“When you travel overseas, the locals see you as a foreigner, and when you return, you see the locals as foreigners.”
Belgium
Gained independence since 1830, the Capital of the country is Brussels, it has a total population of estimated 12 million.
Head quarter offices of NATO, European Union and many major international organizations are found in Belgium.
Belgium is a well-developed country that boost High Income Economy with high living standards.
Neighboring borders with The Dutch, The French, The Germans and The Luxembourgers, so the official languages are Dutch, French & German.
The trip is not complete without trying out the beer, the fries, the waffles & the chocolate.
In this trip, we will be covering 3 cities of Belgium which are Antwerp (our base), Brussels and Bruges.
Antwerp
One of the major cities that is famous for the ports, it is located in the North of Belgium. Antwerp has a very beautiful old town that is full of amazing architecture. Whether you are here for museums hunting or retails shopping, is one of the most prosperous cities in Europe. Today, Antwerp is well known for its diamonds, fashion and arts,
Antwerp Centraal Station
Upon alighting the train, stepping my very first foot up on the escalator. I was immediately awed in astonishment on such a beauty that I could feel the clock was stopped for one minute.
Officially opened in 1905, this old Gothic Belgium designed train station was awarded the most beautiful railway station in the world by a British-American Mashable Magazine in 2014. It is still serves as an international transport hub with its antique charms lingering in the air. The roof areas are another wow! What a perfect place to welcome us.
QUICK Burgers
We are cold, hungry and wanted something easy, so we checked into this local Belgian fast food chain restaurant that sells various types of Burgers and fries which is similar to MacDonalds. The price here is much lower than I expected, the food is very tasty which was to our big surprise. The service from the counter is good too.
Accommodation @ Hampton by Hilton
Located just directly across from Antwerp Central Station, well surrounded by shopping streets (especially diamond shops) and restaurants. The lobby is decorated with bright and light colors that it felt so energized.
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| They also know it is Rabbit Year. |
Wonderful breakfast spread, there is even a waffle machine to make your own waffle! Every day I had Belgian waffle with Belgian chocolate sauce!
As we walk around, Chinatown is located a mere 100meters away from Antwerp Train Station.
When the aged old cobblestoned path is shared between pedestrian, cars and tram.
Het Steen Castle
Het Steen Castle is located at the bank of Scheidt River, which is a short distance from Grote Markt.
Heard that it is the first building in Antwerp that was built from stones (Steen means stones in Dutch) and it is still standing strong today awaiting photographers and tourists.
A Medieval castle since the early 13th century, it was once served as the city's fortress. Later, it was used to be a prison until now which is converted into Maritime Museum. Interesting statue here showing his private parts to passers-by.
St Anna Tunnel (Sint-Annatunnel)
St Anna's Tunnel is an underwater tunnel that was built to connect the old towns and new towns of Antwerp.
People used to rely on ferries to shuttle between both sides, the government initially wanted to build a bridge over the river, but it would get into the way of ships as Antwerp was known for its port. Therefore, it was decided to build under the water instead over the water. As the tunnel was built is 1933, the retro material of yesteryears is still in use - Wooden Escalators. The attention deserving woodwork and old-school white tiles are well preserved that it is still in heavy use today. We are so lucky that we are able to experience this relic .
Brabo Fountain
Located tight in the middle of Grote Markt. This fountain depicts a statue throwing away a huge, severed hand."
According to legend, there was once a giant who stayed in a fortress along the Scheldt River, he demanded a passing boat or anyone who wants to cross the river to pay him tributes. If anyone refuses to his demands, he will chop off their hands and throw it into the river. One day, a Roman soldier named Silvius Brabo's ship was sailing across the river and refused to pay any tribute and challenged a fight with the giant. In the end, Silvius Brabo won the challenge, killed the giant and severed his hand and tossed it into the river.
Nello and Patrasche
The story is about Nello and his dog Patrasche who lived and died in Antwerp.
Nello, aspiring to be a painter, is a poor milk seller who sells milk in the market every day. He fell in love with Aloise - the daughter of a rich man, Nicholas who doesn't wish his daughter to marry a poor man.
The church held an art exhibition of Ruben in the church oAntwerp, but the entry fee applies, which Nello cannot afford.
One night, there is a fiery fire in the village where Nello helped to extinguished but Nicholas accused him of being the one who started the fire, and all the farms refuse to sell milk to Nello.
On the Christmas eve, Nello found a money bag belonging to Nicholas in the snow and went to return it at Nicholas's home. The wife of Nicholas opened the door , accepted the money bag and wanted invite Nello in for a hot tea but Nelo refused and asked Mrs. Nicholas to take care of Patrasche before leaving the premise for the church where there is no entry fee on Christmas Eve... he finally sees the painting of Rubens.
When Nicholas came home and was told what had happened, he asked Patrasche to lead him to find Nello. Using all his mights, Patrasche finally found Nello in the church where both were weakened and died together.
Today, right infront of Antwerp Church, you will see the marble staute of both Nello and Patrache sleeping, they are covered by a cobblestone blanket.
Cathedral of Our Lady
A magnificent landmark that over-look Groenplaats. Constructed in 1521, this Gothic beauty has the capacity of 25,000.
The church is so big and tall that it can be easily spotted from far, the bell tower is the tallest in Belgium that is 122 meters tall that attached with 49 bells that it is listed on the UNESCO.
KFC Antwerpen
Happened to chance upon it, we decided to give it a try.
The ambience here is exactly just like what we received in Singapore's KFC.
Spacious dining areas with red and white colors.
We ordered the standard 2-piece meals. The chicken is well coated, the taste is not as flavorful as Singapore's version.
Groenplaats (Green Square)
Another lively square that is well surrounded by cafes, restaurants and retail shops with well-known brands.
It was once a cemetery which is linked to the nearby Cathedral of Our Lady. This place is easily accessed as there is an underground parking and metro and bus stop nearby. The notorious Meier Shopping Street is round the corner and Grote Markt is less than 5 minutes' walk away.
Meir Street (Meier Street)
Connected from Grote Markt and Groenplaats, Meir Street in the main shopping belt in Antwerp. The 700-meter street is the number one shopping street in Belgium and has always been compared to New York's 5th Avenue. We enjoyed strolling along Meir Street as there are many impressive buildings to admire. And the best part is that this street is car-free! Most shops are open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. It starts from the Cathedral of our Lady and ends at the Central Railway station.
Bistro Rene
After walking through Meir Street, we selected Bistro Rene to rest our legs.
We choose a table outdoor where we can see people walking by while enjoying some cool breeze.
Coffee and snacks, perfect for the break.
We have come to the end of this blog, during this trip, beside Nijmegen, we went to Antwerp, Brussel and Brugge.
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