Lille, France - European City of Culture 2004

The world number one city of Direct Marketing ad fine Arts. Attended the Trade Shows and met one of our clients from New York. www.vpcd-expo.com. Secured one new client from Paris. Time well-spent. In the evenning... Went around town, X’mas carnivals and decos. I love the X'mas decos, cotton cuttings and drums on the X'mas trees...
Lille was elected European Capital of Culture in 2004, along with the Italian city of Genoa. In the north-west, the Bois Blancs woods - which lie on the bank of one of the River Deûle's tributaries - surround the river port and provide a large area of green spaces.
Vieux-Lille - a district packed full of history, has changed with the times and become more modern. These changes have not altered the character of the district, but instead highlight memories of the past which make the district beautiful. Examples of these are Rue de la Monnaie with its Hospice Comtesse, (where it's always a pleasure to stroll around), the Place de Brettignies, where the façade of the Maison Gilles de Boë competes with the recesses and gargoyles of the neighbouring buildings, small streets with mysterious names e.g. the Rue des Trois Molettes, which leads to the square in front of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Treille and streets with charming names e.g. the Rue Princesse, where you can see the house in which General Charles De Gaulle was born. Vieux-Lille is also the place to find antique shops, art galleries and elegant boutiques. The latter are set up in tastefully renovated old houses and can be explored from the cellar right up to the attic. The same goes for the bars, Flemish taverns and small intimate restaurants - all proudly displaying authentic decor.