We started by taking a short bus ride into town to see the waterfront and then a walk into the city. Antwerp is the second largest port in Belgium. Historically it has been a wealthy city due to a huge seaport business. We visited parts of the old city, town hall and main church. Much of what we saw was either very old or recently reconstructed. It all looked old and beautiful.
We saw what was the old port which is being renovated to what may be a green space with shops. There was also a castle like building which had several layers of construction from many years past. The first layer was built in about 800 AD. The original walls of the city are also visible in some areas.
We walked into town to see the town hall and a fountain that shows the story of Antwerp. There had been a mythical giant who needed to be conquered to save the city. His hand was cut off by a young savior who saved the town and threw the hand of the giant into the river. A statue in the town square commemorates the event. We were told that the name, Antwerp signifies a thrown hand. Cookies and chocolates sold in town are hand shaped to commemorate the victory over the giant. Another story tells of a “shape shifter” who would kill drunks or frighten children. Much power was attributed to unknown forces.
The back and forth religious battles are reflected in the huge cathedral in the center of town. The Catholics were very wealthy and wanted to show off by building an enormous church. Initially progress was slowed by a fire. But when the Protestants came into power, they were angered by the visible excesses and began to demolish the church. The wooden parts of the interior were removed and used for firewood. The flooring was removed for other uses in different locations. The stones in the present floor that would normally signify burial crypts are actually brought from another church and no one is buried beneath. An architect who was charged with planning demolition stalled the project. The Catholics came back into power before the exterior was destroyed.
We walked back to the boat through the winding streets and the red light district. Since it was nearly noon, the ladies were beginning to pose in the windows. There was lots of choice. Prostitution is and always has been an ongoing brisk business.
In the afternoon we battled traffic to get to a tulip garden. Apparently, Antwerp traffic is always bad but accidents put everything at a standstill. We reached the gardens almost an hour later than planned but our guide had negotiated a somewhat later return time for us so that we could see the gardens at a reasonable pace. Many of the tulips were past prime. I realized that photos of those flowers would be as interesting as the ones that were in full flower. The garden is planted for display. I was glad to have had the chance to walk in the tulip commercial fields outside Amsterdam.
As we returned to the boat, I wanted to stop at a brewery across the street from the boat that our morning guide had mentioned. The beer was interesting because it was made with buckwheat as well as wheat and barley. I walked into the brewery, ordered a 15cl glass and drank at the bar. It was a light delicious beer. The brewery was busy at 6 pm with full tables of groups of locals.
I was back on board the boat in time for dinner. Tomorrow we go to Bruges and Ghent, two medieval cities.
The Adventures of Anne 