When we first moved to England we were excited to learn that France was just a Ferry ride or a Chunnel ride away. The first Christmas we decided to take the Calais Ferry. This departed from Dover, as in the white cliffs of Dover and its destination was Lille, France.
The Christmas market in Lille was magical. It was exactly how I had imagined it and more. It felt as though we had stepped into a Fairy Tale complete with snow and Father Christmas as we learned to say, not Santa Claus. There were lots of booths with crepes, hot mulled wine and wooden toys for the kiddies. Also for the children, or children of all ages, was a giant Ferris Wheel.
We had a hot and hearty bowl of Moules for lunch. I am adding a classic French recipe here and some pictures of our lunch that day.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/classic-french-mussels-recipe-1946570
On our way back to the Ferry we stopped in Belgium for some of their famous chocolate. Doesn’t everybody?
Back on the Ferry it had really begun to snow. The floor of the boat (ship) was very slippery and icy. If you ever decide to take this journey, dress warmly because it can be pretty cold, it was for this California girl that was transplanted to London for 2 years. It really was a magical Christmas.
