on the side at Lille

July 25 - December 11, 2010. Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
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goldstei
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on the side at Lille

Post by goldstei »

Those who are going to Lille might want to consider a side trip to the nearby Belgian city of Bruges (Brugge) a medieval gem of a city (the trade center of Europe in the early middle ages) sometimes known (for its canals) as the "Venice of the North." Among smaller European cities, it has a charm rivaled only by a few places (in my experience, Krakow, Dubrovnik, Riga, Tallinn come to mind right away). If you have a bit of extra time, don't miss it (among other things, famous for its chocolate!!).

Hey moderators, yes I've probably violated the rules again :oops: :roll: , but it's in the public interest! :D :lol:
TheWrongMan
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by TheWrongMan »

Thanks for pointing this out goldstei.
I've wanted to visit Bruges since seeing the film 'In Bruges' with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson (a rather low brow reason to want to visit a city I know, but there you go).
Looking on the Eurostar website there's a train form Lille to Brussells that takes 35 minutes, then you change trains to the Bruges service that takes just under and hour. the (single) fare is £24.00 ( around €27.00).
If I can take the extra time off work I may well go and have a look around.
1993:London RAH 2008:London O2 x 2, London RAH, Brighton 2009:Weybridge, Liverpool, Barcelona 2010: Lille 2012:Wembly 2013:London O2
goldstei
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by goldstei »

there are a few direct (much quicker) trains from lille to bruges also; possibly also some direct buses--unless you want to visit brussels, going thru brussels will aid an hour to the trip (each way).
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pe swijngedouw
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by pe swijngedouw »

bruges ????

a fake medieval town that is only of contemporary value because of its concert hall, and the leonard cohen concert with the bird in the tree ; but apart from that, it's only a tourist trap ; so don't waste your time there, go to Gent or Brussels, or any other city : visit lille itself, there's more places of interest there, and you're there already.

pe
... precisely ...
goldstei
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by goldstei »

pe is no doubt making a "belgian joke" at our expense, as he can't be serious about brussels (where the city symbol is a statue of a little boy pissing) and ghent as preferable to bruges, which is a "tourist trap" only in the sense that others of the few well-preserved European medieveal cities (like Venice and Dubrovnik) are tourists traps--except Bruges is actually much cheaper (you can't get a hotel at a decent price in the inner cities of V. or D., but u can in Bruges--and it's easy to go there for the day, walk around and not spend a penny.
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hydriot
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by hydriot »

I am game for a return trip to Bruges and that lovely square, on 4 March. Years ago I went to a lovely bistro off the square called Chagall, and was amazed to discover in 2004 that it was still going strong.
“If you do have love it's a kind of wound, and if you don't have it it's worse.” - Leonard, July 1988
Michael Crane
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by Michael Crane »

I have been to Bruges several times and would not necessarily agree with your description. I find it a bit twee although I agree, there are some nice restaurants - Ghent is nicer in my view. Main reason for writing - I have booked my concert tickets and Eurostar from London to Lille on 3rd March. Does anyone know how far from the Eurostar station the Zenith de Lille (have been unable to establish this in limited amount of searches so far on web) is or f there are any half decent hotels nearby (I think the Best Western is close but am not sure). My partner and I are heading down to Paris on the TGV the next day to spend a few days there so am really looking forward to 3rd March as it marks the first holiday of 2010. We saw Leonard at the O2 for THE concert and followed that up with a trip to see him again in Bournemouth last November so am already suffering withdrawal symptoms. Cheers, Mike Crane
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pe swijngedouw
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by pe swijngedouw »

michael crane :
coming from london, you'll arrive in the "gare euralille" only 500 metres away from the "zenith de lille" ; there are many hotels in lille, nearby euralille, but there are trains from lille to paris almost all through the night, so you can leave after the concert, and spend your night in paris, which might be more pleasant, certainly more than going to bruges - even if bruges is far less annoying at night compared to tourist-daytime -

hydriot :
i think the chagall stil exists,
if you are visiting more of bruges though, i think you could try to find out a little more about what's really important in belgium : try tasting one of many local beers, like "straffe hendrik", or if you might like a stout : sainte catherine imperial stout.
there is a place, "brugs beertje", kemelstraat 5, where they could let you taste 2-3hundred different beers, so if you have a couple of days ...

pe
... precisely ...
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hydriot
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by hydriot »

pe swijngedouw wrote:hydriot :
if you are visiting more of bruges though, i think you could try to find out a little more about what's really important in belgium : try tasting one of many local beers
I am a little more sophisticated than you give me credit for. I am a confirmed drinker of Trappiste.
“If you do have love it's a kind of wound, and if you don't have it it's worse.” - Leonard, July 1988
goldstei
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by goldstei »

if one drinks enuf Belgian beer, it won't really matter whether you are in Bruges, Brussels or Gent (or in Belgium at all), as all will seem equally good (or bad)
racerbear02
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Re: on the side at Lille

Post by racerbear02 »

Bruges is a beautiful place for sure, it is equally a tourist trap so chose wisely where you spend your money.

I have been quite a few times to Bruges, but my best memory is of sitting in the Markt, the old town square with my boyfriend, enjoying a packet of frites and mayonaise and a can of Hoegaarden just after midnight on a lovely July evening, basking in the afterglow of listening to Leonard Cohen singing at the Minnewater Park last year.

I have to say that does tend to colour my view in favour of the city a little I think :D

True magic
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