Monthly Archives: July 2009

July 28, 2009

Stylish Shopping at Colette

There’s no better place to shop than in Paris. With so many shops from vintage boutiques to large shopping malls such as Printemps to choose from it’s hard to know where to start. When trying to find the best places to shop in Paris there’s no better person to ask than a Parisian... [Read more]

July 27, 2009

La Braderie

Dating back to medieval times the La Braderie in Lille is Europe’s biggest street market. The market is available to everyone in Lille who wants to set up shop for the weekend, so it’s not surprising how this annual event has grown to cover most of the city centre. To make the... [Read more]

July 23, 2009

Jean Morel at Raison D’art

Lille has a reputation for having inferior art galleries in comparison to Paris. Arguably this is true on the classical front – you can’t argue with the quality of art in the Louvre. But if you want to see something a little different, Lille is the place to go to. And particularly... [Read more]

July 23, 2009

Lille Opera house

When Lille’s opera house re-opened in 2003 after refurbishment, it suddenly had a certain razzmatazz. An old, decrepit building which had sat at the side of the main square looking ugly, suddenly had a certain beauty. It had been spruced up and the city responded. Instead of... [Read more]

July 23, 2009

Paris Techno Parade

People say the Parisians are reserved. They’re too pre-occupied with keeping their Gallic cool to let their hair down and have fun. Well those people have clearly never been to the Paris Techno Parade. Picture the scene: 400,000 people; a 3 mile route; and twenty floats with... [Read more]

July 23, 2009

Montmartre Grape Harvest festival

Since 1934, in the eclectic and hilly area of Paris which gives it name to the festival, the Montmartre Grape Harvest festival has taken place. Every October, the successful production of the local Clos Montmartre wine is heralded with a festival. Expect to find stalls with regional... [Read more]