So....Lille... got the tour. Tres cool!
Some thoughts on France, Lille, and the French.
Rent a car and get gel hell out of Paris!! It’s a tourist trap and the rest of France has soooo much to offer in history, culture, beer, food and wine. I spent last night discussing the nuances of French colonial tendencies vs English colonization , food types of North France vs South , and which country has the best Vodka with a guy that owns a vodka tasing cafe. I don’t remember anything past midnight unfortunately... but I did begrudgingly admit that Polish vodka might be better than Ukrainian.... not sure.
If you drive, drive aggressively, with great forward anticipation. Feel the flow of traffic an you’re good. Get used to driving 130+! It’s a blast!
Tell people your Canadian and speak their language as best you can. They will treat you like gold.
Northern France concentrate on beers, cheeses, and sausages..... it’s a speciality here (Flemish country).
The French are at a complete loss if you hold the door for them and let them in before you. They think you are a deranged saint.
If you can speak haulting/shaky French, you can have marvelous conversations with people in the bars and cafes. They don’t mind discussing politics. And they respect your ideology... no matter how rednecked you may be....
Oh... the citadel in Lille isn’t a tourist spot... it’s sctuslly a NATO rapid reaction force launch, training, and coordination center. Thank you cpl Laroux for not arresting my ignorant semi-intoxicated ass.
Found this cool courtyard built in the 1600s. Dedicated to the ‘working progressive class’ such as Pasteur and Pascal.
They had an open market there with antiques and such. Found a mountain of 19th century maps and newspaper for sale... super cheap too.