Heading North: Lille and Brussels

With each city that I visit in France, I become more and more aware of how little Americans know of the country. As I’m sure I have made very clear, when I was growing up, I only really knew of Paris as the only French city. Sure, I knew that Nice and Cannes existed insomuch as I’d heard of them before, and I knew that wine came from somewhere in Bordeaux, although I couldn’t place it on a map, but outside of that… rien, nothing.

Before starting TAPIF, I hadn’t heard of anyone who had been to Lille. Or, really, anyone who had been north of Paris. But after spending two days in Lille, I was reminded of how diverse France is in its beauty, and how much we Americans are missing out on by only seeing France as Paris. Lille was like fairytale. The buildings curved around one other, as if they managed to grow around each other like flowers or trees. And no two buildings were alike; each one had a different color or style, but altogether, they created a certain harmony together. It was dreamy, to say the least.

My trip to Lille happened so I could visit my friend Sophie. Having my own private tour guide around Lille was awesome- I got a very personal tour of the little city. I got to be like a local! And she got me to try a beer! I’m not a fan of beer at all- I think it tastes bitter and soapy- but I knew that I was heading to one of the beer capitals of the world, so I had to do my research a little. Sophie got me to try one that I didn’t hate! (Isn’t this year all about trying new things?) I believe it’s called “Kasteel Rouge,” and it tasted like cherries and only very slightly like beer.

Sophie and I also enjoyed lunch at an estaminet, a type of restaurant that specializes in the cuisine of Northern France (I would say that it’s the equivalent of the brasserie of Paris and the bouchon of Lyon). I guessed that the cuisine of the region is very dependent on meat, potatoes, and different kinds of cheese- and I was kind of right. But we still managed to find something vegetarian, and it was absolutely delicious (but what combination of potato and cheese isn’t good?). While it was just a meal, it instantly reminded me that there is so much more to France than what I have seen in the cities I have visited.

Lille was the perfect gateway from France to Belgium as it rests basically on the border, and after a two-hour bus ride, I stepped into Belgium for the first time. I really enjoyed my first day in Brussels. I was sleepy but content, spending the morning and early afternoon wandering around the old part of the city. I was upset that I wasn’t able to find vegetarian frites even after extensive research online and after asking people at the front desk of the hostel I was staying at, but I did find halloumi fries, so I didn’t feel as bad. And I tried Belgian chocolates, which are totally worth the hype. The second day looked a lot like the first: mostly just exploring the city, but I did manage to get in a quick trip to the Jewish museum, which had a really cool exhibitions on comic books and about the Jewish community of Morocco and how it relates to the Muslim community.

For my one night in Brussels, I thought I would at least TRY a beer since I had had such success with Sophie in Lille, so I headed into the charming and stylish bar across the canal from my hostel with my book in hand and a willingness to step out of my comfort zone and try to find a second beer I might like. After establishing that they do accept cards (the most important question, as I constantly forget that many places in Europe are cash-only, which I feel is a rarity in my part of the US), I asked them for a recommendation for beer, explaining that I don’t like it but figured that I might as well try one in a city so famous for its beer. The bartender shyly informed me that this was a wine-only bar, to which I replied that I was perfectly content with that. I kept my word on trying something new, and I had a delightful glass of Beaujolais. Sipping my wine and diving back into my book, I felt a sense of calm that I hadn’t felt in a long time. It’s so interesting to see who you are when no one is looking, and nourishes such a sense of tranquility that comes from being completely alone: I can be myself completely because I don’t have to worry about anyone judging me for anything. I don’t know a single soul in Belgium. I am alone, and it is wonderful.