France - Lille

We went to Lille primarily to see Bruce Springsteen, but ended up making a short break of it, with a few days in Lille, meeting up with my folks and a day trip to Ghent.

We travelled on the Eurostar which was a wonderful experience and one I would recommend to anyone.  As part of the embarkation process, passengers go through security, UK passports and  then French passports, so when arriving it's straight out of the station with no queuing.

From a tourist point of view, Lille is centred around the market square, with some wonderful buildings.

the town hall

The Opera

Some shipping containers on end and painted gold!

The old stock exchange

A worried looking sun!

The war memorial

And probably my favourite building that I saw.

The skyline around the market square is impressive

But then there was the unusual, the strange and pure madcap.

A flower display

A 15ft statue

A statue on the underground

My favourite building from another angle

A very large mirror ball in the centre of the old stock exchange.  The courtyard of the old stock exchange has been converted into a market for books and posters. 

I have seen a few rooftop gardens, but this was done very well and dominated the skyline near the railway station

Of course every city needs its street art

Then there was this building with lots of rotund figures hanging from it

That also cropped up in other parts of the city

The cathedral in Lille was only completed in 1999 after 145 years of building.

The rear of the building is very traditional

The front however is ultra modern.  Inside the cathedral there was a display including the plans for the original frontage.  This was far more elaborate and complex than Notre Dam in Paris, For some reason they could not get the funds.

The inside of the cathedral, belies the fact that most of the work was done in the 20th century

The altars at the rear of the church were stunning.  With craftsmen as good as this available it is not suprising they were able to repair Notre Dame in Paris.   

But it is looking the other way where the view is more unusual.  The frontage appears translucent and the rear wall appears to glow.

On the way to our hotel we had to pass a square bounded on one side by government buildings

and on the other by the art gallery

At sunset the art gallery caught the sun

At night, they were both lit beautifully

We stayed at the Moxy Lille City.  It was a wonderful hotel, with great staff, good rooms a nice bar in an old university building

.

That was lit well

And the hotel itself had a wonderful sense of fun!

The old town in Lille was well worth a visit, cobbled streets lined with shops and cafes

And the occasional bit of street art - An albino penguin!

 The old town led to the citadel, which was a pleasant place for a stroll..

And of course, when you are walking up the steps on a bridge to cross the main road you really expect to see a pond with pelicans!

Generally walking around the city there were some impressive buildings and views

Lille is the beer capital of France!  Not a single drink of Kronenbourg, but many French and Belgian brews I had never heard of, and enjoyed.

And of course Springsteen!

65,000 in a football stadium with the roof closed!

I would not hesitate in going to another gig in the city.

Lille was a lovely city and well worth a visit.  It would make a perfect weekend break.

  

It is 90 minutes from London on the Eurostar and we only paid £39 for our tickets.  And even the economy on the Eurostar is more comfortable than any plane I have ever been on.

Belgium - Ghent

When we were in Lille we decided to go to Ghent for a day trip -Flixbus there and train back.  The joys of Schengen.

Unfortunately, it was raining for much of the day, which didn't show the city in its best light.

The clock tower

Inside the clock tower.  There was a lift up, then stairs down.

The biggest musical box in the world?

Lots of bells

The bell tower is between a cathedral and an equally magnificent church

Next to the bell tower is a strange structure, the city pavilion designed to host events.

The roof is particularly striking

The churches were both very ornate, and I was taken by the view up to the tower.

The weather was really closing in, and great buildings were looking grey.

There was a wonderful Graffiti Street.  Where street artists were allowed to paint.  It was narrow so not conducive to photos, as a sample.  Pieces are left for a while before being replaced by a new art work.

The old town had some glorious buildings.

After lunch, the weather improved 

The castle.

By the time we reached the quayside area we had the best weather of the day.

The walk was circular.  It ended at St Michael`s Bridge with a great view back towards the Belfry where we started.

And impressive street art.

I will certainly look to go back to Ghent, it was a beautiful centre with impressive buildings.