City Life in Lille.

Lille came as quite a shock, after the size of Ypres and the quaintness of Bruges.

By the time we had got out of the station, found our hotel, and put down our bags, the sun had set. 

I don't know why I had booked a hotel rather than an apartment for our stay in Lille, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time. According to booking.com the hotel was conveniently located near the motorway and the train station, whilst still being in close proximity to the city centre. 

The locality to the city centre and train station were a little far fetched, however the motorway location was spot on. 

It was only a couple of nights that we were staying, and we decided that rather than listen to the passing traffic, we would go out and find somewhere to sit down for a drink. 

The area we were in was surrounded by large blocks of flats, with a series of small supermarkets and eateries underneath them. Each of the restaurants we passed was closed for the night, but we figured something in the centre had to be open.

We kept on walking, until we came back to the station, where we had seen restaurants earlier. The majority were run down, and looked like the old tabacs that I had eaten in when I was younger and travelling with my parents. A shabby old place, painted in a deep red and with a dark wooden bar had a menu serving Cabonnarde, and we stepped into the warm and sat down at a window table.

Outside, the city was bustling. Some tourists, some business workers, but the majority of people passing by our little glass booth were younger people, and older homeless men, looking for something to do. One, who passed our window very quickly, had obviously found something to do, as he legged it with a security guard in tow.

It wasn't the most romantic welcome to the city, but it was just that. A city. It was expected, just as with any big city, and especially in the outskirts, that there was going to be a slightly more grungy look. Especially with Lille, which is a huge industrial area.

However, the food we had was wonderful, and a carafe of house wine made us forget the area we were in, as we walked back to the hotel under the flicker of the street lamps and the sound of the motorway.