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Published: October 4th 2010
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Antwerpen diamonds
cheaper to photo I think! this is written on the InterCity (IC) train from Anwerpen/Anvers to Amsterdam after I jumped on (just) at 3pm - having jumped off in Antwerpen/Anvers (so that is where the liqueur comes from - had one in Brugge - like yellow Chartreuse). Anyway headed off form the hotel Pantone, grabbed some pastires and yoghurt drink from the corner store just by the Hotel des Monnaies metro - unlike yesterday Sunday they had virtually run out of pastry things but got a couple of their last. All set for a little less than 3E - after the usual massive dinners I have been having the idea of payng the Pantone 15E for breakfast was quite ridiculous so def. did not take them up on it. The train was at 11.18 so notionally had enought time - but buying the ticket?! - 3 different buying rooms - one domestic, another for future days and one for today - take a ticket etc. Pity their vending machines do not do inter-country as they do in France - or I could have retrieved a netbooking from another type of machine.
Anyway decided as international tickets are hop on hop off valid for a month
had decided I would visit the above Antwerpen/Anvers -and was jolly glad I did. It is the 2nd biggest city in Belgium and does not get the tourists that Brussels does - it was way smaller and much more wander territory than Brussels which is rather spread out. Pity I did not spend a night there as I was a bit over Brussels by the time I left - how cities overstay their welcome.
Out of the station in Antwerpen and you immediately see many diamond stores across the road - told a guy who asked if I wanted to see anything as I taking a snap that a photo was cheaper! Had to fight the shoppers down the main street somewhat which is mostly a mall - with a cycle "lane" down the middle which can catch the dawdlers unaware. This runs directly away from the station so that you more or less find the Grote Markt (square) w/o too much difficuly. Some of the buildings were very ornate on top - a certain amount of that gilding detail which appears in Grande Marche/Markt in Bruxelle as well - altho. that one is way grander. Antwerpen was obviously
doing the same thing with a lot of restored gold statues on top of the buildings around the Sqr. As I was sitting finishing my cafe and waffle with hot choc sauce on the Sqr (had to have something just to sit down and relax and get the train at 3pm rather than belt back to station for 2pm) I realised that there was a NZ flag flying from a pub on the other side of the Sqr - not sure what that was about - but there was also in a strange twist an Aussie kangaroo "home made" icecream shop in town - also selling waffles of course or they would not survive!
Went down to the Scheldt River and a raised platform view of the river, which is part of the port for smaller craft, and my cap blew off - fortunately landing on the lower level where I could retrieve it. It was nice to just poke around - could hardly say I had seen all of downtown in this little stroll but it would have been nice to stay. Saw a rather nice looking hotel in side street nr Cathedral which was relatively cheap (if
it was 5*?) - from 60-75E depdg on whether shower and toilet in room or in hall.
Had parked my big bag in a coin locker at station for 3E - print out bar code opens locker so you can retrieve it. Better than wheeling it around.
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Huddo
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Belgium waffles.
Hi Mike, Their buildings are a photo op on their own! The Stadsfeestzall gold looked highly impressive. What a twist with the Aussie home made icecream. Love huddo.