Day trip to Lille 2018

During the second week of our holiday in England, Heather & John took us on a day trip for Ivor's 60th birthday. We went to Lille, France, by Eurostar train. This was my first visit to France, and also my first trip on a high-speed train. The thought of going through a tunnel under the sea is somehow more alarming than going through a tunnel under a mountain, for some reason, but during the journey I didn't think about it.

We walked through the old city to the tourist information office to book a bus tour of the city for that afternoon. Then we had lunch. I enjoyed a traditional vegetable stew accompanied by quinoa and salad.

Column of the Goddess, a symbol of the city's resistance to occupation

After lunch we walked along the canal to the citadel. It is currently used by the French rapid reaction force, so we were unable to go inside, but it was originally designed by Vauban and is known as the Queen of Citadels.

Gateway to the citadel

On our way back to the old city we saw the Cathedral, with its modern façade.

We passed a dog café, but didn't go inside.

In the old city, we saw the Chamber of Commerce and then walked around a used book fair held in the Bourse. This included books and old illustrations, some of them removed from old books and magazines to be sold as artwork.

Chamber of Commerce

Book fair at the Bourse

The bus tour around Lille was interesting, but it was difficult to take good photographs from the bus. The guide gave explanations, and there were also video screens with narration in several languages and passengers could choose which language to hear on their earphones. This tour allowed us to see more of the city and to get some perspective on its history and architectural diversity. I was able to get a reasonable picture of the statue of Joan of Arc, but not of the house where Charles de Gaulle was born.

Statue of Joan of Arc

Our day ended with dinner and shopping at the Euralille shopping mall near the station. 

L-shaped building near Euralille

I enjoyed this taste of a new country. Each city is unique, and while many tourists would visit Paris on their first visit to France, Lille had its own character and was worth visiting. I expect I will visit other places in France some time in the future.