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onjour! This month we have chosen to dedicate
the newsletter to a new European crossroad. Located a mere
one hour from Paris, 2 hours from London, 2 and 1/2 hours
from Amsterdam and only 30 minutes from Brussels, the northern
region of France and its capital, Lille, are certainly not
without charm and deserve a visit while traveling through
Europe. But before continuing, please remember that you can
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| Lille: Capital of French Flanders |
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A Dream: Linking England to the Continent
For more than two centuries an immense challenge stimulated the imagination of engineers. How could we link the European continent with England? More than
one hundred projects, some more crazy than realistic were presented. The oldest one dates back to 1750. At that time, Nicolas Desmarets, a geologist, thought
that it was very possible to join the two countries, whose coasts are easily seen on a clear day. He proposed the building of a bridge or the digging of a trench
or tunnel. The idea of placing tubes at the bottom of the ocean a simply floating in the water was also considered. In the middle of the nineteenth century, Tomé de Gammond, named
the "father of the tunnel", presented the first credible solution. In 1855, he dove 100 feet into the ocean to inspect its floor. He planned to submerge thirteen
artificial small islands with wells to ventilate the tunnel. In 1880, a 30 foot engine, mounted on tracks, started the digging.
A Reality: An Enormous Challenge
As the dream closed in on reality, the military from across the Channel suddenly considered that England's risks were enormous and imagined catastrophic
scenarios, most of which were simply crazy. They announced suddenly that the French would disembark upon their country disguised as simple tourists but armed.
The invaders would overtake the tunnel and penetrate into the country, and although more than 12,000 feet of tunnel had been dug, the work was halted.
The following years were punctuated by numerous hesitations. It was only after the end of the Second World War that the opposition to the tunnel finally
disappeared. It would however have to wait until the Franco-British summit of 1981 for the construction project to get under way and in 1986 the proposition
of a rail tunnel was definitively confirmed. Gigantic tunnel excavators would dig without stop, day and night, for more than 4 years, to finally allow the junction
to be established on December 1st, 1990. The total length of the tunnel would reach 30 miles, 23 of which are under the English Channel. On May 6th, 1994, the tunnel was finally inaugurated and opened.
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| Recipe
for January 2003 |
The Beef "Carbonade" |
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Cooking SOS ! If you
run into trouble with one of our recipes, send
an SOS e-mail to 911@FranceMonthly.com |
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| Birth of L'Isle (Lille) |
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Legend has it that in the year 620, a giant named Salvaert, Prince of Dijon, and his wife Emergaert attempted to flee the county of Burgundy and seek refuge
in England. At the point of crossing the sinister Sans Mercy (No Mercy) Woods, the hideout of the tyrannical giant Phinaert, they fall into an ambush. Salvaert
and his escorts are brutally assassinated. Emargaert manages to escape and finds sanctuary with a hermit. She soon gives birth to a son, and has just enough
time to hide the baby before she is taken by Phinaert's men. The hermit finds the baby, names him Lyderic, and has him nursed by a doe. As an adolescent,
Lyderic learns about his birth and decides to avenge his father. On June 19th, 640, he is victorious in a duel, finds his mother, his prestige and inherits Phinaert's
goods, of which the castle of L'Isle is part, and settles there. Tradition allows Lyderic to become the first Count of Flanders and the founder of the city of Lille
as it is around the castle that the city will develop in the eleventh century.
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| Lille: Proud Capital City of French Flanders |
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Over the course of many centuries, Lille was conquered by the Flemish, the French and then the Spanish before being returned to the French due to the marriage
between Louis the Fourteenth and the infanta Maria Theresa of Spain in 1667. Today's architectural richness is thanks to these many invasions and we
recommend you visit this magnificent city, where styles and eras intermingle on a daily basis. The "Grand Place", historic center of Lille, with its many terraces,
packed day and night, is the usual rendez-vous of the locals and tourist alike. Four statues dominate this plaza. In the center is the goddess, solidly placed on its
pedestal and seems to dominate the crowds. She commemorates the heroic defense by the people of Lille against the siege of the city by the Austrians, in 1792.
In her right hand, she holds the "boutefeu", ready to light the canons to defend the city; while in her left hand she shows the inscription on her platform which reads:
the absolute refusal by the mayor to surrender his city. Three other women covered in gold leaf surround the central statue and symbolically represent the three
provinces of the North/Pas de Calais region: Flanders, Artois, and the Hainaut. |
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| Lille's Giant Flea Market |
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This grand fair is not to be missed if you are in the area during the first week of September. It is a very important occasion in the life and culture of the citizens
of Lille. During three days of folly, the city is dressed in festivities. Most of the city's street are given over to the strollers and all, professional or not, take up
a bit of the sidewalk to sell their wares or more simply to get rid of what they no longer want. It is undoubtedly one of the largest flea markets in Europe which
extends for over 200 kilometers of sidewalk. The origin of this fair dates back to the middle Ages, era when the valets and chamber maids of the nobles were
given the opportunity, once a year, to sell old garments and objects of their masters. This market would not be complete without the traditional mussel-fries,
unique menu which is served by the many restaurateurs and which is appreciated by all. Several tons of mussels are consumed that day!
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| Gangster and Policeman, Reality and Fiction |
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When one reads "Les Miserables" of Victor Hugo, one is immediately moved by the generosity, sensitivity and mischievousness of the hero, Jean Valjean.
To create this fictional character, the author was greatly inspired by a man born not too far from Lille: Eugene François Vidocq. Born in Arras in 1775,
his life was somewhat astounding. Stripped by local thieves of the money, he had himself stolen from his father in order to pay his way to America, Vidocq
started a life of robbery, associating himself with various crooks. Finally arrested and condemned to hard labor, he managed to escape after 6 years in prison.
Tired of the vagabond lifestyle, he offered his services as an informant to the police in exchange for his freedom. He revealed himself to be quite capable in this
job, and with the help of other past thieves, he allowed the law enforcement to arrest many criminals. Because of this he was named the first chief of security of
Paris in 1811. Philanthropist and generous, he never forgot the downtrodden and tried to help them as much as possible. And so Victor Hugo is said to have
used the life story of this particular hero to write about his legendary character and it also inspired other writers such as Henry Melville in Moby Dick and Charles
Dickens' fugitive in Great Expectations.
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| Valentine's Day |
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We will soon be celebrating the day for Sweethearts. We wanted to find the origin or rather origins of this celebration and have chosen the most
common one agreed upon by various historians. Valentine's Day dates back to Roman times when pagan festivities were organized each year in honor
of Lupercus, God of shepherds and flocks. This feast marked the first day of spring and fertility in ancient Rome. This however greatly displeased the
primitive Holy Fathers of the Church, who in their own right, decided to initiate their own holiday in honor of a Roman priest named Valentine, who
lived under the reign of Emperor Claude II (3 centuries AD). The Emperor had engaged Rome in numerous bloody and deadly battles, and had forbidden
all young men from marrying. In fact, he deemed that bachelors made better soldiers. Valentine disobeyed these orders and married young couples in
secret. He was executed on February 14th, 269 (or 270), and then canonized. Valentine's Day is to be celebrated in his honor. |
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Whatever its origin, Valentine's Day remains a tradition that sweethearts love to celebrate.
In Lille, like everywhere else, lovers will certainly not avoid it. If you have the opportunity to travel in Europe and your itinerary leads you to Lille,
do not miss this wonderful city, you will not be disappointed. Not only is Lille an interesting metropolis but also its citizens are particular warm and friendly.
As a French songwriter sings in one of his songs: "the people from the North have in their hearts the sun that they do not have outside".
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