Half a day in Vieux Lille

My sister and I owed my mother a little surprise for her birthday... a milestone that had passed by with just a quick kiss and some flowers. Things are not easy and my sister and I alternate our visits to our parents to spread out the support. As a result we don't cross each other very often anymore and we hardly spend time all together.

But we had each saved a vacation day this year to give my mother a break and so we owed her this day before the end of the year. Our time was on a tight schedule due to my dad's needed care and we decided to drive to Lille, just across the French border.  It's so closeby yet unknown to my mother.

My recent weekend was still in my mind so I could tour my family around through the old city parts full of pitorisque stores, impressive old facades, the surprising modern cathedral and the glorious Charles de Gaulle square. 

By then we were quite frozen and tired so we had to search for a nice lunch spot. While hesitating for a long time near the touristic busy bistro's around the main squares we risked to return on our steps again and search in a few quiet streets to stumble in a corner with a few restaurants...and we picked a good one. A very stylish setting, ideal for a relax lunch and some good much needed conversations among the 3 of us. And a much belated toast on my mom's birthday. 

After lunch not much time was left. We quickly scanned the small Christmas market near the tourist office that was well guarded by a high presence of police after the terrorist attack in Strasbourg the week before.  I guided to the Porte de Paris and the city hall and showed the hotel we stayed in early this year in the Saint-Saveur quarter and then it was time to return to Belgium. 

Although very brief, I hope and I belief this was a very good and much needed rare quality time spent together.