Antwerp!

Last weekend we thought that we thought we would see more of Belgium, so we set out on Saturday for Antwerp.

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.

Je Ne Comprends Pas. Parlez-vouz Anglais?

This is the useful French phrase I learned yesterday. It means “I don’t understand. Do you speak English.” It’s a bit sad, but my knowledge of the French language is so pathetic, that I practically break my arm patting myself on the back every time I respond to a waiter with “Merci” or throw out an “Au Revoir” to the desk clerk as we leave the hotel; so for now, that sad little French phrase is one hundred percent necessary.

It’s been a busy couple of days. Tuesday morning I woke up fairly refreshed from the ten hours of sleep I had. We all got dressed and ready and headed downstairs for the hotel’s free breakfast. Wrong. We were stopped by the desk clerk, who informed us that breakfast would be served in our rooms. Interesting. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door, and the maid arrived with a tray with tea, croissants, and cheese.

After breakfast, we prepared for the fine Belgian weather by throwing on raincoats, and grabbing umbrellas, then we set out to see the sights. After pooling out resources (I swear, everyone got a guidebook for the holidays) we successfully maneuvered out way through the metro system, and tried to find our way to the famous Grand-Place, the town square of Brussels.

Along the way, we stumbled upon Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule (St. Micheals and St. Gudula Cathedral). It was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen in my entire life. The inside had these giant panes of stained glass. We were stunned with the amount of work put into every single piece of art.

Then we wandered toward the direction of the Grand-Place, but got distracted along the way by a scenic shopping center called Galleries St. Hubert. We walked around and marveled at the intricate art on the ceilings, while doing a bit of window shopping. Along the way we passed about 15 chocolate shops. It looks delicious but, for fear I’ll turn into an addict, and for the sake of my wallet, I am attempting to hold out for as long as possible.

Then we walked down Rue des Bouchers, a really cute cobble stone street lined with restaurants. Apparently it is very common for chefs to stand outside their restaurant and try to lure in customers, and as they saw us coming down the streets they came out to meet us. Many of the restaurants had chalkboard that boasted great deals, but we had been warned that they deceptively post cheap prices, but the bills are often higher then expected. Still, it was nice to see the many quaint restaurants.

Please Note the Miniature Mannekin Pis nestled in the ice. Silly Belgians.

Finally, we arrived at the Grand-Place. It was absolutely gorgeous! I couldn’t stop taking pictures of everything. After all of the talk I have heard from people, it was anything but overrated. It was so beautiful, and I definitely intend to spend more time there in the upcoming months. Apparently, during August they take thousands of flowers and create a beautiful carpet of flowers in the square in front of the Grand-Place. I am definitely disappointed that I won’t be around for that.

By this point we were incredibly cold and wet, so we ducked into a little restaurant to warm up and grab something to eat. I had a ham sandwich that was very good and also really cheap. We hung out there for a bit, and then asked for directions to the Famous Mannekin Pis. The restaurant owner gave us directions saying “Mannekin Pis is very small, no? I am the BIG Mannekin Pis.” Haha, I guess that was kind of awkward, but in my experience so far Belgians are very friendly.

We came up on Mannekin Pis and I really was surprised to see how small he was. For those of you that don’t know, Mannekin Pis is a statue of a little boy peeing. He is traditionally naked, but the Belgians love to dress him up, and we narrowing missed the Elvis Costume he was sporting to celebrate the king’s birthday. On special occasions, Mannekin Pis even pees beer. It’s a strange tourist destination, and an even stranger mascot for a city, but there you go!

We finished up the day by going to a splendid little Italian restaurant. The owner was very nice to us, and gave us free drinks and a plate of seasoned olives. The prices were also incredibly reasonable. We will definitely go there again.

Today was orientation at Vesalius College. Vesalius College, or “VeCo” as the administration likes to call it, is an English speaking college that is affiliate with Vrije Universiteit Brussel, a Dutch-Speaking University in Brussels. For those of you that don’t know, Brussels has two official languages, French and Dutch. Today was the first day spent on the Dutch side of town, and it’s definitely confusing to see signs written in Dutch. I guess I’ll adjust.

Orientation was pretty great. It was a mix of speakers, tours, and free meals. They offered free water, so we all drank as many glasses as we can possibly get our hands on because water at restaurants is expensive! They also had a large free lunch and a variety of croissants to snack on; I haven’t had a waffle yet, but if they are anywhere near as delicious as these croissants I have a lot to look forward to!

The Student government at Vesalius loves to host social events and throw parties. And tonight they are hosted a tour of the night life of Brussels. I am grateful for the opportunity to have someone who knows what they are talking about lead me around. The streets here don’t seem to be arranged with any particular organization, and the fact that they are labeled in two languages doesn’t help the lost American find their way.

Au Revior for now!

Emily

Note: This Entry was written earlier, but took some time to post. An inconsistent internet signal, combined with the fact that blogspot (as well as google, and other important sights) has reacted to my travel by automatically switching to Dutch; being that I don't speak Dutch, I have no idea how to change it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. After a prolonged battle with the website, blogspot has decided I need to wait until I have stronger internet signal to post pictures. I promise to post them soon!