and the colors finally appeared! So that was it: the lack of sun had muted all the colors and I was not in the "right" places to judge at first glance. I saw every corner of the city from 10-6 and even found a free zoo near the gardens/canal walk; the zoo was not listed in my travel guide so I discovered something for them. That means MSM will have to wait for another trip AND I can say that Lille was not so bad, although I think one visit will be enough for me! On the train today to Brugge/Bruges, Belgium. More in a few days!

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