15. Where are you all coming from?
Trip Start
Jun 17, ????
1
18
36
Trip End
Ongoing
Bruges,
Belgium
Sunday, June 17, 2001
So, what does Belgium have to offer?
1. More beer than you can shake a stick at. For many people, this would be enough to render it a fascinating destination with no other ready reasons necessary. On top of that, each beer has its own special glass, some providing real all round entertainment for drinker and spectators alike.
2. Chips and mayo. Many years ago I used to work at weekends in a fast-chicken joint, and would sustain myself by keeping a small pot of chips under the counter along with some mayo swiped from the "chicken-inna-bun" section
Antwerp - Der Laange Waaper
. At the time, people thought I was wierd for eschewing the ketchup. It turns out I was just being Belgian. I was suitably delighted to discover a whole country full of people who think that the best thing for chips is mayo.3. Waffles. As talky-toaster once said "Oh, so you're a waffle man!". The Belgians know how to treat a waffle. You smother it in icecream, ladle on the chocolate, heap on the strawberries and then slather the whole lot in cream. Now that's what I call a pudding.
4. 80% of the world's diamonds go through Antwerp.
Bruges is very picture postcard pretty and heaving with tourists (like me). It's not a trashy toursit trap though and the buildings are beautiful. I love the restaurants in the main square and you get a great view of them if you climb the tower. The canals are very sweet and Lake Minnewater is really lovely. I have been to Bruges a few times, but the visit that sticks in my mind was about 5 years ago. We'd had a very delightful lunch in the square, washed down with a bottle or two of chablis and it was time to get back to the coach park, where the driver was waiting to take us back through the tunnel. The boys went off on a mission, and we ladies took our time browsing the shop windows as we went. In due course, we noticed some rather lovely shoes and popped in to see what they looked like on. One short purchase later we headed out into the street and the boys were nowhere in sight. We though we knew the way back and struck out purposefully. We were lost in no time. We were getting dangerously close to the time when we were due to be back at the coach park when - hooray - we spotted a police car. We asked for the route and then whether we could walk it in 10 minutes. It turned out that we would not be able to walk it in 10 minutes
Antwerp - Rubens' garden
. We looked appropriately pathetic and the nice police gave us a lift. The look on our husbands' faces when we were delivered with seconds to spare by the local constabulary had to be seen to be believed. I don't know what the fuss was about. We weren't even the last ones back. I still have those shoes...Brussels is a lot less pretty, but still has some striking buildings. It's also worth heading out of town to see the atomium. Although its a bit on the dated side close up - in fact, it gives eveery impression of having been made with sticky-backed plastic and tin foil. From a distance though, it looks freakishly futuristic. I only hope that when you visit, you get better weather than we did.. Brussels is also famous for its peeing boy statue - Le Mannekin Pis - and there are replicas of the little blighter everywhere. Perhaps less well known is the peeing girl - Jannekin Pis - and its well worth trotting down the back alleys to cop a look at her too.
To avoid the frequent rain showers, we also visited a variety of museums, including the Musee des bandes designee - cartoon museum, chiefly dedicated to controversial fascist Tin Tin and his suspiciously white dog. It does allow the "coloureds" some viewing space - the colour in question being blue
Antwerp - Silvius Brabo statue
. If you ask me, there is something rather unnerving about standing next to a 1.5m model smurf.If you've been reading on in the hope of getting some news on the sparkly stones, the third Belgian city that I have visited and enjoyed is the home of attache-case carrying diamond couriers. And many a diamond shop too. Here is the ideal place to take your loved one to purchase an inexpensive and beautiful piece of jewellery. Next time the man in your life screws up, make him go shopping in Antwerp.
We flew to Antwerp from London City Airport and, as it was 9th September the first year after the WTC attacks, we paid buttons for out flight. This is because other people are superstitious and I am not. (We got bargain flights on Friday 13th the same year). Antwerp airport is very diddy, and you can check in up to 15 minutes before the flight. Being Gatwick regulars, we thought that we were being very casual when we arrived only just over an hour before take off. Then we were told that we were too early and that check-in wasn't open. Luckily the bar was, and that kept us out of mischeif until there were only 20 minutes to go when we finally checked in.
My favourite non-diamond related attraction in Antwerp wasn't PP Ruben's house, marvellous though that was, or even the statue of Silvious Brabo throwing the troll's hand away (complete with a fountain of water spewing from the severed wrist), but the fantastic Staue of der Laange Waaper outside Het Steen. This giant man is the Belgian equivalent of the bogeyman and he can stretch himself up tall to peep in your bedroom window. Dirty boy!
