Antwerp
Leaving the Netherlands in our wake (sorry, could not help the intentional pun!), we are heading to Belgium to visit the city of Antwerp.
Antwerp is the 2nd largest city in Belgium with a metropolitan population of 1.2M and the 2nd largest port in the entire EU. Antwerp also is home to many large pharmaceutical companies and the import/export business of these industrial giants put Antwerp on the map as one of the largest ports in the world. Truth of the matter is, Antwerp is a fascinating city of contrasts, both cosmopolitan city and medieval town.
Antwerp is known as the Diamond Capital of the World. Unfortunately, I had no occasion to witness why it is so deserving of this name. Instead, I was relegated to another City Tour! Don’t ask me why we chose the City Tour over a Diamond Tour. It will only ruffle my hen feathers into a frenzy.
Folklore has it that Antwerp’s name comes from the Dutch word for “hand-throwing”. So the story goes that there was this giant who lived at the riverbank and extracted a toll from the boats that passed by the city. If the boat captain failed to pay the toll, that giant cut off the hand of the offender and threw it in the river. As time goes on, a youngster named Brabo slays the giant by cutting off the giant’s hand and throws it in the river. Hence, the hand-throwing actions of the giant and Balbo become the origin of Antwerp. There is, of course, a “giant” statue in the main market square, so the story must be true!
Antwerp has a long history of importing and exporting which in turn resulted in its recognition as a banking/financial powerhouse, a center of the international economy and one of the richest cities in the world. This in turn attracted artists, guildsmen, writers, merchants and traders. The wealth and success of the city can be seen throughout its city center and all along the river banks populated by old bell towers, sky scrapers, cathedral, museums, shops and markets. There is the city center on one bank of the river and a series of neighborhoods on the other bank of the river. There is a tunnel connecting the two sides allowing pedestrians to pass easily from one side to the other. There is an escalator that carries travelers easily up and down and its railings are carved wood! It is just amazing.
There are beautiful buildings, old and new, throughout the city. Many of these are of significant architectural significance including the former Guild Houses, The Palace of Justice, Royal Museum of Fine Arts and many, many more. We captured a few in photos but did not actually visit the inside of these buildings. We were in Antwerp for only a day, when seeing all that Antwerp has to offer would take a week or more!
One of the most significant architectural beauties we saw on our visit is the Cathedral of our Lady. The Cathedral was begun in the mid-1300’s. Construction ended in the 1500’s although it remains unfinished to this day.
and nothing says “Cathedral” like a few stone skulls etched into the entry door! 
The Cathedral is not only a work of art, it is home to a number of original works of art by the famous Dutch artist, Peter Paul Rubens.
Additionally, there are wood carvings throughout the Cathedral that are incredibly detailed. One could stare at these carvings for hours and still not absorb all of the detail.
Before leaving the Cathedral of Our Lady, we spot a very unusual sculpture immediately in front of the Cathedral. Our guide tells us that the sculpture captures the story of The Dog of Flanders, a novel written about the dreams of a little boy, his love of art and the devotion between the little boy and his dog. Nello the poor boy of an impoverished dairy farmer, finds Patrasche nearly beaten to death on the streets of Antwerp and rescues him. They become inseparable as the two wander the streets selling milk from Nello’s grandfather’s farm. Through a series of bad luck, they become homeless. Nello’s greatest wish is to become an artist, as he is very good at drawing. He tries to win some money to study art by entering one of his drawings in a contest but does not win. Long story short, Nello and Patrasche visit the Cathedral on Christmas Eve in the hopes of seeing the Ruben paintings. The Cathedral is closed and the next morning, they are found wrapped together deceased of cold and hunger. The marble sculpture of the 2 covered by a cobblestone blanket commemorates this tragic story of devotion and love.
There are so many more interesting buildings and sites, Antwerp could be a blog onto itself! There is one more interesting little story around a peculiar looking bell tower that I have to share because it involves the devil and I love a good devil story!
So, there was this old church in the center of town (pre-cathedral) that through a series of misfortunes of the devil’s doing, burned to the ground. The people worked hard to rebuild their church, marked by a beautiful, tall bell tower. Now, the legend goes like this: the devil was so angry that the church was rebuilt (after all, he worked hard to burn that church to the ground!), that he worked himself into a whirling dervish around the newly-built church causing the steeple to twist itself in deformity.
There are those who say the tower was built of wood that had not yet dried, the tower to warp over time.
So, what do you think? Guildsmen stupid enough to use wet wood to build a tall tower or the evil devil driven to petty retaliatory means? I’m going with the devil story myself!
Speaking of devilish ways, before leaving Antwerp’s city center, we stop in a different type of “place of worship” called the Elfde Gebod, honoring the 11th Commandment, Thou Shalt Enjoy Thyself! Elde Gebod is a well-known beer restaurant in town, serving good food and delightful local beer.
Before studying the Holy Menu, be sure you are well acquainted with the 11 Commandments. You can see Himself at his most studious here, of course!
It is just a fun place and a great ending to a great day in a great city. Be sure to stop in if you find yourself in Antwerp. Mention the Flynn’s and you may get a special indulgence!
ALOHA BELGIUM! OFF TO GERMANY WE SAIL…