Posts Tagged ‘Art’

Eurostar Breaks to Lille

Eurostar breaks to Lille in northern France should not be overlooked when planning short city breaks from London. We don’t know so much about Lille in the UK apart from being a Eurostar station on the way to Paris or Brussels, but the city has both an international history and a modern claim to fame in the art world and museum sector. So what is there to see in Lille of special interest to the busy tourist? Well there’s the magnificent town square first all, with its grand buildings and famous Christmas market. Then there is a classical art museum that is second only to the Louvre in the whole of France, with collections by all the grand masters.

Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille

Getting to Lille couldn’t be easier with Eurostar Breaks from London arriving in Lille only one hour and twenty minutes after departing from St Pancras. So that makes the Lille appear close to St Pancras than some parts of South or West London, let alone Manchester or Brighton. The return journey usually takes five minutes longer for some reason, maybe it’s because the trains have to go uphill to get from France to England

Lille for Eurostar Breaks

Lille is close to the border with Belgium and has been part of the Flemish state in the past, so some of the atmosphere and traditions of Lille are more Northern European than typically French, so that makes it an interesting culture to discover. It’s very much a part of modern France now though as far as fine dining and general good living are concerned. In the summer there are plenty of good brasseries that lay out their outdoor terraces in the little squares and pavements, while in the winter there are beautiful dining halls and grand hotels in which to escape the sometimes bitter continental weather.

There’s even a substantial zoo or rather parc zoologique which can be a pleasant place to while away a sunny afternoon, with free entrance, picnique spots and of course well looked after animal enclosures which delight both children and adults.

The first ever patisserie, Meert is located in Lille, not Paris, so how about that then? There you can learn how the waffle was invented and take away delicate little fruit cake creations that look far too beautiful to eat.

I’ve only just started to mine the surface of what Lille has to offer, as there is a flourishing modern art scene which would be difficult to pin down to any one specific venue, as it changes all the time but do have a look at the swimming pool, a former Art Deco public baths called simply “La Piscine”. Another is at Wazemmes, la Maison Folie which has art exhibitions and theatre on the first floor, and on Sundays the busy Wazemmes market is a huge attraction just outside the gallery.

Longer Eurostar Breaks

Eurostar breaks to Lille, being so easy to fit in to a busy lifestyle can provide a tempting taste of what the area has to offer, and I’m sure once you’ve been over and had a quick look around you’ll be dying to come back for a longer stay, maybe after seeing the Christmas market and understanding the potential for a relaxing summer break in the North East of France. I’m thinking that a Eurostar to Lille and then car hire for a short week would allow for the flexibility of a smart city break and the chance to explore some of the rural north of France.

picture credit: Peter16

I live in London and when I’ve finished my college course, I’d like to get a job and save up for my boyfriend and I to go to Paris for the weekend.

Some of the prices I’ve seen are outrageous (nearly £400 for two days) and I know nothing about booking a holiday. Help!

Paris is not a weekend affair for couples but for louveures (lovers).
Let the boyfriend pay for yourself to go alone or for the two of you to go together. Either way you go to Paris. Though, it is commendable you
want to go dutch (you treating), I find it uneventful that you pay for the trip.
Perhaps go half, 50/50,right down the middle,including to the hotel/motel room. Boyfriend shouldn’t have any problem tipping, paying for meals for two (2),tourism,car rental and souvenirs. However, clothing, shoes and accessories are the girlfriends’ department.
Check with travel agencies,for various prices.Cheap Tickets, book the reservations months in advance. (Go to www.cheaptickets.com)…
Fill out the form over the internet to get prices that way.
Adieu and Bon voyage!

Paris Eurostar breaks are fastest

Paris Eurostar breaks are the fastest way to escape from London to another country for a couple of days.  Having booked the Eurostar tickets online, you can turn up at St Pancras station half an hour before departure, check in and be away on the most exciting train in Europe. Hurtling through the countryside and underneath the English channel you arrive at Paris Gare du Nord in just over two hours and walk straight off the train into the streets of north Paris, ready to amble along the boulevards Magenta , Madeleine and rue la Fayette. In this area it is possible to wander down a side street and find somewhere to eat, drink and sleep just by walking in to a cafe, bar or hotel and seeing if it takes your fancy. There’s no need to book a rigid itinerary unless that’s what you want to do.

Eurostar breaks for Art lovers

Paris is the best place for Art lovers who want to visit several galleries in one weekend by taking a eurostar break to Paris and then getting about on the Metro or the batobus. There are so many to choose from:

• The Musee d’Orsay – A huge art gallery in a disused railway terminus
• The Picasso museum – a collection of Picasso paintings and artefacts to rival Spain
• The Louvre – The most prestigious and famous art gallery in the world
• Rodin Museum – Sculptures by Rodin in a grand house and gardens

Rodin's The Kiss

That’s just the beginning. If you can do a little bit of reearch on the ground once you arrive in Paris you can discover a whole world of little open house exhibitions, studios you can visit, events and happenings with artists converging on Paris from all over the world for it’s inspiration and reputation. Al genres are represented somewhere in this fantastic city, it’s just a matter of keeping your eyes open and being willing to explore some of the less well known areas, making the most of  precious eurostar breaks from the very start.