Friday 5 July 2013
Setting off day is always busy, we were up and at it 06.00 showered with the washing machine in use doing the bedding. By 10.00 the grey tanks were drained, fresh water tank filled to capacity, washing done, everything that could be charged, charged and disconnected from the electric. We were off on the 169km journey back to Belgium to see our friends Greta and Luc in Antwerpen.
As soon as we left the campsite we had to wait for a bridge to raise an incredible thing to witness and yet another engineering wonder especially as the road was 8 lanes wide.
The journey was straightforward enough motorway all the way and we stopped once for a cup of tea at 11.30. By 12.30 we were in the traffic on the ring road around Antwerpen a short delay whilst we took our turn to edge forward. 13.00 we arrived at the camp site on the south side of the city. A sprawling affair with little to offer other than a service area and copious amounts of space.
After a quick bite to eat and settling in Greta and Luc came to meet us at the campsite. It was great to see them both again. We jumped into their car and we were off on an amazing afternoon they had planned for us.
We drove through the city to the old quarter, Both Greta and Luc pointing out the highlights of the city. We eventually found our way to an underground car park which had a lighting system above each bay, red full, green empty space. Therefore in no time at all that we found a space for the car.
We came up out of the car park into the heart of the city the 'Grote Mart', it is large square surrounded on all sides with large and impressive buildings. On one side is a run of tall Guildhouses once belonging to wealthy merchants, each out-doing each other in the design and grandeur of property. Each one had a ornate gilt statue on the the top of the gable. Really stunning architecture which we could have looked at all day.
In the middle of the square is the famous Antwerp bronze statue of a man throwing a hand. He is Roman soldier throwing the hand of the mythical giant 'Gruon Antigone' into the river Scheldt. It is said that the giant would cut off the hands of sailors who would not pay the toll to pass down the river. He would wade into the river to drag the boats in and demand payment. He obviously was a menace so he to go. Hence the Roman killed him, cut off his hand and threw it into the river. A strange point to note about the statue itself is the stance of the soldier is off balance and it would be impossible to throw anything also the hand he is throwing doesn't look like a giants.
After the walk around the square Greta and Luc hired a horse and trap ride for us all and we meandered our way around the narrow back streets of the City. Our driver was quite a character sporting a fine beard, bowler hat and brown waistcoat. After a conversation where it was determined that Greta had lived in the city all her life, he stated that was a shame as he couldn't tell any lies on the tour.
The ride lasted about half an hour - long enough to be shown some very interesting sites that we would later visit in person. At one stage we stopped in a narrow cobbled street opposite one the more prestigious restaurants in the city, the place was being photographed and of course the photographer wanted us to be the perfect accompaniment to the scene. I think he was more interested in the horse than us but we patiently waited for him to do his thing. The journey of course ended up where we started and we continued on our way.
We were then taken to a very old building - the oldest stock exchange in the world. A fantastically old quadrangle reminiscent of church cloisters on three sides and Ivy growing above. The floor had a lovely cobble stone floor arranged in expanding circles from the centre. On the outside was a huge stone gated entrance with large wooden doors, it was (I thought) modest in comparison to the impressive treats inside.
Next on the tour Greta and Luc had planned for us was a trip to Saint-Paul's Church. (St-Pauluskerk) This was a real surprise and treat. It was completed in the early 17th century and displays a mixture of Gothic and Baroque features. The exterior dates from the 1517 and has an added Baroque gateway. The most striking thing was the interior of the church which is very distinctive with white walls and black, white and gold features such as the altar and side chapels. At the back of the building is a huge piped organ and around the walls paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens.
I could go on for many more paragraphs and describe the 'fifteen mysteries of the rosary', a beautiful prayer room containing exquisite wooden carvings of Christ's walk to the crucifixion, how the local prostitutes who solicited in that street rescued all the paintings in a fire in the 60's and of course the amazing statues garden but that would take for ever. It's a great place to visit and we both really enjoyed our time there.
Next was Het Steen or Antwerp's castle. Was built on the banks of the River Scheldt to protect the town and control shipping. We didn't actually go around the castle but it is an impressive building from the outside. More importantly, it is said that the castle was once the home of the home of the aforementioned evil giant called Druon Antigoon, who would exact a heavy toll on the shipping and cut off the hands of captains who refused to pay him. Silvius Brado did the honours of finishing him off and in turn cut off the giant's hand throwing it into the river. This handwerpen or hand throwing is how Antwerpen got its name. Finally, there is a bronze statue outside the castle (see pic)
'What d'ya think of these then me little cherubs?'
Next on the agenda was a short walk under the city to the De Antwerpse Ruien. Basically under the city is a labyrinth of tunnels filled with water that run all under the city. They do boat trip tours, we were allowed to walk down to the tunnels but the tours are booked weeks in advance. The first thing to note was the smell, pheeeew it was ripe. To be honest it reminded us of a Victorian sewer and it smelt like it too. Apparently, the tunnels were once roads but eventually the city built over them. They are protected and cannot be touched. Heavy trucks are banned from driving over them (or was that Drucks Greta?)
Coming back into the fresh air was welcome and Greta led us to our next port of call, as she has lived here all her life she knows the streets like the back of her hand. We were steered down a succession of beautiful narrow passages leading to small shops and posh restaurants and back onto the main shopping streets.
By now were all a bit tired and a drink was called for. We found a very busy bar and sat down for a well deserved beer or two! As Kev is a complete novice to beer of the Belgium variety and the selection is huge, we were in the safe hands of Luc. Petra had a Westmalle lite beer and Luc and Kev had the same but a darker stronger type very delicious and quite strong 7.5%.
Once we were refreshed with our beer, it was time for dinner. We were whisked off in the car to the north of the city near the meat abattoirs and industrial area. We parked up and walked into a small restaurant which Greta described as a 'Man's Restaurant' on account of the size of steaks served. Also, it is famous for having TV celebrities eat there. Sure enough there was a well known singer who chatted with Luc & Greta as she was leaving.
After aperitifs of Porto and Cava, The steaks arrived. Kevin's peppered steak was massive, the size of a large Cornish Pasty and it beat him good and proper. Petra had a regular steak with a mushroom sauce. No pudding was required. The dog ate well that night.
Greta and Luc had not finished with us yet, after that magnificent dinner we went back to their home, an amazing place, Greta has lived in the house all her life. It's been completely rebuilt and is now a beautiful modern block of five apartments. They live in the ground floor apartment, very modern and tastefully decorated. They share it with a Rottweiler, a German Schnauzer, 2 cats and an African grey. Their daughters each have apartments upstairs. After another beer we all got into our swimming gear and went in the Jacuzzi, wow what fun that was.
At about midnight it was time to go back to Bertie. What a day.......we went to bed in a fuzzy world of fullness tinged with alcohol but an overwhelming gratitude to Greta and Luc for their unbelievable generosity and kindness towards us. We had a great sleep.
Saturday 6 July 2013
Luc and Greta picked us up from the campsite at 09.30, they had promised to take us to a small restaurant called 'Zum' for breakfast. We set off driving back to the north of the city. On the way we went under a motorway where the concrete supporting the motorway above had been painted with graffiti. Some of the work was very clever and interesting. Luc stopped the car to enable photos to be taken. There is a university course on graffiti and the local art students come down and practice their skills.
Not far from the motorway and past an area Greta described as 'the lung' of the city a slice of green parkland and recreational area has been created. Industrial buildings converted into loft living have transformed the area from the cheapest in the city to some of the most expensive. Greta and Luc have this city life sussed and know all the best places to go. Zum is situated on the corner of two roads - a small old building externally but modern within. It has quite a reputation and if you want to get in you need to book. It has a nice atmosphere, tastefully decorated and the staff were very friendly and attentive. It felt good to be there especially when the breakfast feast arrived.
First, baskets of artisan breads arrived along with jams, butter and freshly squeezed orange juice. Next a platter of breakfast cheese, ham, chorizo with two small bowls one containing goats cheese and the other a delicious ham, mayo and onion dish. To follow there was a glass of yogurt with honey on the bottom, and muesli on the top. Finally, we were asked if we would would like our eggs, scrambled or easy over (fried). By the time we had finished we were all full of food and ready for another day in Antwerpen.
First stop was the 'MAS' an impressive new museum building situated in the docks area. It's impossible to miss the building as it is so distinctive. The structure stands tall and square with what looks like four floors but in truth has ten. Corrugated glass holds the building together and turns what could just be a big red box into a work of art. On the outside of the building are thousands of terracotta red tiles covering the building and on each is placed a silver hand. Apparently you could become a sponsor of the museum and have your own square and hand.We rode up the escalators inside the MASS one by one past interesting displays of pictures of Belgium's finest athletes arriving at the the top of the building to the panorama deck. We were rewarded with fantastic views of the city.
Antwerp's main railway station is a monumentally grand building designed in a Neo-Classical style (so says DK and who would argue) built between 1898 and 1905 with grand staircases, columns, marble and gold decorative flourishes. It really does speak of a bygone age of luxury and showmanship. Looking over the rail below you can see three levels of train platforms. A truly amazing building.
Not far from the station is the diamond quarter. Due to it being Saturday and therefore the Jewish Sabbath, all the diamond shops were closed but, we did have a walk around the surprisingly unglamorous area. A few shops were open giving a tantalising taster of what's contained behind the shuttered fronts.
Back in the shopping centre we went past some fantastic cake shops too expensive to look at as was the beautiful Lamborghini parked nearby receiving much attention. Next visit was to what was once the city's ballrooms, the 'Stadsefeestzaal. A grand entrance welcomed the visitor to what is now a very fancy shopping centre, it was converted following a serious fire in recent times. The ballroom is still intact and retains much of its spender with gilt work a-plenty. The ground floor of the ballroom is now a coffee bar and restaurant and our stopping place for more beer. It was here that Luc instructed Kevin on the finer points of Belgium beer and how to pour it correctly.
Every Saturday the city has a foreign food market, they sell exotic spices and all manner of interesting fruit and vegetables, fish and meat. Apparently, it is the the season for young sardines. Greta stood in the queue (ticket in hand) till her number came up and bought some of the raw fish on the platter. It was cleaned and cut into strips for us to eat. Now, coming from the Midlands, we are not used eating to fish and certainly not raw. We have had sardines for breakfast but raw hummmm. We both tried a small piece each and although it was not unpleasant, it was a bit alien to us though and I think an acquired taste, but at least we gave it a go. No matter though, as Luc was in his element and woofed the lot down as he walked around the market. It was a great experience and we purchased some olives stuffed with feta after sampling a few. Finally, we stopped for a glass of mint tea.
The sublime to the ridiculous, you decide?
We are not done yet,
It is said that you cannot go to Antwerpen without visiting Rubenshuis the house of Rubens. His home for the last 29 years of his life. Located in the Wapper Square, it is quite a Rampling place carefully restored after the second world war to its former glory. Rubens was greatly influenced by Italian renaissance architecture and this can be seen in the garden pavilion which is quite charming. Inside the house we were treated to a succession of masterpieces on the walls and in cabinets, it's a fascinating place and well worth a visit.
Next we looked at of the Kings palace, not in royal use now, it's a confectioners. Rows of delicious looking chocolates lined the shelves. We also saw the kitchen area where they made the chocolates. There was a large courtyard where high teas were served under parasols. Lovely to see people enjoying their tea, cucumber sarnies and fancy cakes.
Time for another break and catch our breath. We were taken to another cafe the name of which escapes us. It was a very large, popular cafe and It was difficult to find seats. We did of course and ordered waffles, ice cream, fruit, pancakes, oh and of course more beer. Luc told Kev he was now a Belgium on the account of his beer pouring abilities.
On the way to the next must see, we went past a pub whose interior was full of church fittings and artefacts such as statues of Mary and pews. It was quite strange to see all these people drinking in what looked like a church and on the outside yet another hand this time huge and made out of concrete.
Under the river Scheldt that splits Antwerpen in two is a 2km foot path. It is a very old tunnel and is protected by a preservation order. To get to the tunnel you can use the lift along with all the bicycles or use the old wooden escalators, also along with the bicycles. We chose the latter and it was great experience. We went down two very, very long escalators before getting to the bottom and the tunnel. We looked at the tunnel disappear into the distance. It would be a long cold walk to the other side - we came back up again as Luc planned to drive us over later.
Adjacent to the entrance tunnel is a raised promenade which took us along and above the old storage warehouses now car parks and boat sheds till we arrived back at the castle and the statue of the giant who cut of the hands etc. We crossed the road and headed towards the Cathedral to the parked car.
Back in the car we were taken through another old and protected tunnel under the river to the other side to see the City skyline from afar. It was really nice we spent some time admiring the view.
Incredibly, by now it was nearing 19.30 and just around the corner was another restaurant known to Luc and Greta at the beach on the river. We were all quite tired by now and ready for a bit of a sit down, so more beer ordered and a light dinner. Croquettes, salad and beer - need we say more?
Nearly finished,
After diner Greta and Luc had one more essential visit for us, we were taken to a cocktail bar. This is an example of how thoughtful our hosts are, they were aware of our love of a G&T so as a last treat for the day they took us to one of the best cocktail bars in the city. These were no ordinary gins, they were citrus, ice cold and sooooo refreshing. The perfect end to a perfect day.
Sunday 7 July 2013
After the truly amazing day we had yesterday we all decided a lay in was called for so the morning drifted along with jobs to do. Petra did some hand washing which was dry and put away by the time Greta and Luc arrived at 11.30 for our final day with them.
We were taken for a 20 km drive to the south of Antwerpen to a town called Lier and Luc's home town. The town is surrounded by a rivers (the Grote, Nete and Kleine) one going straight through its middle. It is a quiet town with cobbled stones and picturesque houses. But what it is most famous for is it's clock tower and the clock maker himself Lodewijk Zimmer.
First we walked around some of the town stopping at Luc's house and going into the church St Gummaruskerk a Barant gothic church whose stained glass windows were given by Emperor Maximilian 1 in 1516. We went past a few shops and Greta bought us some small cakes which are exclusively sold in Lier. They were a small pastry base filled with a sweet sticky ginger mixture (reminded Kev of Parkin) a real treat. They came wrapped in a roll covered in paper and were quite heavy.
The house of Luc
Lier is above all famous for its Zimmertoren a 14th century watch tower that now holds the clock and workshop of Zimmer. Whilst Luc and Greta sat in a bar we went of to take a look around the Zimmer Museum which holds several pieces by the him but most impressive of all was a huge clock with 93 dials in all. Each dial was different and told various things, for example the axis of the earth and the rotation of the planets. It was impossibly clever, one dial took 25,000 years to go round! We can't pretend to have understood it but it was an incredible time piece.
After our interesting visit to the museum we caught up with Luc and Greta at the bar and met Luc's cousin. We all sat chatting for a while in the sunshine, it was very nice indeed. At two o'clock the clock chimed and we carried on with the tour of the town.
Many towns around here have an area called Beginhof. It's basically a sanctuary for women dating back to the 13th century for widows of the crusade who resorted to a pious life of sisterhood. It would appear that they opted for a secluded existence devoted to charitable deeds, but not bound by strict religious vows. It was a very lovely place to walk around and even though it is no longer used for its purpose it is very quiet and still locked up at night.
Moving on we saw the impressive town hall and Grote Markt a spacious cobbled square lined with old guild houses and we walked along the river stopping at a bar for a light lunch.
All done we went back to to Antwerpen to Luc and Greta's house to spend the evening having a splendid BBQ. They have a BBQ the size of a small car and meat provided to match. It was a great evening of fun, food and company.
At midnight Luc and Greta took us back to the campsite and we said our sad goodbyes. It has to be said that we have had the weekend of our lives here in Antwerpen. Greta and Luc have been more than the perfect hosts. Kind and so generous with their time and money, they have spared nothing to ensure we have had a fantastic time. Thank you both so much for all you have done it is difficult to properly express our gratitude. Will we be back? You bet.
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