Destination: Lille

A city of many different backgrounds, Lille has been everything from a Flemish town, to Burgundian, to Spanish and then to the current and official French.

Having an early start, the ideal introduction to this charming French city is what any normal tourist would do – go sightseeing! The tour bus, which takes off from the Office de Tourisme de Lille, brought us around the different areas in town. It was a helpful opportunity especially since most locals barely speak a word of English. This language barrier was a challenge that I particularly enjoyed; it was just like getting lost and then finding your way.

Lille’s attractions are the Musee Charles de Gaulle, Palais des Beaux Art (second biggest museum in France after the Louvre), Porte de Paris, Old Lille, Musee d’art et d’industrie de Roubaix, Vieille Bourse (Old Stock Exchange), city markets (great to mingle with bargain hunters), Palace Rihour and the Opera House. Having been told that Lille is a city considered to having one of the finest sights in France, I was very interested to learn that a train station called Republique Beaux Arts in a lively part of town is where the first automated train (no train driver) in the world was invented. Unexpectedly, with over 400,000 people living in Lille, I was surprised to learn that more than half of the population are students.

One popular hangout is the Euralille, a shopping mall located in Lille’s city center as opposed to your normal high street shopping. For good food, there are many local restaurants and cafes spread around the city. One in particular that I enjoyed, great for lunch as well as dinner, served steak and bottomless fries, which was definitely worth every Euro cent spent! Superb for an afternoon snack, a distinguished bistro popular for its breads, pastries, desserts and coffee, Boulangerie Paul Patisserie can be found on almost every corner in the city.

I was also reminded of my childhood when I visited the Tartine et Chocolat shop. It is the place where my mother used to buy me Ptisenbon, an unpretentious brand of children’s fragrance when I was a little girl. The moment I smelled it, the scent instantly reminded me of that exact moment years ago.

The time spent at Lille was quite worthwhile. A city rich in history, it is a gem waiting to be discovered.