Louvre Lens and Bruges!

What a weekend! It's now my last one until I go home (how strange!) and what an amazing time it's been!

 

Friday - Louvre Lens!

I would recommend to anyone who loves museum to visit the Louvre Lens! It's free with the "pass d-education" you can get from a secretary at school, all you need is your passport photo ID! The museum has many different exhibitions on all year and this time it was the "Mesopotamie" Expo, an exhibition on the first civilised humans and what they created!

I gave tours in French to the 6ème who loved listening to the information, as well as helping them to fill in their little booklets set by the history department! I think it was really worth the half an hour trip, as the expo was full of really interesting artefacts, information and it's big enough to spend a good few hours looking round!

weirdly looks like a pregnant guy?!?

I love museums in France, it's not only a great opportunity to gain some culture, but you also get to read a lot in French and understand their history! The Expo isn't on long (until January) so get yourself to Lens if you want to see it! If you can't get chance, the Palais de Beaux Arts (see my post on this!) is another fantastic opportunity to see art and history rolled into one, in the centre of Lille!

Friday night involved lots of Dominos Pizza and incredible company. Luke, Becca and Lauren plus a lot of vine videos and of course, French million pound drop, games and just gossip is always a fab combination! I loved the evening and slept so well (god bless you girls) ready for our trip to Bruges!

Saturday- A day in Bruges!

After a great night's sleep, Becca, Loz and I arrived at 4 Cantons to go to Bruges with CICE Voyages (huuuuge shout out to Jeanne, who gave me this website that now EVERYONE uses!). We met up with Julia and her two friends from home, a lovely group that made the hour fly by! Luke we really missed you and hope you liked your prezzie!

I really loved Bruges, just as much as last time...if not more! I cannot thank Becca and Lauren enough, helping me to find my wee christmas presents, walking more miles than the proclaimers and helping me explore such a cool city.

As you can tell, it's big scarf weather!!!! It may have been chilly but the Christmas markets were fantastic. It's INCREDIBLE to think Lille is only 1 hour away from such a beautiful and different country! 

The Christmas Markets were magical, full of food and decorations as well as the beauty of the lights that surrounded them! It was a real Christmasy weekend and I've never felt happier! So a huge shout out to my pal Luke, for the personal reasons... what a hero.  I was, however, really sad for my French this weekend. Every single Belgian I met couldn't speak French....we were in the Flemish part you see! So English it was...but we did manage to convince a shop keeper I was French...so plus and minuses! 

The hot chocolate tea room - The Old Chocolate House - is a MUST when in Bruges. Here we had hot chocolates the size of our faces, and for Loz, a beautiful cup of tea with its own tea pot! It was a perfect little place to sit, drink hot chocolate, eat chocolate and catch up on the warmth (and a sit down!) I think we really did earn it after all our walking! My hot chocolate was a white hot choccy, with cherry cream and cherries (The cherry blond I think it's called) it was amazing. I wouldn't say it was overly priced, as you really do get what you pay for. I fully recommend this amazing little shop. Possibly a place to start writing your new book, poem or just ponder life!

My favourite part of Bruges, compared to Brussels, is the fact that all the little side streets are beautiful too. You can literally - which we did - walk around Bruges for hours just nosing into its small streets at its shops, bars, pubs and restaurants, an artist's dream I'd say.

This weekend has really taught me that if you want to start your novel, start it in this beautiful city. Or if you want the best beer to drown your artistic sorrows...also start here. 

I've also cemented a wonderful friendship. Sunday led to Christmas day: meatballs, mash, green beans and gravy - Lille style Christmas but DELICIOUS! A huge thank you to Becca and Lauren. I'll be feeling lost without you guys this week after being inseparable for so many days. Never have I felt so welcomed and loved so quickly. LIVE IT UP GLASGOOOOOOOO

So what's next? Tomorrow I'm back at work, but not for too long now! This week I'm off to see the Petit Prince with Nia and Julia (so excited) and then it won't be long until I'm running at Matt in Birmingham Station! C'est la vie. I couldn't possibly be more excited. 

SEE YOU ON SATURDAY BLOXWICH

xxx

JR