FAROUT BRUSSEL SPROUT

Day 143

Antwerp - Brussels, Belgium

Antwerp - city of Rubens!

We woke up really early so we could see Antwerp before we headed out to Brussels. (Bruxelles) The first thing we really wanted to do was to see the extremely ornate Cathedral of our Lady (Notre Dame) which is an exquisite building..(gothic spier and baroque) and houses Rubens paintings...and it was just amazing. We somehow got there while there was a service going on and got accepted as, i guess, as catholics because we didn't get booted out until we tried to get really close to take our Rubens photos!!

Having a Japanese moment i think. hehe (Clicking at scenery)

Afterwards we walked along Antwerp main centre and River Scheldt and were gobsmaked at the amount of modern monuments there...at least, that's what they looked like. There was one that was pretty funny, made us laugh anyway (and did also when Jaak told us the story of it in the car on the way to Franks)...Apparently on Steen (stone) Castle the willy of a little boy over the gate of the castle was chopped off due to the prudishness of the woman of the day....haha

It looks more naked now with nothing there!!

While we spend a couple of hours walking around we really felt we were absorbing the place, the history, the sense that it is a genteel place...really quiet and almost a place where you could imagine the kings and queens walking along and saying..'oh what a lovely place'. Just seemed like the city of the gentleman or something. Not sure what it was..or if i can put my finger on it..but it probably has a bit to do with the main centre being closed off to cars....

And we noticed that alright...

As we were walking the cobbled streets...we saw a crane literally removing the cars that shouldn't be parked in the street!!! What a way to keep the peace in a city!!!! Was funny...we saw about 4 or 5 cars being removed. We're not sure if this only happens on a Sunday, which is what day it was, or whether no cars are allowed any day...

It could have been quiet too because it was a holiday the day we arrived...On 21st July it's the national holiday where Belgium celebrates their liberation from German Occupation. This year the holiday stood under the sign of the liberation (the 12 allied countries that worked together celebrated with them) because in September it'll be 60 years since the liberation.

And all the flags were out on the buildings!!

We thought we'd celebrate the National Day (on the Sunday) by reindulging in some more chocolates...!!!! (we had quite a few at Franks the night before..oh yes!! I forgot about the Belgian Chocolates there!!!!)

So off to Alisa's we went...to pick out our selection...

And to be honest, i've never eaten so many chocolates in my life..!

We also checked out the diamonds..being that Antwerp is the diamond place to be!!!!

After our walk..we headed to the train station...and off to Brussels!

And were picked up by Greg's friends there....and had more belgian beers! And they reminisced. And then it turned into one of those experiences that remained beers..and never quite got to the heights of Moet & Chandon........

FAROUT BRUSSEL SPROUT.

But that is a story for another time.........