Lille - A taste of France


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Europe » France » Nord-Pas de Calais » Lille
September 14th 2015
Published: March 5th 2016
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France has never really appealed to me as a country to visit, yet I've seen some beautiful photos online of different parts of the country. I've heard reviews that you must be good at speaking French and not many people will speak English may have had some influence in me not wanting to explore this European country. A poor excuse since France is a neighbour to the UK making a daytrip possible. However, I decided to give France a try on my return from Belgium since I needed to catch a ferry back home from Dunkirk. My manager at work suggested I take a look at Lille, as its only about 80km away from Dunkirk.

I found a hotel outside of the city centre with free parking and good motorway connections, and it was only a 10 minute walk from the metro which would take me directly into town. The metro line was reasonably priced and easy to use.

I hadn't planned an itinerary and decided to have one of them relaxed strolling days. As I reached the centre, the first thing I spotted was a McDonalds. Ah yes, I haven't had a McDonalds in France so today was going to be the perfect opportunity to tick off another country on my challenge of eating a Mcdonalds in every possible country around the world.

I continued strolling and ended up in the heart of Lille, the Grand Palace, such beautiful architecture with Flemish style. In the centre is the Column of the Goddess, a Memorial of the Siege of 1792, as I understood to be part of the French Revolutionary Wars. The only downfall to this beautiful palace is the fact that a busy main road runs through it. Often hearing drivers beeping their horns at people who are desperately trying to cross the road.

Nearby to the Grand Palace, I discovered a tourist information office where they gave out free maps of the city with recommended places to visit. I decided to carry on strolling around using the map as a rough guide to ensure I was heading in the right direction.

I visited the churches Saint Maurice and Church of Saint Etienne and discovered that the reason the architecture in Lille is similar to towns I had visited in northern Belgium was due to it once being controlled by the County of Flanders.

After enjoying walking the streets of Lille and browsing many shops, I finally ended up at the Cathedral of Lille. This attractive Roman Catholic cathedral is definitely worth a visit. I found a windy spot close to the cathedral and took some selfies of my hair being blown all over the place, proving solo travellers can still have a joke.

My overall experience of France was good and I feel that I should come back again even if I cannot speak French. I found people of Lille appreciated me trying to speak some French and would help translate in English where needed.


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11th March 2016
Cathedral of Lille

France
We loved our time in France and found the people very friendly. They do appreciate you attempting the language.

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