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+--- Thread: Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday (/Thread-Brux-to-Lille-and-back-yesterday)
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Ray - 03-02-2006
It was , probably the coldest day of this year , so far ;
and the morning was misty .
Had to scrape the ice off the windscreen and rear window-glass , before setting off ; from where we live , upper Bruxelles , through the ingenious Petit-Ring tunnels under the main thorough-fares , it takes some 15 minutes to get to the "outer"-Ring Motorway ; from there , you pass one of the best IKEAs I've ever been to , then : bourgeois Ghent is another 40-odd kms westerly ; la Autoroute : in excellent condition , 3 lanes both ways , in spite of official 120 km/h speed-limit , at 130 , one gets overtaken all of the time , no sweat!
( Nor many accidents !
- rather , instead it looks like : at speeds , sober people tend to be "switched on" , to actual driving - as opposed to amazing Trans-Atlantic habits of eating , shaving , karaoke-singing , doing one's make-up , chatting on the 'phone and/or checking FT and shares , all while blocking the M-way lanes and idling away at 50mph ? )
...one observes many Bleu-Belge fat cows ( actually : they're all black-and-white , just their meat is called Blue - why ? might be interesting ,to find out ?), grazing in the peaceful ever-green countryside , where such horrible wars were once fought !
- just before Ghent , the right turn-off is for a southerly motorway , signposted : Courtrai , Lille , Paris ...another half-hour or less , over what once was border crossing checkpoint , and now remains semi-wrecked , deserted and unmanned uggly barracks : you are into France , La Belle!
Another 10-15 km of Autoroute and into Lille you descend , recent European City of Culture ; some outstanding architecture all around , both old and the very latest cutting-edge , also : EuraLille ultra-mod terminal for 320 km/h TGV Thalys trains , the high-speed network being the pride of Europe , like no other continent has to offer !
( To digress from this blog : isn't it just such a Shame , that fab Concorde had to die , because the Yanks and the Aussies and the other envious lot of so and so's : wouldn't have any of such speed-travel , if patented by Franco/British alliance ? At least AirBus Industrie is giving Boeing etc a good hiding , with ordinary planes' sales...)
The boutiques' shopping in the centre of Lille almost rivals Paris and is doubtlessly much more sophisticated and individual , than the identical-chains' usual drab High Streets of the U.K.;
the Carrefour Hypermarket inside the Mall adjoning the old and new railway stations has just got to be among world's very best , displaying much nicer grub than Harrods Food Hall , at a mere fraction of the cost... and then , there's the wines...
( which : should make a subject of yet another , well-researched blog )
After a nice , leisurely lunch , a la Francais, and some more loading into the boot , a yet-different , but quieter ! , fab Autoroute takes one back , through getle peaceful countryside ( occupied by some more fat Bleue-Belge grazing cows ) via Tournai , then the ancient University-town of Enghien ( ...of Edingen , op Vlaamse dialekt ) , then past Halle and off , into Uccle-Drogenbos , from where we get to home in 10-15 mins...
( The long-suffering wife and the dog remained well-behaved and got suitably rewarded , during-and-after !
Everyone should be so privileged , to be able to do and enjoy such experiences , plus or minus , if they so wished !
In Europe = the birthplace of Civilisation , as we
( well : most of us , anyway ) know it !
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Almitra - 03-02-2006
Wow, that was entertaining !!!
Wish I could DRIVE into France ......... :bigcry: :bigcry:
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Ray - 03-02-2006
Everyone should be able to this ( and Hagar DOES ) , n'est ce pas/nicht wahr ?
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Almitra - 03-02-2006
Nein, nicht wahr !!!
Actually, living in the fairest Cape doesn't make provision for driving to France ..........
:rofl:
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Ray - 03-02-2006
Driving into La Belle France ?
Maybe not on any day of your life as it is now , but , moenie nie despair nie , asseblief doch !
When next time you come to look us up , here in Europe , I personally offer to take you to this side of France ( in comfort ) , O.K. ?
There's said Lille , but also : Calais , Boulogne , Le Touquet , Reims , Compiegne , Valenciennes , Metz ...all of them : at between 1 and 2 hours' scenic drive , on excellent free Autoroutes.
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Almitra - 03-02-2006
Great !!!!! I'll write this date in my diary - signed and sealed - you'll take me to France - in comfort, nogal !!!!!
:wings:
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Ray - 03-02-2006
You never said...which day , of which month , of which year ?
The invitation stands , so : keep us posted !
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Almitra - 03-02-2006
Ray Wrote:You never said...which day , of which month , of which year ?
The invitation stands , so : keep us posted !
I wrote this day, of this month, of this year in my diary :rofl:
Hope it's an extended offer ??
Never been to Paris - and always wanted to go there so bad !!!
:wings:
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Ray - 03-02-2006
The City of Lights !
( I can help you ,to plan them well )
Brux to Lille , and back , yesterday - Koekie - 02-03-2006
Sounded like a lovely day you had. I used to pop to Luxembourg to visit Hagar at SA get togethers. Drive to Germany for business, Netherlands, Paris - what a delight it is to live so centrally in Europe..... :chorus: