Why I cried in Northern France?

Why I cried in Northern France?

It was the fifth time I was flying out of France but I had never felt this emotional. My throat was choked and tears were rolling down my cheeks. Neither did I grow up in Northern France nor was this one of my bucket list destinations. So, what was the reason for me to cry? I found my answer three weeks later while watching Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis, one of the most successful French films of recent years. 

The hero born and raised in Southern France is exiled to Northern France as a punishment for his professional wrongdoing. What was supposed to be a sentence turns out to be a blessing. He finds life in the North warm, unpretentious, rich and exciting. He is so smitten by the region, he doesn’t want to leave. The film echoes a colloquial proverb: ‘An outsider who comes to the North cries twice, once when he arrives, and once when he leaves’.”

Like the hero of the film, I too got bewitched by the uncomplicatedness of Northern France. No wonder it is said to be ‘France’s best kept secret’. Here is the reason why I cried in Northern France:

Friendliest and kindest people in the whole country

French are misjudged to be unfriendly and cold. But, I experienced quite the contrary. Not only are Northerners friendly and funny but they go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and welcomed.   

One of the days when I was on a self-drive trip I forgot my laptop charger at the hotel. I was 115-km away and was running on a tight schedule. To make matters worse, I had a flight next day and my charger was of an old make unavailable in stores. It was a catch-22 situation with no feasible solution in sight. At that time, a local friend, Pierre, came to my rescue. Without batting an eye, he spent a day on the road collecting my charger. 

EATING AND DRINKING IS SACRED
Eating in Northern France is a voyage for your taste buds. Whether you love sweet or savoury, fine dining or quick bite; food will always delight you. It would be a crime to not try local signature dishes like Carbonnade Flamande (beef stew), Méert Waffle (a favourite of commoners and leaders like Charles de Gaulle), Welsh (ham, bread, beer and cheese), Pot’je vleesch (rabbit, veal, chicken meat, served cold in a pot of savoury jelly with French fries) and Mussels. Northern France is not a wine-growing region  and locals prefer beer. Do try Célestin’s beers. And, like other parts of the country, cheese is very good here. You can find over one thousand varieties. 

Difficult to encapsulate the sheer variety in the region
Northern France has an astoundingly rich and diverse historic heritage, and its range of natural environments in unrivalled by any other region in France or even Europe.

Lille: France’s third largest city is an overlooked gem
With chocolate-box-pretty town squares, cobbled stone pavements lined with steeply gabled houses of brick and golden sandstone from the 17th-18th century — Lille is an overlooked gem. Its architecture and cuisine proudly showcases its Flemish roots. The city only became French when Louis XIV captured it in 1667. Today, the city has impressive public transport — not only high-speed trains but also the world’s longest automated metro. A large student population adds a joyful, arty atmosphere to this historic city.

Amiens: Venice of the North
The charming town of Amiens combines the watery beauty of Venice with French small town elegance. The Saint-Leu district with its canals and the 2,000 years’ old floating gardens (hortillonnages) is a must-see attraction. One building that you can’t avoid in Amiens is the Notre Dame Amiens gargantuan cathedral, which is about twice the size of Notre Dame Paris. 

Chantilly: France’s Horse Capital — Chantilly
Just an hour’s drive from Paris or 30 minutes by train — I found a Renaissance gem and the Horse Capital of France, Chantilly; a city that has been built around racehorse and is home to two of France’s most important races — the Prix du Jockey Club and, the Prix de Diane. Not only does it have the largest racehorse-training community in France but is also home to the Living Museum of the Horse at Great Stables. 

Le Touquet: Where the rich come to relax
The affluent coastal town has long been a playground of the rich, not just from France but from all over the world, where famous figures like French President, Emmanuel Macron, owns a home. In the past, frequent visitors included Winston Churchill, Prince Edward, and even James Bond’s creator Ian Fleming, who lived here and drew inspiration for Casino Royale from the town’s casino. There’s no dearth of action here — endless sandy beach, horse riding, tennis, golfing, racing, gambling and sand-yachting.

Getting there
There are a very few places that can boast of the connectivity like Northern France has — 1 hour from Paris, 30 minutes from Brussels and 1.5 hours from London. So, the next time you visit France, do visit Northern France and don’t forget to carry a tissue box! 

(The writer is a brand strategist and travel journalist who writes at www.travelseewrite.com)

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