The First Market

Off on our travels
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We dozed a little on the way to Lille and arrived in the middle of the afternoon, while it was still light. We were dropped outside a large department store on a main road. Just around the corner was a large ferris wheel in a square and the market was just a little further on. I thought the market rather small with few stalls although there were probably about 30 to 40: food; gluhvine; knitted scarves, hats, gloves: lots of jewellery stalls. Linda and I bought some pendants on which the vendor painted names for us. One of my favourites was a stall selling coloured lanterns. On the main road where we had to meet the coach there was a shop selling some wonderful fabric remnants - very long lengths. I enjoyed looking through them and holding some up to me at the mirror. I did toy with the idea of buying some but know that I will probably not make them up, and that I am unlikely to go anywhere to wear 'posh' clothes.

Lanterns in Lille Christmas Market
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Then we were back on the coach for the short journey to the Hotel Volubilus which we reached at about 6pm. Rhonda had warned us that the hotel was rather basic. It wasn’t, it was fine. Reasonable sized bedroom, good comfortable beds, wardrobe space. Good, roomy, clean bathroom with bath. The television didn't get any English-speaking channels and there were no tea-making facilities. We didn't need the TV and I had packed a travel kettle so we were fine. Rhonda told us that she thought the rooms were fine but she had had complaints in the past from people who obviously expected more. She told us of one previous traveller – a tall, fat man (about 30 stone, she thought) who complained that the hotels only left tiny bars of soap. Eventually she told him there was a supermarket next-door where he could buy a whole bar for 26p. Some people just like to complain.

Bigger than it looked!

Linda buys a bookmark
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We had dinner at the hotel, booking for 7.30 when the restaurant opened. I communicated with the friendly waitress using my limited French and her slightly less limited English. We chose the €17.50 menu which had three or four choices plus the 'daily special' for each course. I went for the cheese flan (the special and huge for a starter), medium (ie rare) steak in pepper sauce and black and white chocolate mousse. Linda had her starter from the buffet - lovely salmon and some salad, followed by the gammon (I managed to tell the waitress sans sauce) and she also had the chocolate mousse. We shared a bottle of Cotes du Bergerac wine which we very much enjoyed. We let the waitress choose the wine. I will drink red or white and will drink most so long as it is not too dry. Linda only likes sweet white. Completely stuffed and slightly tipsy (we were sorry not to be able to finish the last of either the dessert or the wine) and very tired, we sent text messages home, set the alarm and went to bed.