DAY 2: Lille
(included)
Spend time in Lille. For culture, see
the Museum of Fine Arts in the Place de la Republique which
is correctly considered to be France’s finest museum after
the Louvre in Paris, housing works by Ruben, Van Dyck, Van
Gogh and Monet. Explore ‘vieux Lille’ – the old quarter
with its old-world shops and boutiques and if it’s bad weather,
then the Euralille Complex near the Eurostar Station is
a huge covered shopping mall. If you choose a departure
which means that today is a Sunday, when many shops will
be closed, then explore the large Sunday market at Wazemmes,
where you will find everything from fruit and flowers to
bric a brac, books and clothing bargains, not to mention
local food and drink specialities If you prefer a leisurely
stroll, then try the Parc de la Citadelle on the banks of
the River Deule or see the 19th century English Garden at
the Jardin Vauban. Our hotel is in the centre, which means
you are in a handy location for everything, and there is
a metro station close by. In the mid afternoon join our
optional excursion over the border into Belgium to the lovely
old town of Ypres, now beautifully kept and preserved after
the horrors of the First World War when the town was in
rubble. We stay in Ypres until 8pm so that you can attend
the moving Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. B |
