The Paris Effect
  • Welcome
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Press

Say "Hell Yes!" to Lille

12/20/2017

3 Comments

 
Picture
When it comes to travel, I love to push my own boundaries.
 If you hold yourself to a higher standard and set the bar high,
you will always find the right path.

"High expectations are key to everything."
​Sam Walton, enterprising American entrepreneur

As many of us have learned from past experience,
looking forward to the journey is half the fun.
 The hard part is w-a-i-t-i-n-g for the right moment.

​After years of talking about going to the northern tip of France
to uncover its Flemish face, we gave up waiting for the
"perfect time" and stoutheartedly said HELL YES,
it's high time we make our way
 to LILLE, the region's most dynamic city.

​It may be sexier to boast about visiting the south of France
or one of the better known regions of our beloved French frontier.
Or, as most visitors pointed in a northerly direction, we could have opted for Normandy again --  a wonderful destination -- but we were searching for something new -- somewhere that pushed the envelope beyond our historic exploits in France.
  Erasing all preconceived notions, we made our way to Lille, just 
​an hour north of Paris by rail and fewer than ten miles from the Belgian border.
​
Lille is a great place to widen your France-loving horizons, a heavenly stew
of grand architecture, historic cobbled streets and tradition rich food
with curious names like waterzooi, gauffres and potjevleesch. 
Flea markets, festivals and an estimated 100,000 students make
lovely Lille a haven for the young and the forever young-at-heart. 
​It won't take you long to figure out the right moment for Lille is the here & now.
Picture

Picture
Lively Lille is quite grand and a smidge humble at the same time.
Cobbled streets, gabled houses and red brick are the backbone of designer boutiques and charming Flemish restaurants called -- new word here! -- estiminets.

This is a surprisingly chic destination in a region known for its industrial makeup.
  An entry from my travel journal understated it:
"Lille is old-world beautiful and hip at the same time."

  So true, this city will greet you with a medley of stunning squares,
backstreets straight out of a 1930's film noir,
and a charming hodgepodge of people from all walks of life.
  This is a melting pot city that will melt your heart faster
than a snow cone on a hot summer day.

​If you enjoy flamboyant Flemish Baroque architecture, you're in for a treat.
  If you don't, well, that's ok, there's something else for you. 
Each time you turn the corner, Lille offers a diverse menu of appealing
​surroundings and fun stops to hang your hat and enjoy a local brew.
Picture
La Voix du Nord's roofline offers stair-steps to heaven.
Picture
Picture
Picture
If you're getting the feeling that Lille emotes a casual vibe,
 you're exactly right.
  The student population brings the exhibitionist architecture
and historic facades into the realm of the real world.
  Flamboyant but not flashy, grandiose yet without pretention, this
 gorgeously detailed city goes down easily with blue jeans, beer and
  a football (soccer) match or two on the telly at your favorite local bar. 

​Speaking of drinking, this is one part of France that's not dedicated
to all things wine & roses. 
You're more likely to be treated to a lovingly curated menu of fine beers,
many brewed nearby or just to the north in Belgium.

  If you're not into microbrews and all manner of 
malt-lovers' nectar, consider a tasting of the local gin.
  Genièvre -- gin -- is the traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Flanders.
Its popularity continues to thrive in this part of France
​and it doesn't taste like the stuff you drink at home.
  Coal miners of the region used to fortify themselves before heading to the mines with a stiff "bistouille" -- a shot of genièvre in their coffee to help make
their unnerving descent into the quarries a little less appalling.
Lille's population of miners may have shrunk to almost zero by now --- but
students and travelers -- well, let's face it, we lead trying lives
that need fortification from time to time....

​"I exercise strong self-control.
I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast."
​W.C. Fields
Picture
Picture
Picture
Notre Dame de la Treille's white marble transforms to an orange glow inside the nave.
Picture
There's a lot to see and do in Lille -- way more than I ever expected -- so my
best advice to you is to plan for more time than you think you'll need
and make sure you bring some comfortable walking shoes.
 
​Begin at the Grand Place -- also known as Place du General-de-Gaulle*.
*General de Gaulle was born in this city in 1890
​Colorful and ornate, this huge square features the Vieille Bourse, an old stock exchange building that is the ultimate tour de force of Lille's unusual Flemish style.
  As if its stunning colors and exceptional decoration aren't enough,
its inviting courtyard hosts a charming second-hand bookshop
with everything from advertising posters to period postcards. 
Believe me, you'll want to take home a memento of this splendid place.

​Nearby, you'll spy a number of welcoming sights -- the neo-classical
Lille Opera House as well as the steeply gabled -- stair-step-like -- La Voix
du Nord* building, capped by three warrior women who protect the city.
​ *The Voice of the North newspaper
 
Sadly, I only had time to visit two churches but they couldn't have been
more distantly related -- really like night and day.
​The Church of Saint-Maurice de Lille is much what you would expect to see
in a 14th century church -- beautiful stained glass, soaring ceilings
and gothic style from end to end.
It also came equipped with a long-winded old man who generously
pointed out every last detail of the church's history and architecture,
adding in the very unlooked-for minutiae of his prostate operation.... 
Ah, the joys of traveling solo; by then my husband -- the smart one -- smugly
 seated in a nearby café, was nursing a Jenlain Ambré,
enjoying a brief moment of peace & quiet. 

On the other side of the coin, Notre Dame de la Treille took me by surprise, its exterior rather undistinguished and modern -- though the interior is well worth a look.
​Rarely do you hear such a long and strange chronicle as the building of this basilica.
Construction began in 1854 but the money soon ran dry. 
By the early '90's -- meaning the 1990's! --
the city determined it would cost more
to demolish the incomplete pile of saintly stones so they picked up the pieces
and did the best they could, finally completing the rescue mission in 1999.
  The end result is a rather peculiar exterior façade and -- thankfully -- an
interior full of character and surprise.
The supernatural transformation of white marble on the outside wall into a
gorgeous orange archway upon entering feels outright mystical.
 
Unconventional, even unnatural by French standards,
Notre Dame de la Treille reminds us that part of what charms us
​ most in France comes from her many surprises.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Moules-frites is a favorite treat in Lille.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
A unique sight, this is a memorial to the 2,000+ pigeons who gave their lives to service in WWI.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Lille is loaded with culture. 
The Palais des Beaux Arts boasts one of the most
important art collections in France.
  You'll feel like a time traveler as you walk the halls, treated to visions of
Rembrandt, Rubens, Donatello, Rodin, Goya, Lautrec, Delacroix......get the picture?  Plan for several hours here if at all possible.

​If shopping is more to your liking, your head will implode
over all the opportunities to empty your pocketbook in Lille.
  My favorites always lean toward food -- chocolate-chocolate-chocolate-cheese-cheese-cheese -- but you also get full rein over a variety of fun little shops offering
everything from antiques to jewelry and vintage clothing.
  Don't miss an essential stop at Meert, a fine tea salon in business since 1761. 
Dig into a gauffre (waffle) -- better yet, a chocolate one -- for a real taste of the region.

​A great way to connect with Lille and the Lillois is by
moseying through its most famous market.
  Wazemmes is the largest marché in the city. 
The farmers are there, of course, presenting everything from fresh produce to
tempting tarte aux maroilles using Lille's famously "fragrant" fromage.
  On offer is everything from exquisite flowers and souvenirs
to rack after rack of second-hand clothes and antiques.

​The Braderie de Lille is one of the most famous street festivals in France.
  We weren't there at the right time -- which is early September -- to attend but it seems
to set the tone for long party weekends in Lille year round.
  At heart, La Braderie is a flea market -- but that description doesn't do it justice.
  This town wholeheartedly gives it all with mountains of mussels & beer to boost
 everyone's haggling skills and raise spirits as their cash dwindles downward.
  It looks like a full fledged carnival of fun.
Picture
Mountains of empty mussel shells decorate the entry to this fun & flavorful restaurant.
Picture
Picture
Meert -- pronounced mare -- filled to the brim with delightful delicacies.
Picture
PLEASE make the Palais des Beaux Arts one of your first stops in beautiful Lille!
Picture
Unique storefronts are one of my favorite things about the city, particularly the little streets around Vieux Lille.
Picture
We were unable to stay long enough on our inaugural trip to Lille.
  There are many more treasures to see -- particularly the art deco La Piscine
Musée d'Art et d'Industrie and the afore-mentioned La Grande Braderie.
The Hospice Comtesse Museum and Vauban's Citadelle are calling my name as well... but that makes a return imminent -- and that's never a bad thing. 

FORWARD WE MARCH sounds corny as hell but that's our rallying cry
when it comes to  travels in France -- so forward-looking,
forward-thinking we audacious travel hounds go.
I feel certain one day we'll again point north and find ourselves back
in lovely Lille -- and I hope you do the same.  
​The time is right, the moment is here.
Picture
3 Comments
    Picture

    AUTHOR
    MICHELLE MOGGIO

    Thanks for visiting  my blog!

    I've been experiencing the joys of Paris since the ripe old age of eleven.
    As a big fan of duck fat, raw oysters and bad French movies, my long career in advertising helped pave the way for drinking at lunch. When not living la vie en rose, my husband Gary and I live in Brentwood, TN, where we stay busy planning our next travel adventure and offering unsolicited advice to our daughter.

    Archives

    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014


    RSS Feed

    Click below to buy
    The Paris Effect 
    book today
    Enter your email address to receive blog updates -
    Subscribe Now
    Buy Now

    Categories

    All
    100th Blog
    20th Arrondissement
    Abbaye De Fontfroide
    Absinthe
    Academie De La Grande Chaumière
    Adrian Leeds
    Aix-en-Provence
    Albi
    Aligot
    Alsace
    Ambassade D'Auvergne
    Amboise
    American History
    American Revolution
    Amphitheatre
    Antibes
    Apartments
    Aperitif
    April In Paris
    Arc De Triomphe Du Carrousel
    Architecture
    Arena De Nimes
    Ariége
    Armenian Cathedral Of Paris
    Art
    Art Deco
    Artistic Paris
    Artlover
    Art Museum
    Art Nouveau
    Atonement Chapel
    Auray
    Avenue Foch
    Avenue Frochot
    Avignon
    Baccarat
    Baden-Baden
    Baguette
    Basque
    Bayeux Tapestry
    B&B
    Benjamin Franklin
    Bénodet
    Bercy Village
    Biarritz
    Biot
    Biot France
    Bistros
    Bonbons
    Books Set In France
    Boulangerie
    Brassaï
    Brittany
    Brittany American Cemetery
    Burgundy
    Cagnes-sur-Mer
    Cakes
    Canal Du Midi
    Candy
    Cap D'Antibes
    Caracalla Spa
    Caramels
    Catalan France
    Cathars
    Cathedral
    Cathedrale St-Just
    Cemetière De Passy
    Cemetière Saint-Vincent
    Chantilly
    Chapelle Expiatoire
    Chapelle Saint Vincent De Paul
    #Chapel Of Hospice Saint-Jean
    Charles Aznavour
    Charles Trenet
    Chartreuse Du Val-de-Benediction
    Chateau
    Chateau De Clisson
    Chateau De Foix
    Chateau De Fougeres
    Chateau De Malmaison
    Chateau Grimaldi
    Cheese
    Chinon
    Chocolate
    Choice Vs. Chance
    Christian Constant
    #Church Of Saint-Volusien
    Cimiez
    Cité Des Fleurs
    Cité De Trevise
    Claude Monet
    Clisson
    Cocktail
    Coco Chanel
    Cognac
    Cointreau
    Cole Porter
    Comedie-Francaise
    Cote D'Azur
    Coulon
    Cours Mirabeau
    Cours Saleya
    Coussin De Lyon
    Crêpes
    Dessert
    Dijon
    Dreams
    Duck-confit
    Eating In France
    Ecole Des Beaux-Arts
    Ed Clark
    Edith-piaf
    Eglise Notre Dame De Clisson
    Eglise Sainte-Trinité
    Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés
    Elsa Maxwell
    Entrevaux
    Environmental Challenges
    Eric Kayser
    Eugene Delacroix
    Fabergé Museum
    Falling For Paris
    Famous-faces
    Fashion History
    Fauchon
    Fernand Léger
    Fete De La Transhumance
    Fête De Vendanges
    Fish Specialties
    Foix
    Folies Bergère
    Fontainebleau
    Fontaine Du Palmier
    Food Markets
    Fougeres
    Fragrance
    France
    Francois-premier
    Free Museums
    French Atlantic Coast
    French Bread
    French Cuisine
    French Food
    French-food
    French History
    French-islands
    French Musee D'Art Moderne De La Ville De Paris
    French Music
    French Resistence
    French Revolution
    #FrenchRiviera
    French Riviera
    French Slave Trade
    Friedrichsbad Spa
    Fun Fair Museum
    Genevieve De Gaulle-Anthonioz
    Genièvre
    George Sand
    Germaine Tillion
    Germany
    Gertrude Stein
    Gordes
    Grand Mosque Of Paris
    Grand Palais
    Grasse
    Guerlain
    Gustave Moreau
    Harvest Festival
    Haut-de-Cagnes
    Healthy Travel
    Hediard
    Henri Le Roux
    Henri Matisse
    Holocaust
    Hometown Memories
    Hotel Belles Rives
    Hôtel De Soubise
    Hotel Dieu
    Hotels
    Ile De Bréhat
    Ile De Ré
    Isadora Duncan
    Jacques Genin
    Janet Flanner
    Jardin Samuel-de-Champlain
    Jay Z
    Jazz A Juan
    Jean Seberg
    Jewelry
    Josephine Baker
    Josephine Bonaparte
    Juan-les-Pins
    Keith Haring
    La Campagne A Paris
    La Couveroitade
    Lafayette
    La Jourrnée San Voiture
    Lalique
    Language Skills
    Languedoc
    La Rochelle
    La Verrerie De Biot
    Lavinia Wine Store
    Le Bonbon Au Palais
    Le Bon Georges
    Le Capitole
    Le Carrousel Des Mondes Marins
    Le Clos Lucé
    Le Cochon à L'Oreille
    Le Coq Rico
    Legendary Lovers
    Le Grand Véfour
    Le Musée Montmartre
    Leonardo Da Vinci
    Le Rostand
    Les Cocottes
    Les Fauves
    Les Invalides
    Les Machines De L'Ile
    Les Sept Iles
    Lichtentaler Allee
    Lille
    Little Gourmand
    Loire Atlantique
    Luberon
    Luxembourg Gardens
    Maison Carrée
    Malmaison
    Man Ray
    Marais Poitevin
    Marc Chagall
    Marché Beauvau
    Marché D'Aligre
    Marché President Wilson
    Marché Victor Hugo
    Marie Curie
    Market Street
    Marquis De Lafayette
    Matisse
    Maurice Utrillo
    Medieval Festival
    Medieval France
    Memorial De L'Abolition De L'Esclavage
    Memorial De La Shoah
    MFK Fisher
    Minervois Wine
    #ModernArt
    Monolithic Church
    Montmartre
    Montmartre Museum
    Montparnasse
    Montparnasse Cemetery
    Montpellier
    Movies Set In France
    Musee Carnavalet
    Musée De La Chasse Et De La Nature
    Musée Des Arts Decoritifs
    Musée Des Arts Forains
    Musée Des Beaux-Arts De Dijon
    Musee D'Orsay
    Musée D'Orsay
    Musee L'Orangerie
    Musée Marc Chagall
    Musee Marmottan Monet
    Musée Matisse Nice
    Musée Picasso
    Musée Yves Saint Laurent
    Museum
    Museum Of Decorative Arts
    Museum Of Hunting & Nature
    Museum Of Modern Art City Of Paris
    Nancy
    Nantes
    Napoleon Bonaparte
    Napoleon III Apartments
    Narbonne
    Nashville
    Natalie Portman
    Nazi Atrocities
    Nice
    Nice France
    Nimes
    Normandy
    Not-far-from-paris
    Not-far-from-paris
    Notre Dame De Lorette
    Notre Dame De Paris
    Occitanie
    #Occitanie
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Off-the-tourist-track
    Opera-garnier
    Operation Dragoon
    Oradoursurglane
    Our Lady Of Paris
    Palais Lascaris
    Palais Royal
    Paloma Beach
    Pancake
    Pancake Pantry
    Parade
    Parc De Bercy
    Paris
    Paris 1968
    Paris Arrondissements
    Paris Art Museum
    Paris Art Schools
    Paris At Home
    Paris Cafes
    Paris Fashion
    Paris Friend
    Paris Markets
    Paris Metro
    Paris Neighborhoods
    Paris Parks
    Paris Patisseries
    Paris Pets
    Paris Predestination
    Paris Retail Therapy
    Paris Travel
    Parks
    Passage Boudin
    Passerelle Simone De Beauvoir
    Pastis
    Patisserie
    Patricia Wells
    Paul Cezanne
    Perfume
    Pernes-les-Fontaines
    Pet Cemeteries
    Petit Palais
    Photography
    Picpus Cemetery
    Pinching Pennies
    Pink Granite Coast
    Place De Furstenberg
    Place De La Concorde
    Place Des Vosges
    Place Masséna
    Place Stanislaus
    Place Vendome
    Ploumanac'h
    Poilane
    Ponr Alexandre III
    Poster Art
    Promenade Des Anglais
    Provence
    #Provence
    Provence Markets
    Puffins
    Pyrenees-Orientales
    Rambouillet
    Raoul Dufy
    Regional Cooking
    Rennes
    Renoir
    Robert Doisneau
    Robert Wuhl
    Roquefort
    Rue Cler
    Rue Cremieux
    Rue De L'Eole Du Medecine
    Rue De Nil
    Rue Dénoyez
    Rue Des Ecoles
    Rue Des Martyrs
    Rue Irenee Blanc
    Rue Jules Siegfried
    Ruelle Des Chats
    Rue Montorgeuil
    Ruth
    Saintdenis
    Saint-Emilion
    Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
    Saint-Etienne-du-Mont
    Sainteustache
    Saint-Goustan
    Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert
    Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
    Saint-Malo
    Saint-Medard Church
    Saint-Paul-de-Mausole
    Saint-Remy-de-Provence
    Saint-Vincent Cemetery
    Sculpture
    Senlis
    Serendipity
    Shopping
    Sliceoflife
    Slice Of Life
    Small Paris Pleasures
    Small Town Saturday Night
    Social Media
    So-Pi
    Springtime In Paris
    Square Des Peupliers
    Square Montsouris
    St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral
    Street Food
    Suzanne Valadon
    Suzy Solidor
    Sylvia Beach
    Texas
    The Avignon Papacy
    The-dreyfus-affair
    The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
    The Louvre
    The Moose
    The National Archives
    The Pantheon
    The-paris-effect
    The Pink City
    Toulouse
    Toulouse-Lautrec
    Tourrettes-sur-Loup
    Travel
    Travel Advice
    Travel Planning
    Troyes
    U.N. World Climate Conference
    Urban Art
    Uzès
    Vacation
    Vacation Planning Food
    Vel D'Hiver
    Vichy
    Vieille Bourse
    Vieux Nice
    Villa Eilenroc
    Villefranche-de-Conflent
    Villeneuve-les-Avignon
    Vincent Van Gogh
    Walking
    Walking Paris
    Willi Ronis
    Wine
    Wine Festival
    WWII
    #WWII France
    WWII Paris
    WWII Provence
    Yachts
    Yves Saint Laurent

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.