Psychedelic Adventures: The One About Antwerp

July 27, 2013, Antwerp Belgium

So, Antwerp. I've been reading the guide and figuring out the maps, but in the end they didn't matter because I just walked aimlessly in this city. I didn't have a plan. What I will see, I will see. I consider myself bad at directions, but whenever I get lost, I always find my way. Perhaps the universe is really guiding me, and what I discovered while traveling in Europe is that people almost always smile back when you smile at them. Contrary to what I originally thought about Europeans, people don't shut you out. A smile goes a long way in a foreign place, I suppose. 

I took a train going to Antwerp from Mechelen. From the Veermarkt bus station, Bus 1 stops every 15 minutes and goes to the Station Mechelen where 2 or 3 trains leave every 20-30 minutes to Antwerpen. A De Lijn bus ride goes for 2 EUR from the bus stop to the station and a two way train ride goes for about 4.80 EUR. It was the first time I ever took public transportation in Belgium, and I was terrified the same way I was scared of riding the subway in New York. After my first adventure, I felt like a rockstar with my newly discovered freedom. 

Arriving at noon in Antwerp didn't exactly give me many options for lunch because the restaurants are full and I found them intimidating. I opted for the next best thing--a belgian waffle with cream and cherries on top. It was legit and felt like a warm hug on a chilly day. The fella who sold the waffles was an old Flemish man. He spoke crooked English but he really tried hard to talk to me. He put extra whipped cream on my waffle.

So here I am again, taking photos of myself with the background not properly included in the picture. Ah, the disadvantages of traveling alone. 

From Antwerp Centraal, I just followed the most obvious path--De Keyserlei which is one of the streets that connects from the Central Station. I walked and breathed in the Antwerpen air, moving towards the Teniersplaats and onto Meir street. This is pretty much the shopping district in Antwerp and I knew I had to somehow resist the temptation of shopping instead of learning more about the city.

I deviated from the main road and tried to discover more interesting places. Getting lost has its perks, because you stumble upon special corners that are not usually in the guide books. Whenever I travel, I enjoy discovering street art because of their ephemeral nature. The murals that I discovered near Flinders Lane in Melbourne and 5Ptz Graffiti in New York probably won't be there when I get the chance to go back. I chanced upon Kopstraatje in Antwerp and saw these amazing street art. 

There was a map of Antwerp displayed in a corner somewhere along the way and i decided to go to the Historic Center. I had a nonexistent bucket list, but my intuition told me to check out the Groenplaats and the Grote Markt. The Hilton at Groenplaats (The Green Place) was where I was supposed to stay for 3 weeks, if I followed my company's hotel recommendation. The statue of Petro Paulo Rubens would've greeted me everyday, but Duffel was farther from Antwerp than from Mechelen so I thought I'd make the practical choice to stay in the city of the Maneblussers. No regrets, because the vastness of Antwerp is something I couldn't conquer. I felt as though I could walk endlessly there and still be unfamiliar with its streets. 

Street performers are very common in Antwerp, and I'm glad buskers still thrive here. I chanced upon a piano player and a guy who painted himself green all over and pretended to be a statue. He was very still and the only thing that you would notice change is his facial expressions. I gave him a euro for effort.

 

I went inside the Cathedral of Our Lady to pay my respects. I wanted to pause and give a moment of thanks for the opportunity to explore this city. The Kathedraal is a commanding edifice with a beautiful facade. I learned that it was actually an unfinished cathedral because it was supposed to have two towers. It was built between 1352 to 1521--the same year that the Spanish discovered the island of Cebu in the Philippines. It is to this day, the highest tower in Antwerp and the most iconic place in the city together with the Brabo Fountain. 

The most adorable thing that I've seen in Antwerp is this man who played a mechanical organ by the Quinten Matsijs well. I've never seen an instrument like it before but I suppose it's quite common in Europe. I was intrigued by the instrument and absolutely delighted by the sound it made but what made me stay to have a real look is the charming fella who played it. My colleague said he was quite famous around Antwerp and he was actually the one who made those music books so that he can play them in the organ. He had a jolly way about him that was contagious.

I wondered if he has kids, and how he got into playing the mechanical organ. People don't make these things anymore, do they? I hope they do, for the sake of preserving the old ways.

That million dollar smile and those two front teeth! Such an adorable grandpa! Nothing made me smile in Antwerp more than this fella. It was such a joy to watch him. 

Determined to reach the Schelde river, I continued to walk and ended up at the "Grote Markt", which literally translates to Big/Grand Market. From Mechelen to Brussels, every Belgian city I've been to has a Grote Markt and it's one of the most important land marks of the city. Here they have "Het Staduis" or the Town Hall which was built between 1561-1565 under the direction of Cornelius de Vriendt. Right in front of the Town Hall was the Statue of Silvius Brabo, nephew of Julius Caesar.

Walking past the Grote Markt, I began to see a glimpse of the River Schelde. I came across a small store of Belgian beers and it called out to my curiosity.

To be honest, I've never been a beer person, but for the sake of trying out things, I went inside the store and checked out my options. I inquired about the different varieties and asked the owner to recommend a sweet brew. He narrowed down my search to 5 bottles and before paying for my chosen beer, I further inquired if it was forbidden to drink outside the brasseries. He said it is generally allowed unless the police sees you. I decided to use my "idiot tourist" card and bought a beer anyway. I was prepared to hide the bottle in my bag in case of police intervention but I finished my Framboise raspberry beer without anyone ever noticing. 

By this time, my feet were starting to hurt. I didn't know how far I've walked but I felt my ankles giving out. Funny how I could run 16km, but walking aimlessly in the city felt much more taxing. The Schelde was breathtaking and its surrounding areas were nothing short of amazing as well. I came across The Steen, which is the oldest fortress in Antwerp. It dates back from 693 and was destroyed in 830. They restored it in the 14th century and was used as a prison during the 1700's.

By 7:30 PM, I sat down with the view of the Schelde in front of me. I rested my feet and recalled the things I've seen. A day is not enough for Antwerp, I concluded. I should return and see more places. I was looking at the sky and the way it started to turn pink then wrote more thoughts in my travel diary. 

There was still so much to discover, but I was physically incapable of doing so. I decided to walk back through the familiar route until I saw Antwerp Centraal again.  I was starving and had a steak before hopping on the train to Mechelen. 

There's this bitin feeling with Antwerp as with the rest of the cities that I've visited during my 3 weeks in Europe, but I know this isn't the last time I'll be seeing this city. My work requires me to go back to Europe in October and I'll make sure to continue where I left off.

Thank you, Antwerp! I hope to see you again in autumn! :)