Maisoncupcake

This guide to transport options in Lille covers what you need to know about getting to and around the city. It looks at arriving by Eurostar or driving to Lille, including where to park, as well as how to use the city’s metro, trams and buses. It also covers bike hire schemes and sightseeing tours to help you navigate Lille transport efficiently. At only 90 minutes from London Saint Pancras, Eurostar is an obvious way to get to Lille.

The Lille City Pass can help you access the best galleries, museums and attractions. Lille and its surrounding towns are well connected and packed with things to do; culture, shopping, open spaces. It’s no surprise Lille is a hugely popular weekend break destination meriting repeat visits to enjoy its food, architecture and vibrant atmosphere.

The Bay of the Somme, or Baie de Somme in French, is an easy weekend break from the UK. Located in Picardy, the Somme is popular with nature lovers and families, it’s a great slow tourism destination. Seals wallow on sandbanks, seabirds dive into the water and there’s a wide open grassy marshland to be explored by vintage rail, cycle paths or on foot. Marshland in Baie de Somme seen from the railway.

Recently I dined at the Ottolenghi Spitalfields restaurant with two of my longest-known food blogger friends. We talked about the huge influence Ottolenghi’s style of cooking had been since the early 2010s, and how his signature salads and baking set the tone for many food writers and cafes since. In this post I am compiling some of my early experiences cooking Ottolenghi recipes and recalling my first experience eating at Ottolenghi in Notting Hill.

From buzzing pavement cafés on boulevards, to the beehives in Parc du Luxembourg, from the noisy chimes of Metro doors closing, to gazing at éclairs through a patisserie window: Paris is a feast for the senses. Out of over seventy trips I’ve made to France, at least ten of these were to Paris. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or want to explore hidden corners, here’s my overview guide to a great visit to the French capital.

First, boil the potatoes in a large pan of salted water - for around 15 minutes until soft. When the potatoes are cooked, drain the the water away. With the cooked potatoes drained, add these to a large salad bowl. Tumble in the hearts of palm, sliced radish and spoon over the mayonnaise dressing. Using salad servers, lightly toss the ingredients so the potatoes are coated. Next add the pieces of smoked salmon, toss a little more but not too much.

For a quick easy dessert you can throw in the oven at same time as something else, apple pound cake is my regular favourite. That classic quatre quart formula of same quantities of butter, sugar, flour and eggs is one I can remember by heart and start making on auto-pilot. This is the cake I make when I’ve not been shopping and the fruit bowl is looking past its best – when the fridge feels empty but you still crave a proper pudding or cake in a hurry with minimal effort.

This homemade dill mayonnaise gets its bright yellow colour by using golden rapeseed oil. It looks a lot like Hollandaise sauce but the consistency is thicker. First Time Making Mayonnaise This may surprise you, but I had never made my own mayonnaise before. I wasn’t scared or put off by tales of splitting, I just hadn’t got around to it. So I waited specifically for when I wanted some mayonnaise and didn’t have any conceivable alternatives in the fridge.

Why isn’t a Rouen city break closer to mind for city breaks? Packed with narrow streets filled with medieval houses, stunning Gothic buildings and the Joan of Arc factor. There are interesting shops and  museums to explore, and rich Normandy cuisine to sample. All within seven hours’ drive from London.

Train may be the quickest way to Paris from London, but if you’re booking late, and time isn’t a factor, the coach can be far cheaper. After a spontaneous concert at Bercy Arena, right by Bercy-Seine coach station, I tried out the Paris to London Flixbus to get home – here is my honest review. Flixbus arrives directly next door to Bercy Arena making it handy for concerts in Paris. Fares fluctuate between £20-£100. I booked a Friday night journey, one day ahead for £59 – much less than Eurostar.