It’s always unexpectedly brilliant to make a new friend. I made a new friend when I was in Greece. She comes from Dublin but has lived in France for almost 20 years, teaching English Language and Literature, most of that time in Lille so she knows the place well and lives in a beautiful 16th century apartment over-looking the Grand Place.
She invited me to come visit so I went. I took the Eurostar from St. Pancras Station and an hour and half later I had arrived for the Braderie de Lille, a sort of giant brocante, that takes place every year over a weekend. The streets around the centre ville effectively become the largest flea market in Europe and every restaurant, café, bar serves moules frits.
And oh the shopping! I only had a small valise with me because, due to my recent economic downturn, I had no intention in buying anything except a tube of Avibon which I learnt about from the utterly brilliant A Femme d'Un Certain Age (fab for top tips) it's just like 8 Hour Cream...... However, I bought, amongst other things, a fist full of beautiful silk scarves including Nina Ricci, Armani and Carven for a fist full of Euros, a brand new, pink, angora sweater, sparkled with bugle-beads from a store masquerading as a mock Zadig & Voltaire, for a tenner, a huge, old, school map of Afrique du Nord et Sahara for a song and a bunch of saucisson enhanced with herb, nut, olive and fig …. a voila!! Had I had a much larger valise I might have brought back a gold framed mirror, ancient wooden trunks, a ton of French linen, bowls, plates, platters, a couple of decanters, a silver cocktail shaker, some farm implements, a milk churn and a couple of day beds. Who knows.
And it’s fabulous. Cobbled streets, good wine, baked goods and bargains……. What’s not to like? And it was all so French: people reading wine labels, women smoking and bread with everything. I did much mais non, mais oui, ca va and d’accord-ing unlike my usual trips to stay with another friend who lives in the depths of the French countryside, where we sort of live in a bubble ….. albeit a very beautiful-pink-wine-filled bubble.
And oh the shopping! I only had a small valise with me because, due to my recent economic downturn, I had no intention in buying anything except a tube of Avibon which I learnt about from the utterly brilliant A Femme d'Un Certain Age (fab for top tips) it's just like 8 Hour Cream...... However, I bought, amongst other things, a fist full of beautiful silk scarves including Nina Ricci, Armani and Carven for a fist full of Euros, a brand new, pink, angora sweater, sparkled with bugle-beads from a store masquerading as a mock Zadig & Voltaire, for a tenner, a huge, old, school map of Afrique du Nord et Sahara for a song and a bunch of saucisson enhanced with herb, nut, olive and fig …. a voila!! Had I had a much larger valise I might have brought back a gold framed mirror, ancient wooden trunks, a ton of French linen, bowls, plates, platters, a couple of decanters, a silver cocktail shaker, some farm implements, a milk churn and a couple of day beds. Who knows.
Top tip: the Eurostar …. quicker and more
comfortable to get to Lille than Dorset…..
Oh you made me want to hop on the Eurostar! I'm off to Paris for a few days in December and I can't wait. Glad you had such a smashing time
ReplyDeleteI've heard about the avi on cream. Is it as good as they say? My French pharmacist looked at me like I was crazy when I asked for it for my 'doolaps'. It sounds like you scored a lot of treasure in your quick trip over. Aidan
ReplyDeleteYour trip and finds sound sheer perfection!
ReplyDeleteHow lovely!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fab trip. I wouldn't mind a trip to Lille. I love everything about France. xxxx
ReplyDeleteIt sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteI do miss being able to nip over to "La Continong" so easily.
It takes us at least a 3 hour plane trip to get anywhere, and that's just Sydney or Melbourne. Nice places, but not as nice as old France.
Eeeh, life's getting tough when you can only afford Armani! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds great, somewhere I've always wanted to get to, because it's an almost Flemish part of France.
How exciting, a new friend who lives somewhere as gorgeous as that! x
ReplyDeleteOh, that sounds perfect. I might just take a trip when I'm over. Lille is a wonderful city.
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous that you can hop on a train and be in France in under two hours.
ReplyDeleteYour trip sounds enchanting.
A lucky find indeed; and always good to do something different.
ReplyDeleteI was invited to join a friend on a trip to Paris yesterday, have been years since I last went, she has never been. We are hoping to go via Eurostar and do a bit of shopping, I was humming an arhing, you have made my mind up
ReplyDeleteYou have inspired me, I forwarded your blog to a friend and we are hoping to go next year - thank you for sharing x
ReplyDeleteThat sounds absolutely wonderful, you lucky thing! Take a bigger case the next time!!
ReplyDeleteAli x
I've only driven through Lille once... it sounds absolutely wonderful. And isn't it a weird thing that our luggage is ALWAYS heavier on the way back than when we arrive :)
ReplyDelete