Count Baldwin IV of Flanders Game: The Lille, France Touring Game Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Count Baldwin IV of Flanders Game:  The Lille, France Touring Game Created by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Introduction:

The City of Lille (France) is known as the Capital of Flanders, which has Flemish speakers in both France and Belgium.  Lille is in both France and Belgium.  Lille is in the region of France called the Nord – Pas de Calais.

History:

The Flemish Count Baldwin IV (Baudoin le Barbu in French or Baudewijn met de Bard in Flemish – born c. 980 – May 30, 1035).  Baldwin IV notably defeated the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II and won the following territories for France:

-Valenciennes (France)

-Ghent (Belgium)

-Zeeland (Netherlands)

Industries:

Today, the Lille-Tourcoing-Roubaix-Villeneuve d’Ascq conurbation produces:

-fruit juices

-freeze-dried coffee

-instant foods

-soybean and cottonseed oil

There are also service industries in Lille linked to trade with the above industries:

-banking

-insurance

-logistics (rail, port, and highway)

How to Get to Lille from Paris, France

Lille is about 1 hour away from Paris by Eurostar TGV, connecting London (UK) and Brussels (Belgium), which makes a weekend trip from Paris a fun option for shopping, dining, and sightseeing.

Festivals in Lille

Check out websites for Lille for tourism information.

Two festivals that might interest tourists visiting Lille for the first time include:

-“Festival Bal” – a Flemish and Belgian-Flemish beer festival

-Christmas Market – runs from the end of November to the end of December.  The Christmas Market sells nativity figurines, Christmas decorations, and Christmas foods

The various websites have maps and city guides you can download.

Tours

The City of Lille is adding tours of breweries, walking tours, and battlefield tours to its website.

One tour that may be of interest to Americans of English and Australian descent is a tour of the Fromelles Battlefield. 

The Germans defeated British and Australian troops on July 19 and July 20, 1916 at Fromelles.  The battleground here did not have trenches.  It used a “breastwork” or temporary fortification instead of trenches.

Notable Flemish Cuisine and Beer

-Carbonnade flamande – Flemish beef and vegetables stewed in beer

-Belgian fish and chips (fries) dunked in mayonnaise

-Belgian-Flemish beer – I tasted one of my favorite Belgian-Flemish beers in Arras (France).  It is called Affligem (Afflighem) and is from the Flemish province of Brabant outside Brussels, Belgium. 

Final Note:

Lille can be a weekend trip from Paris or a detour on the way to Brussels, Belgium on the Eurostar TGV (speed train).

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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