Antwerp

I checked out of my Amsterdam hotel and walked north to the Amsterdam Centraal station. I took the Thalys train which is the Northern European high speed train to Antwerp. Accor hotel was having 3 nights for the price of 2, so I booked two 3 night stays in Amsterdam and Brussels. But I needed one more night of lodging and one individual night in either city was quite expensive; so I decided to spend one night in Antwerp which is in between.

The train ride took a little over an hour and the neoclassical Antwerp train station was quite impressive. Here are a few pictures:



I booked at the Ibis Styles which is just across the street from the Antwerp train station square. As my room was not ready at 10:30 am, they handed me a city map and I left my luggage to go out exploring.

First, I made my way south to the Diamond District. Antwerp is well known for the diamond trade. Coincidentally enough, there were Hasidic Jews riding bikes and many fancy cars. Also, there were quite a few Indian restaurants. I read somewhere that Indian traders are creating a name for themselves in the diamond industry - not surprising as I know of a few families.

I walked through the city park and over to Rubenshuis or Rubens House. This is the house and studio of Peter Paul Rubens. His paintings are displayed here as well as his own personal art collection. You also get a feel for how the wealthy lived in th 17th century with impressive furniture and decor. Here's a photo collage of my visit:



Afterwards I was starving as all I had to eat was a granola bar and an apple. I ate lunch at the Rubens Inn which was cute and had a diverse menu. I'm definitely not in Amsterdam anymore as there was no English on the menu. I managed to order a 7-Up and a Croque Madame. I also enjoyed a cappuccino.

I walked through town, particularly on Meir Street which is known for all the shopping. I made my way to the Antwerp Cathedral also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady. The Cathedral is listed as one of the top ten things to see in Belgium and the largest gothic church in the Low Countries. It's filled with Rubens paintings and one of the prettiest set ups of a devotional statue I've seen - the Madonna of Antwerp in the Chapel of Our Lady. Photos were a bit tough to take as this area was reserved for prayer. Here's a collage of the exterior, Rubens' "Assumption of the Virgin Mary", and one of two triptychs by Rubens - "Descent from the Cross":



Originally, I wanted to go to Sint Jacobskerk, known as St. James Church, but it is closed for renovations. It's the burial site of Rubens and has several of his paintings. Also, I learned it's actually only open from April through October and in the afternoons, similar to other churches. I was told this was due to heating costs.

So I walked over to Sint Carolus Borromeuskerk, translated to St. Charles Borromeus Church. It's a Jesuit church painted, decorated, and designed by Rubens with a baroque facade. It was inspired by the Church of the Gesu in Rome, the mother church of the Jesuits. Unfortunately, 39 of Rubens' paintings were lost in the fire of 1718 after being struck by lightning. There was a 2nd fire in 2009, but no real damage. What was also interesting is that the altarpiece can be changed via pulleys. Here's a picture of the facade and the altarpiece as of today:



I walked over to Vleeshuis, which is now a music museum. It was the guildhall of the local butchers and called the "Meat House". My guidebook said it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Antwerp as it looks like slabs of bacon. Not sure that I agree - you decide:



Nearby was the Schelde River which helps sustain Antwerp as the 3rd largest port in Europe. There's a castle on the river that my hotel had suggested, but since it wasn't mentioned in my guidebook, I decided to skip it.

Then I walked over to Grote Markt, the city's main square where the City Hall is located and the Brabo statue. Legend has it that Brabo, a Roman soldier, saved the city by throwing the hand of a mythical giant, Antigoon into the Schelde River. That's how the city was named as it is an evolved way of saying hand thrown or in Dutch, "hand werpen". A photo below of both City Hall and Brabo:



Here are various Guildhalls alongside the square:



In the square, I rested and people watched. I also wished I had brought my Kindle, but I ended up reading my guidebook cover to cover as I researched the remaining cities. Here's a selfie of me with the Cathedral bell tower from the square:



I walked through town stopping in and out of shops. I was also keeping an eye out for a good dinner spot. I had a craving for a burger and before I reached my hotel, I stumbled upon Ellis Gourmet Burger. The restaurant pays homage to the many European immigrants who went through Ellis Island. Kind of gourmet, but definitely no Shake Shack. I finished my meal with a hot chocolate since it was so cold today! Here's a picture of my lunch from earlier, and my dinner which included a bacon cheeseburger and fries with a local De Koninck Beer. I also had a Belgian hot chocolate to warm me up!:



Today was a cold day as I wore my gloves practically the whole day. I returned to my hotel to finally check in, warm up, and rest as I head to Brussels tomorrow.