Antwerp is the second largest town in Belgium, and is known for its diamond industry and, more recently, for its recent progress in the fashion industry. We hopped on another super cheap train (thanks Benelux weekend travel discounts!) and headed out to Antwerp.
When we arrived, the first exciting sight was the beautiful train station. There was a tall marble staircase, a beautiful clock, and a gorgeous ceiling. We gathered maps, opened up the guide books, and set out on a walking tour.
The Train Station
First the walking tour took us through the diamond district, and we did a little window shopping. Then we walked down the main shopping street, and were amazed at the variety of shops. We went into an urban outfitter, mostly for warmth, and found ourselves inside a very pretty shopping center.
Then the walking tour took us down a little cobble stone street, and we stumbled on the house of Peter Paul Rubens, a famous painter and architect who lived in Antwerp. We bought tickets to go inside (only a euro yay!!!!) and got a free audio tour to go along with it. The house was absolutely gorgeous! There was an awesome courtyard and garden, and then we entered the house to look at the many paintings that were hung around the house. Some were from Rubens, but others were from his many students and admirers. It was really neat, and I am so glad that we checked it out.
Hercules Statue in Rubens's Garden
After this, we were pretty hungry, so we wandered around in search of food, and came across a free trade café. It was an interesting little place, that even had instructional yoga videos, and places to teach yoga and meditation classes upstairs. It was cool, and very tasty.
We continued on the walking tour and, I admit, I started to feel skeptical about Antwerp. Just when I was starting to wonder if Rubens' house was the only interesting thing in Antwerp, we stumbled upon two glorious cathedrals.
Saint Carolus Borromeus, a Jesuit church, is Ruben's genius. The church is gorgeous and well lit, with many interesting statues, carvings, and paintings. We walked around, amazed at the beautiful artwork, and basking in the warm air coming out of the vents.
Then we found the Cathedral of Our Lady. This church is also gorgeous, with several of Rubens paintings inside. We walked in, and walked around for a bit, then asked about mass times, and left.
We finally made it to the most talked about part of Antwerp, the Grote Markt. Similar to Brussels and Bruges, this is the main square. Its very picturesque, with cobble stone, and beautiful architecture, but the most curious thing about it is the statue in the middle. This statue allowed us to learn more about how Antwerp got its name.
The story goes that a giant names Antigoon fiercly guarded the river Scheldt (the river that runs through Antwerp). Anyone that crossed the river and refused to pay the toll would have to deal with the wrath of Antigoon, who would cut off their hand and throw it into the river. Legend has it that a hero named Brabo finally killed the giant, and triumphantly cut off the giant's hand, throwing it into the river. Thus, the city earned the Dutch title "hand werpen" (to throw a hand) which eventually evolved into the name Antwerp. The statue in the center of town depicts this interesting story.
The Statue of Brabo Throwing the Hand of the Slain Giant Antigoon
The Grote Markt
We then walked down to the river, and walked along the water front. This was my favorite part of the day. It was so much fun just to stand by the river taking pictures, listening to the accordion music from the nearby street performers, and watching the boats sail by. How relaxing!
Down by the River
By this point we were incredibly cold and wandered around in search of hot coffee before we stumbled on a chocolate bar. No, I don't mean that we were walking down the street and we literally tripped over a bar of chocolate. I mean that we spotted a bar where, instead of serving alcohol or coffee, they serve delicious delicious chocolate. We were drawn in by the scents of melting chocolate wafting our way.
Once inside the bar we were even more amazed. I ordered a "Chocolademelk", which I assumed would be like a hot chocolate, but it was so much more. Basically, I was able to choose two kinds of chocolate from the stores selection of chocolates. I chose a white chocolate and a darker chocolate. They took a ladle of each, and put in into my cup, and then they filled the rest of the cup up with warm milk, stirred it, and served it to me with a brownie. It was absolutely phenomenal!
Olivia and I waving our Empty Cups
Having warmed up, we walked back to the Cathedral and attended Flemish Mass. It was interesting. Obviously, I couldn't understand any of the readings, and I am not exaggerating one bit when I say that we were the only people there under the age of 60, but it was a great experience overall. I have always been told that part of the beauty of Catholicism is that it is universal, and that the mass is the same everywhere. Here, I was actually able to experience it. While I don't speak a word of Flemish (I'm serious, it's actually worse then my awful handful of French phrases) I was still able to keep up with what was going on in the mass.
Next, we set out in search of China town, and discovered that "China town" was actually just a street with a few Chinese restaurants. We sat down to what was widely acknowledged as one of the worst Chinese meals any of us had ever had ( Yes Podges, it even rivals that place on 12 mile). Still, that didn't stop us from packing up the leftovers and eating them for lunch the next day
Overall, it was a successful day. Antwerp is an interesting city, and I can't wait to see what else Belgium has to offer.
i'm glad to hear you didn't literally trip over a bar of chocolate!
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