Mom and I took the train to Antwerp for the day. Normally, the train ride is one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip. Normally yes, but today... it was not possible. A stop or two after we got on, a group of young children got on. A large group of children who were chaperoned by a few teenagers. A summer camp of sorts. (*Tip - Carry a
IPod with you while traveling on the train so that you can plug up and crank up the tunes if a large group of children board.*) The kids sat down, pulled all sorts of sugary substances out of their bags, and proceeded to eat... and scream. And jump up and down. And scream some more. We were very excited to get off the train and walk around Antwerp. It's a lovely city. And it's
so peaceful.
After a brisk walk from the
train station, we found ourselves at the
Groenplaats, with the statue of P. P. Rubens near Cathedral. What a beautiful site.
Mom was happy to be here as well. Or maybe she was just excited to get off of the noisy train. Either way, it was a success.
This is the Well of
Quinten Metsy in the
Handschoenmarkt (glove market).
A little further on, you will find yourself in front of the Town Hall, with the
Brabo fountain in the middle of the Market Square. This is my favorite place in all of Antwerp. The fountain symbolizes when the Roman centurion
Silvius Brabo conquered the giant
Antigon, who used to torment travelers in the area.
Antigon charged tolls to sailors who entered the waterways here, and chopped off the hands of anyone who refused to pay.
Brabo chopped off
Antigon's hand and tossed it into the
Schelde, therefore becoming the hero of Antwerp. Legend says that's where the name Antwerp (hand throwing) came from.
The details on the fountain are amazing.
There are lots of lovely statues all over Antwerp.
It's a gorgeous city to just walk around and enjoy. In fact, it's one of my favorites in all of Belgium.
The
Steen is a castle that was built in 1885. It sits on the bank of the
Schelde.
There's a Maritime Museum beside the
Steen. You could spend a lot of time wandering around in this area if you are interested in old boats and ships.
After wandering around the city, we returned to the Cathedral to tour the inside.
It's a stunning building. This is the biggest church in the Netherlands, and took 183 years to complete.
We had a very enjoyable and peaceful day in Antwerp. Little did we know, there was another youth group (chaperoned by teenagers) joining us on the return trip back to our neighborhood. They were jumping up and down on the seats and trying to touch the ceiling, slapping each other on the legs to see who could take more pain, and screaming at the top of their lungs. At one point, a couple of kids dragged a girl down the aisle by her foot. The conductor never came in our car to check for tickets. He just peeked in the window and turned around. Chicken. The few adults that were forced to remain in there looked at each other in complete disbelief. Was this really happening? Belgians kids are normally so well behaved. I did lean over to my Mom at one point and say "My kids are looking
really good right now, aren't they?" Did I mention that the trip was over an hour long? All teenagers should have to travel on the train with one of these groups. It's awesome birth control. I'm just saying.
This is the Well of Quinten Metsy in the Handschoenmarkt (glove market).
A little further on, you will find yourself in front of the Town Hall, with the Brabo fountain in the middle of the Market Square. This is my favorite place in all of Antwerp. The fountain symbolizes when the Roman centurion Silvius Brabo conquered the giant Antigon, who used to torment travelers in the area. Antigon charged tolls to sailors who entered the waterways here, and chopped off the hands of anyone who refused to pay. Brabo chopped off Antigon's hand and tossed it into the Schelde, therefore becoming the hero of Antwerp. Legend says that's where the name Antwerp (hand throwing) came from.
The details on the fountain are amazing.
There are lots of lovely statues all over Antwerp.
It's a gorgeous city to just walk around and enjoy. In fact, it's one of my favorites in all of Belgium.
The Steen is a castle that was built in 1885. It sits on the bank of the Schelde.
There's a Maritime Museum beside the Steen. You could spend a lot of time wandering around in this area if you are interested in old boats and ships.
After wandering around the city, we returned to the Cathedral to tour the inside.
It's a stunning building. This is the biggest church in the Netherlands, and took 183 years to complete.
We had a very enjoyable and peaceful day in Antwerp. Little did we know, there was another youth group (chaperoned by teenagers) joining us on the return trip back to our neighborhood. They were jumping up and down on the seats and trying to touch the ceiling, slapping each other on the legs to see who could take more pain, and screaming at the top of their lungs. At one point, a couple of kids dragged a girl down the aisle by her foot. The conductor never came in our car to check for tickets. He just peeked in the window and turned around. Chicken. The few adults that were forced to remain in there looked at each other in complete disbelief. Was this really happening? Belgians kids are normally so well behaved. I did lean over to my Mom at one point and say "My kids are looking really good right now, aren't they?" Did I mention that the trip was over an hour long? All teenagers should have to travel on the train with one of these groups. It's awesome birth control. I'm just saying. 
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