Braderie De Lille

Got back from the Braderie De Lille today.

Imagine the outcome if a giant car-boot sale, antique fair, jumble sale, flea market, January sales, fete and festival all collided then the result would be the Braderie De Lille.

We went over on Friday lunchtime on the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk and then it's only about an hour or so's drive down to Lille.

We stayed in the Ibis hotel in Villeneuve D'Ascq a suburb on the south-eastern edge of Lille.

After arrival we went out for a stroll to check out the whereabouts of the Metro and shops and restaurants etc. Both were about a 5 to 10 minute stroll away.

Late Saturday morning we left the hotel for the short stroll to the Metro.
The Metro is a narrow rubber tyred driverless train that hurtles between stations, 7 stops later (about 15 minutes) we were in the cente of Lille and left the station amidst the throng of people heading for the action.

The shops in the pedestrianised shopping centre have stalls outside with special Braderie goods on sale at discounted prices, interspersed between them are locals from the apartments above the shops who peddle their wares and services such as selling coffee and waffles from machines plugged into long extension leads.

There are whole districts given over to antiques but not exclusively.

We walked almost non stop for 6 hours only pausing to look at goods on sale.
Not one skateboard spotted but I nearly bought a 1960's wooden water monoski which would have made a nice deck but at €50 it wasn't gonna happen.

Back on the Metro, freshen up then out for a meal.
Up this morning, drive back to Dunkirk and home on the ferry, a great weekend.

Next year, we're going to stay Saturday/Sunday night and do both days as this year we missed a lot and probably only covered about half of it.

Pic up the top isn't mine I found it on Flickr. it was taken by bpmm there's more of there shots here

I only took my Vivitar UWS with me and haven't quite used the film up yet.

Oh and when they said on the television news in the hotel on Saturday morning that 2,000,000 visitors were going there I didn't think they really meant it, I do now.