Back from LIlle (and have been for three weeks now...)

Back on the weekend of May 11th, Esther and I made a visit to her friend Emilie who is living in Lille. It was enlightening to see a large metropolitan area other than Paris. The most obvious difference is the size and space of things which, though still very dense by SELMI standards, is incredibly spacious by Parisian standards. Add that to the fact that everything is drastically cheaper (eating out seemed to be about 30% cheaper, housing looked to be about 40% cheaper) makes it a compelling alternative to modern day Lutetia. Also, being much closer to Belgium, the waffles, French fries, and, perhaps most importantly, the beer are all much better than what can be easily found in Paris.

But then you remember that it's not Paris. Very few cities are comparable to Paris and the opportunity to live and work here is so unique that it would seem somewhat obscene to move away for cheaper real estate and delicious waffles (though they are ridiculously good). Of course, the roughly 150 mile trip takes only an hour thanks to the TGV connection from Paris. Don't let anyone try to tell you that high speed rail infrastructure isn't an amazing thing...

Like most cities here, it's quite pretty which, combined with fantastic weather, provided for some great photographic opportunities. Have a look here, I'll be posting some photos soon (remember, that's a relative term) from our trip to Brittany which is from even before our trip to Lille. Here's to staying on top of things!

Here are some personal favorites, the link to the album is below:

Travels - Lille

I know I owe you all an explanation of why my photographic style has, uh, evolved recently. Don't worry, it's coming soon and it rhymes with Radboe Rightroom.