A street market of epic proportions, where haggling is compulsory. This must sound like heaven to anyone who loves second-hand shops and flea markets. Gaynor Stevens visited la Braderie de Lille, to soak up the atmosphere.

STEP OFF the train and plunge into the teeming mass of people, for the spectacle that is la Braderie.

It's the biggest boot fair in Europe, non-stop for the first weekend in September, where you can get anything from a Rolex to a Rolodex, a Fedora to a firedog.

The roads are closed to traffic, and two million people throng the streets, rooting out interesting and unusual items they didn't know they wanted.

Sit in a pavement cafe crammed between the stalls and enjoy traditional moules frites - mussels and chips. Watch the piles of spent shells in the gutter grow bigger as the day goes on - the cafe-owners competing for the highest mound.

Then there's the Braderie road race - with shouts of "allez, allez!" from onlookers, the funfair with a towering big wheel, the thundering sounds of a drumming band, live music in the evening...

La Braderie has its origins in the 1100s when, on one day a year, servants could sell their masters' cast-offs to supplement their meagre incomes.

It's changed a bit since those days - now anyone can set up a stall, which line 200km of pavement - so make sure you're wearing comfortable shoes - there's a lot to get round.

This was a trip on Eurostar.In just one hour from Ashford, you are in the vibrant city of Lille with its cobbled streets and medieval architecture.

Return fares to Lille start from £55, and there are up to 10 services every day.

And you don't have to wait until next year to enjoy the delights of this Flemish city. Starting on October 14, and for three months, is Bombaysers de Lille when the city celebrates all things Indian, inspired by Diwali - the Festival of Lights.

The bustling streets of Bombay are recreated, and there's a taster on the Braderie streets with a giant elephant - tusks-and-all.

So nip down to Ashford and hop on a train, for a journey that is calm and unruffled, to a destination that is fresh and exciting.

Factfile

Eurostar: Telephone 08705 186186

or visit www.eurostar.com