Getting Familiar With Things

We are situated in the central old part of Lille. In fact we could have walked to our accommodation in half the time that we stood in the rain in the taxi line yesterday. Laurie and  Rob were here for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. It is a small city with all the French charm of Patissaries, wine shops and what have you. It is also close to Belgium so the local craft beer is good and I have heard the frites are too. (Finding frites is tomorrow's project.)

We walked around this morning, got some groceries and a feel for the place.  We checked out the Fan Zone and the tourist office. Not many Irish fans were about in the morning but they were hard at the celebrating by noon. We had a nap in the afternoon and then went back to the fan zone to watch the Northern Ireland vs Germany game. There weren't too many German fans  but there were a number of Irish supporters, but not Northern Ireland (there being two Irish teams, both who wear green).

Doing push-ups on the sign by the train station

The police were anticipating a soccer riot in the main square where the Irish fans have taken up residence at a couple of bars that face the square. Many vans had dropped off police in the square. One van was loaded with baguettes - we weren't sure if they were to be used to sustain the cops, seduce the hungry fans or if they had hardened to be used as batons to quell the rioters.

The Irish crowd gets ever bigger



Watching their mate doing the stunt

This is the only Italy supporter shirt we have seen here.

This is International Music Day.  A number of bands, singing and dance groups, and D.J.s were playing on many corners of the old section of town. After seeing a number of these we went back to the same restaurant that we enjoyed last night.

 

Crudite-large basket of uncut veg & knife

Slow-roasted pork hock

Grill Ste. Anne