Desiree Koh:
June 23. We arrived in Brussels, checked in and immediately left for Antwerp with just 10 hours to rock.
Desiree Koh:
Metro, a free local newspaper for rail commuters.
Desiree Koh:
Beth getting a headstart in learning Flemish. Ask her to teach you some, she's become quite the Belgian linguist.
Desiree Koh:
The Centraal Station in Antwerp is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.
Desiree Koh:
It's about a century old, resplendent in enormous dome and glass-covered platforms.
Desiree Koh:
I would go on to have several flings with Mr. Frites in Belgium. I would marry a French fry if I could.
Desiree Koh:
The opera house? A parliament? Courts of justice? No, just another shopping arcade on the Meir, Antwerp's shopping stretch.
Desiree Koh:
We kept taking pictures of every good-looking, historic building -- until we realize that every building is good-looking and historic.
Desiree Koh:
One of the things I immediately liked about Belgium was their drive to be organic, or "bio."
Desiree Koh:
We had lunch at Lombardia, an Antwerpen Kitsch'n on Roscoe that's all about bio.
Desiree Koh:
Our lunch, that kept us full for the rest of the day! Of course, there was room for a snack. Always.
Desiree Koh:
This is my WackoWilde&Sweet sandwich, which I was still dreaming and drooling about days after.
Desiree Koh:
Beth had the Mozze Special -- how pretty it is in the Belgian sunshine!
Desiree Koh:
One of the great finds on the trip was the Use-It map, or the cartoon map as we first referred to it (it's drawn).
Desiree Koh:
The circle map directed us to Koekebakske, famous for pancakes sweet and salty.
Desiree Koh:
We then checked out a 500m-long underground pedestrian tunnel that connected both sides of Antwerp across the Schelde River.
Desiree Koh:
Waiting with fellow bike enthusiasts in the elevator! What a pleasing sight.
Desiree Koh:
You have to take two very long escalators to go down to the river.
Desiree Koh:
I needed a tin can telephone line to communicate with Beth.
Desiree Koh:
Don't look down, and you'll be OK.
Desiree Koh:
On our way back, Beth posed for a scintillating photo.
Desiree Koh:
On the other side, not much, just a panoramic view of the Antwerpen skyline.
Desiree Koh:
We stopped by Cafe Beveren, home of this 71-year-old organ that they'll play if you drop in 50 cents.
Desiree Koh:
It was the kind of bar where nicotine lingers in the air and old-timers play cards while drinking beers at four in the afternoon.
Desiree Koh:
The National Scheepvaartmuseum is a former fortress on the shores of the Schelde, now the national maritime museum.
Desiree Koh:
A statue of Christ that once protected all Belgian seadogs.
Desiree Koh:
And, you can lean your bike, unlocked, against a graffiti-strewn wall and go away and no one will take it!
Desiree Koh:
We looked for this little alley that hasn't changed much for a few centuries, now home to one of Antwerp's most exclusive restaurants (of course) and some residences.
Desiree Koh:
A very nice and cozy tuckaway.
Desiree Koh:
Finally, the highlight of the city -- the Grote Markt.
