Belgium
Chapter five
A day trip to Antwerp.
I met Alain and Lucy in Namibia. We were heading in opposite directions; they were at the end of their trip, mine was just beginning.
We had each booked a few nights at the Fish River Lodge, a beautiful place overlooking the canyon. We shared a few excursions, including an all-day drive to the base of the canyon. Over lunch we chatted about our travels and where we were from. They told me they lived in Brussels and I mentioned that I was to visit after my months in Africa. They told me I’d have to look them up.
We exchanged numbers and agreed to keep in touch. Arriving in Belgium I text them and they offer to show me Antwerp on my last day in the country. I thank them for their hospitality and we arrange to meet at a hotel near where I’m staying.
They pick me up in the morning and we head out of the city, making our way to Antwerp in under an hour. I continue to be surprised at how small the country is and how navigable. It’s a world away from Namibia.
Alain parks the car in a lot near Antwerp’s central train station. It’s the first stop on our tour and we approach it along a tree-lined street lined with cafes and shops.
It’s a beautiful station and Alain and Lucy encourage me to explore. They wait downstairs as I climb the stairs to the platform. There, I encoutner Yan Shufen’s Hand of Peace sculpture: An open silver palm that tracks as a swan from certain viewpoints.
Outside the train station we walk back to the parking garage to collect the car. I’m surprised at how narrow the lanes in the garage are and how compact the cars. The SUVs common in the States would never be able to fit.
We drive towards the waterfront, passing a small harbor en route to the Port House. I’m excited to see another Zaha Hadid building in person. She’s one of my favorite architects and I count myself lucky to have seen the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku and have toured the Maxxi Museum in Rome.
it’s a quick stop to see the Port House. Alain waits in the car as I step out to take a few photos and then jump back in. We turn around and drive back towards town where we park in an underground parking garage near the Cathedral of Our Lady.
Inside the garage Alain tells me they’ll meet us by the cathedral and encourages me to get out and explore. I wander the plaza, admiring the statue of Peter Paul Rubens and the Pieter Appelmans monument as I wait.
Inside the cathedral we split up and go our separate ways, taking opposite routes around the nave. Begun in 1352, the cathedral has never been “completed.” Designed by Jan and Pieter Appelmans, it’s the largest Gothic church in Belgium and houses a number of significant paintings by Peter Paul Rubens.
I meet Alain and Lucy outside and we walk to the Grote Markt. Brabo's Monument serves as the centerpiece, and tourists crowd around its base taking photos. Ornate guild houses line the square while the imposing Antwerp City Hall commands an entire side of it.
Alain leads us down streets and through a neighborhood that feels more bohemian than the others we’ve visited. Lucy tells me they’ve thought about moving to Antwerp and I consider where I might want to stay were I to visit for an extended period of time. The neighborhoods we walk through seem like fantastic candidates.
We stop at a restaurant they had read about and wait a short periof of time for a table. Once seated, we order sandwiches and smoothies. It’s a cool cafe and the sandwiches are tasty.
We drive back to Brussels and stop at Wittamer for a coffee before saying goodbye. I ask if they have any recommendations for dinner and Alain points out a Belgian place across the road. I make note of it and vow to return. 🇧🇪
3 August 2024
