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Published: June 29th 2017
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Geo: 51.2206, 4.39972
An early start today, getting up at 7am in the work routine. It was a chilling (it was actually a frosty morning) reminder of the reality of waking up to a work routine. A reality Natalie and I are facing in another month or two. Anyone, enough of that. Today was alot more fun than work. We dropped Bert off at his workplace in Brussels. Thankfully Nele had a day off and freedom to guide us around Antwerp. First impressions of the city were good, pretty, architecturally different from Brussels, culturally more Dutch influenced than the French of Brussels.
Our first stop was the new museum in Antwerp, the Museum Aan de Stroom, or MAS. Its a modern building, that certainly stands out in the dockside area of the city. Like its very design, the museum boasts a variety of abstract art of all kinds. It also offers an excellent panoramic view of the city from its rooftop which we enjoyed in the morning mist.
From the museum, we set off on foot towards the city centre. The next stop was the Carolus Borromeus Church accross for the Antwerp museum. This was a small church, its interior glamorized with many fine
paintings by Rubens, the famous Flemish baroque artist.
We continued onwards to the city centre and the Grand City Hall, adorned with hundreds of flags of the world. Before it stood the city monument, a man throwing the severed hand of a giant, to denote the location the down would be founded, or so the story goes. We continued on, getting glimpses of a grand cathedral, to arrive at the oldest building in Antwerp, the Het Steen or 'The Rock,' by the river Schelde.
This small castle or fortess dates back to the 12th century. Between 1303 and 1827 it was used as a prison. Today, its just an impressive building with Naval museum and restaurant. Its characterised by a strange statue at its entrance, the Langer Wapper, something I found amusing. Its basically a giant evil looking man towering over two tiny men between his legs looking up in amazement. According to the internet, this is the story of the Lange Wapper;
"The legend started in the 16th century. Lange Wapper likes to live near the sea, near rivers or canals. He can make himself so tall that he can move from one town to another with a single giant leap.
Lange Wapper uses tricks to approach women to get their breast milk. He teases drunks, cheats while playing with children and laughs like the devil."
OK then, moving on, it was cathedral time. The Cathedral of Our Lady, (Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal) is one of the most impressive and largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe, built in 1351 it stands over 400 ft tall. It also houses some of Rubens' most famous paintings. From here lunch and a walk past Rubens house, to our final stop. An extremely impressive structure, check the pictures and see if you can guess what it is.
Overall, a great tour, well appreciated from a pregnant guide! We spent the evening in playing a great game called Munchkin (simple and fun dungeons and dragons style game), along with enjoying some beer and cheese. A good day.
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