We’ve been in Antwerp for two days now.  We get our daily step count just walking around the apartment.  It’s above a kitchenware shop, which is owned by our hosts.  There are identical white doors everywhere; Margi was very amused when I tried to find the laundry, and ended up on the landing outside the front door.    The church bells across the street wake us gently at 8am, and we watch the wind turbines glowing in the crimson sunset.

Yesterday we did some shopping and other admin tasks, so it was after lunch before we headed into the city centre, armed with our 10-trip metro ticket and our newly honed knowledge of how the trams work.  Line 3 took us right into the heart of the city, at Groenplatz (“green square”).  This open space is dominated by the Cathedral.  In fact pretty much every view of Antwerp is dominated by its granite spires and gilded clocks.  I apologise in advance for the frequency that it appears in the photos; it’s hard to avoid.  The square is lined with houses, some of which are centuries old.  It’s also surrounded by the usual cafes, restaurants, and lace and chocolate shops.

We meandered towards the river, and soon found ourselves at Grote Markt, the town square.  This enormous platz is lined with guild houses adorned with gleaming golden statues, telling the story of Antwerp’s wealth from its trade in diamonds and other commodities.

At the river, we found Het Steen, a tiny castle which is now a tourist office.  There is a view from the third floor, and we could see boats of all sorts – barges, river cruise boats, water buses, and the free ferries which zip across the river with their loads of cyclists and tourists.

Speaking of cyclists, we quickly learned that bikes are king in Belgium.  They don’t stop for anything or anyone; woe betide you if you stray onto a bike path.  Pedestrians have to keep to their own footpath space or risk being mown down.  This was most evident when we walked through the Sint Anna Tunnel under the river; there would have been a hundred bikes for every pedestrian.  They zoomed through at high speed, while we walked as close to the walls as possible.  It looked a lot like the Tyne Tunnel (where cyclists and pedestrians are separated), but is twice as long, and much more heavily used.

The western bank of the river is a world away from the eastern side.  Lined with trees, parkland, playgrounds and pathways, it is calm and relaxing, and you can enjoy the skyline views while strolling north to the ferry departure point.  From the ferry, you can see the port area with its modern buildings and army of cranes.

We walked back through the city streets to Antwerp’s famed Central Station.  Its ornate interior is beautiful, and much photographed.  Today the attention was being stolen by a large white model of a jet plane; we thought at first it was Lego, but it was recycled plastic.  It was striking, but incongruous in its surroundings – rather like the Louvre’s pyramid.

The station is more than a transport hub.  The square on which it sits is full of activity; there is even a zoo and pleasure garden right beside it.  How many cities have a zoo right next to their main railway station?

We started out earlier on Day 2 of exploring Antwerp.  Ted and Margi set off to do much the same as we’d done the previous day, while we were headed for Eilandje, the port area.  The plan was to take Tram 3, then Tram 7.  Except that the tram lines were dug up, and there was no sign of Tram 7 heading north.  A helpful tram driver explained what was happening, and gave us directions for a 15 minute walk. 

We found ourselves beside the river again, until the MAS Museum came into view.  Much like the Cathedral, it’s difficult to miss, with its distinctive red sandstone exterior.  Inside, you can take a series of escalators up to the 10^th floor, for a 360 degree view.  Inside, you can visit the Viewing Depot, which offers a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes activities of the museum.  Shelves, racks, and compactuses are visible, filled with a small portion of the collection’s 600,000 pieces.  This fascinated by inner archivist.

We wriggled our way beside the canals, boats, and a lifting bridge, boarding a tram back into the city centre, and eventually home.  I’m not sure we can yet call ourselves Antwerpian, as we are yet to sample frites, waffles, or chocolate. Does a tub of ice cream from Aldi count?