CHAPPIDI ABHIRATH REDDY,
C/O COL GKS REDDY,
Lille, France
Lille (French pronunciation: ( listen); Dutch: Rijsel [ˈrɛi̯səɫ]) is a city in the North of France. It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in France after those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated in French Flanders, on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium. It is the capital of the Nord-Pas de Calais region and the prefecture of the Nord department.
The city of Lille, to which the previously independent town of Lomme was annexed on 27 February 2000, had a population of 226,827 as recorded by the 2009 census. However, Lille Métropole, which also includes Roubaix, Tourcoing and numerous suburban communities, had a population of 1,091,438. The eurodistrict of Lille-Kortrijk, which also includes the Belgian cities of Kortrijk, Tournai and Mouscron, had 1,905,000 residents.
My Colleague and a close friend, Col Sanjay Chibber, who had taken voluntary retirement from the army, is presently settled down in London. When I went to say hello to him in his office, we decided to go for a Tour of Lille, France on Sunday, the 13th Apr 2014. Accordingly, we booked our tickets in Eurostar, with return ticket on the same day evening. We started from St Pancras International Railway station, London at 0900h and reached Lille at 1130h.
Gare de Lille Europe
Lille Europe is a railway station in Lille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France. It is situated on the LGV Nord High Speed railway. The station is primarily used for high-speed Eurostar and TGV services although some (high-speed) regional trains also call at the station.
The station was built in 1993 to be used as a through station for trains between the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as French TGV services, except those coming from Paris which normally terminate at Lille Flandres. There is a 500m walking distance between the two stations, which are also adjacent stops on the Lille Metro.
For travellers from the United Kingdom to popular destinations not served directly by Eurostar, connections are available here on trains towards Disneyland Paris, Charles de Gaulle International Airport, Lyon, Valence, then Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille St. Charles (and also on to Cannes and Nice); and Nîmes, Montpellier and Perpignan.
Since, it was same day Trip time was too short to resort to Auto Photography, hence we decided to take each others photographs.
On Arrival at Lille Eurostar Railway Station
Col Sanjay at Lille Eurostar Station
A bed of Multi coloured Tulips at the entrance of Lille Eurostar station
At the Outer Courtyard of Lille Eurostar Station
A part of Lille Eurostar Station taken from the Front Courtyard
The Foot Bridge connecting the Town with Eurostar Station
A close up of the Eurostar Station
A close up of the Bed of Tulips, taken on our way back to London
Gare De Lille Flanders
Lille Flandres is the main railway station of Lille, capital city of the French Flanders. It is a terminus for SNCF Intercity and regional trains. It opened in 1842 as Lille station (Gare du Lille) and was renamed Flandres in 1993 when Lille Europe station opened. There is a 500m walking distance between the two stations, which are also adjacent stops on the Lille Metro.
The station was built by Léonce Reynaud and Sydney Dunnett for the CF du Nord. Construction began in 1869 and ended in 1892. The station front is the old front from Paris' Gare du Nord and was dismantled then reassembled in Lille at the end of the 19th century; an extra storey, as well as a large clock, were added to the original design. Dunnett added the Hôtel des Voyageurs in 1887, and the rooftop in 1892.
Front View of Gare de Flanders Railway Station
Main Entrance of Gare de Flanders Station, from Right side
A side view of Gare de Flanders Station
A close up of the side view of Flanders Station
A view of Hotel Continental at Place du Gare (Station Square)
A Modern building at Flanders Station Square, partly Housing CIC Bank at Lille
Place Gen De Gaulle (The Grand Place Lille)
In the heart of Lille, the Grand Place has always been a grand place. Probably the busiest area in Lille is the Grand Place located in the heart of Central Lille. The official name for the square is Place du Général de Gaulle, for it was here in 1890 that Général de Gaulle, a former French president, was born.
Originally, in the 11th century, the medieval square was used as a bustling wheat market. These days the beautLilleifully preserved historic buildings surrounding the square, together with its myriad of cafes and terraces, still makes it an obvious choice for a rendez-vous and a good place to commence any sight-seeing tour. Around the square there are a number of very impressive buildings.
After seeing all the important buildings in and around Place du Gare de Flanders, we moved towards the Grand Place along Rue de Faidherbe.
Rue De Faidherbe (The Faidherbe Street), as seen from Lille Flanders Station
A Historical Building astride Rue De Faidherbe
Another Historical Building astride Rue De Faidherbe
The most beautiful is the Vieille Bourse, the old stock exchange. It was built by Julien Destrée in 1653 whose commission was to build an exchange to ‘rival that of any great city’. It was also a commission motivated greatly by the persistent ill-health of the Lillois bankers and merchants. Trading had always taken place in the unprotected open air at the Fontaine-au-Change on the Place du Vieux-Marché in all types of weather. As a result the bankers endured regular bouts of flu and colds
The Exchange consists of a quandrangle of 24 privately purchased, ornately decorated yet identical houses surrounding an interior rectangular courtyard where trading could take place. Access into the courtyard is through any one of the four arches located at each of the four sides.
There are three levels to the houses. The ground floor was reserved for and tenanted by stylish shops chosen for their ability to complement the overall beauty of the decor. The wealth of Flemish Renaissance style decoration includes cute chubby cherubs, garlands and marks that frame the windows.
The Old Stock Exchange, with Rang De Beuregard on the Left and
Bell Fry of New Stock Exchange in the Background
Old Stock Exchange, as seen from Place Du Theatre
In the middle of the Grand Place stands The Goddess, a sculpture by Theodore Bra of Douai. She stands tall on her column, La Colonne de la Déesse, rising up from the centre of the Grand Place from the midst of a mountain. She stands in memory of the Austrian canon ball siege that took place in 1792. Despite the onslaught of 35,000 Austrian soldiers the townsfolk bravely stood their ground and were victorious. Initially she was to be placed on top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris but she returned to Lille, standing in place Rihour for three years before being moved in 1845 to stand atop Charles Benvignat’s column on the Grand Place. Her crown represents Lille’s ramparts and in her right hand she holds the fuse which fired the old canons and her left hand points to the inscription on the pedestal ‘the courageous refusal of Mayor André of Lille to surrender the town’
La Colonne de la Déesse, at Placeheatre
The write up at the base of the Column
There are three more female statues around the square. They can be seen crowing the top of the Voix du La Nord (the voice of the North) newspaper building. The statues were placed atop this 1932 building by architect Victor Laprade to defy the wind and weather. Each of the three graces represents the region’s northern provinces of Artois, Flanders and Hainault. The frontage has 28 windows which are a very visual representation of the 28 issues of the newspaper that are printed.
La Voix Du Nord Building at Grand Place
The Grand Garde
Next to La Voix du
Nord is the 16th century Grand’Garde. This was originally built to house the
king’s guards, but now it is used as a theatre called la Métaphore.
The Grand Garde Lille (Metaphore Theatre)
Place Rihour
The Rihour is a square of Lille , in the North , in France . Right in the city center and almost adjacent to the Place du Général de Gaulle , it owes its name to the palace Rihour , which overlooks the square. It is served by the station Rihour , on line 1 of the metro Lille.
From Place Gen De Gaulle (Grand Place), we went to Place Rihour, located nearby, where we had a cup of Tea, in one of the numerous small Restaurants bustling with Tourists and locals alike.
The Road connecting Place Gen De Gaulle and Place Rihour,
with small Roadside Restaurants
Rihour Palace
Rihour Palace is a historic monument located at place Rihour Lille . This is all that remains of a palace built in the xv century by the Dukes of Valois-Burgundy , lords and masters of the Burgundian state . This Gothic style building (1473), today houses the Tourist Office. There is an ogive vaulted guard house, a first floor chapel also called the Conclave room, and a ducal oratory served by a stone shaft staircase. It is classified as a historical monument in 1875.
A View of Rihour Palace (Tourist Information Office)
A side view of Rihour Palace from the Grand Place side (Place Gen De Gaulle side)
Credit Du Nord
Crédit du Nord is mainly owned by Société Générale but run separately from Société Générale's own French retail banking network. Crédit du Nord specialises on professionals and small business. It serves about 1.5 million customers in more than 700 stores (2006).
Crédit du Nord started in Lille in 1848. After buying a number of small banks, it was, in turn, acquired by Paribas between 1972 (35% owned) and 1988 (100% owned) but remained run as a separate network. In the following years several regional French banks were brought in the group while retaining their names.
In 1984, it was the fifth-raking French banking group. It rebranded itself, after working with Creative Business (a public relations company), with a new logo, graphics of its name, the architecture of its branches, and public relations. It changed its logo from an orange cube to a blue star.
In 1997, the whole network Crédit du Nord and the associated banks was acquired by Société Générale from Paribas. Since 2000, Crédit du Nord is 80% owned by Société Générale and 20% by Dexia.
A Frontal View of Credit Du Nord, Lille HQ
Another view of the same building from a corner
A view of one of the old buildings in Place Rihour
After visiting Place Rihour, we decided to have some French wine and Lunch, before moving on to Place Du Theatre, located across the Grand Place.
Note:- The information about the places visited has been Extracted from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.
No comments:
Post a Comment