In the middle of the main square in Béthune stands a 47-meter (154-foot) belfry that was built from wood in 1346, then rebuilt from sandstone in 1388. The monumental structure survived two world wars, even though the town around it was nearly destroyed. You can hear three different melodies played on its carillon at every hour, half-hour, and quarter-hour during the day. One is a traditional Northern French song, “Le Petit Quinquin” (“My Little Darling”), another is “Il Court, Il Court le Furet” (It Runs, It Runs, the Ferret”), a…
