20-07-2025
How The Eurostar Connects Me With My Culture
I've been travelling to France with my family for as long as I can remember.
My great-uncle, who's basically like my grandfather, lives in Lille. I first met him and the rest of that side of the family when I was eight. He still lives in a small flat where he raised his six children with his late wife. I have fond memories of living in that flat, where I spent continuous summers as a child.I'm originally from Congo, which is a massive part of my identity. While there is a large, growing community of Congolese people in the UK, there aren't nearly as many Congolese people here as there are in Belgium or France. So, being in France helps me connect with my heritage in a I got older and my life got busier, our visits to France became less frequent. My cousins moved from Lille to Paris and started growing their families, so it wasn't easy to see everyone all at once. But, after my great-uncle had a stroke a few months ago, we knew it was essential to make the effort to see him. So, we did what we knew best and booked a Eurostar ticket for a day trip to Lille.
Eurostar and I go hand in hand. You'll never catch me on a plane to France if I have the option of taking the Eurostar.
The yellow and white Eurostar train waits at the platform at Gare du Nord, a Paris train station. The Eurostar is the high speed train which goes through the Channel Tunnel from Paris to London.
Fête de La Musique is a street party that takes place every year on the 21st of June. It's a celebration of the different music and cultures that exist in France. Even though the party has been taking place for over 40 years, it gained significant momentum last year on TikTok, with Black Brits showing a keen interest in the event.
Have you been to Fête de La Musique before? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
