Day 14ish: A Long Journey Home

 4:15 am Brussels time (9:15 pm Saturday, Houston time): We woke up to be sure we could have our luggage packed and outside our room by 4:30 in the morning. Should be leaving by 5:15 to get to the airport. 

4:25 am Brussels time (9:25 pm Saturday, Houston time): We put our luggage outside our room. Ready to pack our things and go. 

4:50 am Brussels time (9:50 pm Saturday, Houston time): We walked out of our room, and our luggage was still there, so we grabbed it and took it to the lobby. We got downstairs, and a porter who was handling someone else's luggage looked at us, frustrated, and asked, “What room are these from?” We told him our room number and told them that we had just brought them down this point. One other couple was down there with us. Since the breakfast buffet was not open yet, Sylvie asked the hotel to prepare grab-and-go bags for us. The bags had a small glass of water, a small glass of orange juice, a sandwich on white bread with ham and cheese, and a banana. Once we had our breakfast bags, Sylvie told the other couple and us that we could head to the airport. We told her that we weren't scheduled to go until the second car, but she said that since we were there and ready, we could go. 

5:00 am Brussels time (10 pm Saturday Houston time): The driver was very nice, took our luggage out to a very nice Mercedes-Benz, and we headed to the airport. Not surprisingly, there was very little traffic at 5:00 in the morning. The breakfast bag did not look appealing, and we were not hungry, so we just carried it. 

5:30 am Brussels time (10:30 pm Saturday Houston time): We arrived at the Brussels airport. 

5:40 am Brussels time (10:40 pm Saturday Houston time): We located the Air Canada check-in area. The counter was closed. The electronic message board said we could begin checking in at 5:45. We had our reservation number, so we went to the kiosk, entered the information, printed our baggage tags and boarding passes, and wandered over to the Air Canada check-in area. 

5:45 am Brussels time (10:45 pm Saturday Houston time): We walked over toward the counter, and an Air Canada employee met us in the line area and told us it would open at 6:00 AM, so we retreated to wait. The other couple with us was struggling a little bit with the kiosk system, so they went off to deal with that. 

6:00 am Brussels time (11 pm Saturday Houston time): We resumed our approach. The same woman greeted us in line, told us they still needed to meet and discuss, and asked if we could please continue waiting. We waited and watched them have conversations. 

6:15 am Brussels time (11:15 pm Saturday Houston time): a man approached the Air Canada desk with printed papers. He gathered all the Air Canada employees for a meeting, presumably to discuss the day’s boarding check-in procedures, and handed out the papers. We waited.

6:30 am Brussels time (11:30 pm Saturday Houston time):  We were allowed to approach. We dropped off our luggage, got new boarding passes, and headed off to the gate. 

6:45 am Brussels time (11:45 pm Saturday Houston time): We arrived at the gate, and there were at least 25 people waiting, some sleeping there. Not sure how they arrived at the gate before us.  Perhaps they were still there from the night before?

9:15 am Brussels time (2:15 am Houston time): Our boarding group was called. We were in the center section of four, but at least we were on the aisle instead of in the middle. Secured our bags to await takeoff.

9:45 am Brussels time (2:45 am Houston time): We departed Brussels. The flight was fine. Difficult to sleep; dinner was ok, breakfast was lousy. 

11:00 am Montreal time (10 am Houston time): We arrived in Montreal. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 4:30 pm Montreal time, so we found comfortable seats near chargers and waited for our 4:00 pm boarding call. We watched a security guard sit on a chair near us, talking on the phone, watching intently out the window to the tarmac where it was raining heavily. We’re not sure what she was watching for. I suppose if there was trouble on the tarmac, she could have pounded loudly on the window, but it was quite a distance away. 

2:13 pm Montreal time (1:13 pm Houston time): We received a notification that our flight was delayed by 45 minutes. In addition, a group of about 25 high school students swarmed our waiting area, talking very loudly to one another, apparently returning home from some school trip. Bill said, “Lucky us, they are probably on our flight home.”

3:30 pm Montreal time (2:30 pm Houston time): we were notified our flight had been delayed another hour. Scheduled to board at 4:40 pm Montreal time)

4:45 pm Montreal time (3:45 pm Houston time): we had given up our good seats with charging ports to wait for boarding. 

4:50 pm Montreal time (3:50 Houston time): We were notified that our flight was delayed by another hour. The teens had taken over our comfortable window seats with charging ports, so we had to find new seats in less-ideal locations. There was only one seat available, so Bill stood, and I sat. I said to Bill, “We never should have given up our seats.” A very nice young man sitting next to me apologized and asked if he was in Bill’s seat. We said he was not, but he said he would walk around a bit and gave Bill his seat.  

5:00 pm Montreal time (4 pm Houston time): We were notified we would receive $15 in credits for airport snacks as an apology for the delays. Bill headed off to get some snacks. 

5:05 pm Montreal time (4:05 pm Houston time): We were notified that our gate had changed to gate 75 around the corner. I grabbed our stuff, flagged down Bill, and headed to gate 75.

5:35 pm Montreal time (4:35 pm Houston time): We found out we were actually boarding at gate 74, and hastily walked over. Thankfully, the airport gods were in good humor and didn’t have us wait 6.5 hours in an airport just to miss our flight.

5:41 pm Montreal time (4:41 pm Houston time): We finally were in our seats on the plane! 

5:50 pm Montreal time (4:50 pm Houston time): The pilot announces that since we are on a different plane, we are waiting for galley services to be delivered to our plane. 

6:20 pm Montreal time (5:20 pm Houston time): Galley services finally arrive to stock our plane, a process that takes about 5 minutes.

6:30 pm Montreal time (7:30 Houston time): Our flight departs Montreal for Houston!

12:08 am Houston time: Our flight lands at Terminal C. We are told our luggage will be arriving in Terminal E. We follow the crowd onto a train to Terminal E.

12:20 am Houston time: We arrive at Terminal E. There is no one else around except the passengers from our flight and some men nearby using a scaffold for repairs. Every time the scaffold moves, an alarm sounds, which tricks us into thinking our luggage has arrived. 

1:20 am Houston time: Our luggage arrives, completely soaked, apparently having spent quite a bit of time in the rain in Montreal. We would later learn that everything inside our luggage was soaked as well.

2:20 am: We finally make it home 29 hours after leaving the hotel in Brussels.

Day 13: In Bruges

Saturday was our last full day in Belgium—and our last full day in Europe.

We started with the breakfast buffet at the hotel, where finding the restroom seemed to require a complicated journey through the bar and down a narrow flight of stairs to a surprisingly nice basement. After breakfast, we headed out for our two-hour drive to Bruges, or Brugge in Dutch.

National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels

We had Ivan again as our driver, the same one who had taken us to Antwerp the day before. Before we could leave Brussels, however, we had to pick up a small group staying at another hotel who would be joining us for the day. Ivan somehow managed to park our very large bus on a crowded, narrow street while we waited for them. We were about twenty minutes early because traffic through Brussels had been surprisingly light, so eventually everyone found their way to the bus, and we were finally on our way.

Unlike our rainy days in Brussels and Antwerp, we had beautiful weather in Bruges. The sun was shining, and the temperature was perfect.

The Venice of the North

Bruges is the capital of West Flanders in northern Belgium. It is a beautiful medieval city with canals running throughout, earning it the nickname “Venice of the North.” Thankfully, unlike Venice, it is not sinking.

The Lock Keeper's House on the Minnewater (Lake of Love) in Bruges

Poertoren (Powder Tower), a medieval defensive and ammunition tower built in 1397 located next to the Minnewater

Kasteel Minnewater (also known as Kasteel de la Faille)

A gray heron hanging out

Our guide was Lieve, a name she told us is found primarily in Bruges. She explained that the city’s name comes from an old Scandinavian term meaning something like “ships can land here.” Bruges was founded in the 9th century and became an important port city, remaining prosperous until around 1500.

Our guide, Lieve

During the 1500s, a buildup of silt made the port increasingly difficult to use, while shifting political and religious circumstances helped Antwerp become the more important regional port. Bruges gradually became impoverished and was unable to modernize as rapidly as other cities. As a result, much of the city still looks very much as it did centuries ago—a beautiful medieval city that echoes an earlier and more prosperous time.

One of the distinctive areas of Bruges is its beguinage, established about 800 years ago. Beguines were self-supporting, unmarried Catholic women who wanted a religious community without becoming nuns. They lived together in a self-contained, gated community with a chapel, gardens, and workspaces, all surrounded by a protective wall.

The houses and courtyard of the beguinage

Men were not allowed to live there, but the women themselves were free to come and go. They could also choose to marry or leave the beguinage whenever they wished.

Swans are another familiar sight along the canals, and naturally, there is a story behind them. In 1488, Bruges rebelled against Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and executed his administrator, Pieter Lanchals. His name meant “long neck” in Dutch, and his coat of arms featured a swan.

The emperor was not amused. According to legend, he punished the city by requiring its people to feed and care for swans on their waterways “forever and three days.” Bruges still takes very good care of its swans.

A few of the many swans in Bruges

The Horse Head Drinking Fountain, used to provide water for the carriage horses

Chocolate, Waffles, and Beer

Lieve also offered practical advice to the women in our group: eat a little chocolate every morning. She said a bit of chocolate tells you, “Good morning, beautiful,” and helps you feel romantic. I think that is advice I can get behind.

Like other parts of Belgium, Bruges traditionally enjoys waffles in the afternoon with coffee or tea. As we walked through the streets, you could smell waffles being made everywhere.

We passed the famous De Halve Maan, or Half Moon, Brewery, which has been operating in Bruges since 1856. As the brewery grew, it opened a bottling plant about 3.3 kilometers outside the historic city center.

Rather than send trucks through Bruges’ narrow streets, the brewery built an underground pipeline in 2016 connecting the brewery to the bottling plant. The beer now flows through the pipeline for storage and bottling, keeping heavy trucks out of the historic center.

The Church of Our Lady

We visited the Church of Our Lady, a Roman Catholic church built between the 1200s and 1400s in the Gothic style. Its flying buttresses date to the 1270s and 1280s.

The Church of our Lady

A carved wooden statue representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The high altar and choir area

Baroque oak wood confessionals

We learned that wealthy families often donated money to have private side chapels built in churches. The Van Gruuthuse family lived next door and had a private chapel connected directly to their home, allowing them to attend services without ever leaving the house. Their former home is now a museum.

15th-century private chapel of Louis de Gruuthuse

The Gruuthuse Museum, adjacent to the church, connected by the private chapel

Inside, we saw beautiful triptychs, paintings made up of three panels. The side panels were generally kept closed and opened only for special occasions. Lieve also explained that family portraits often included deceased family members, and that a cross placed in a child’s hair could indicate that the child had died.

The Damhouder Triptych painted in 1574 by the Flemish Renaissance artist Pieter Pourbus. The center painting is the Adoration of the Shepherds

The Transfiguration of Christ, painted around 1520 by Gerard David. Two of the males (rightmost in the left painting) have crosses in their hair, indicating they represent deceased children as they may have appeared as adults.

A glass-covered display set into the floor revealing excavated medieval burial vaults and wall paintings

Bronze and stone sepulchers of Mary of Burgundy and her father, Charles the Bold

The life-sized effigy of Mary of Burgundy with her hands raised in prayer. She died at 25 from a horse-riding accident. The dog at her feet represents loyalty and faithfulness.

Charles the Bold, the last Valois Duke of Burgundy. He is depicted in full armor with his coat of arms beneath him. 

The Passion Triptych by Bernard van Orley and Marcus Gheeraerts (1534)

Adoration of the Magi by Gerard Seghers (1630)

18th-century Baroque carved wooden pulpit

One of the most beautiful pieces of art we saw during our entire trip was Michelangelo’s white marble Madonna and Child, sculpted around 1504. It was the only sculpture by Michelangelo to be purchased and exported from Italy during his lifetime.

Our guide told us that it may originally have been created for the Pope and intended for Siena Cathedral. According to the story, the Pope objected to the nudity of the Christ child and rejected the sculpture. Two Belgian merchants later purchased it and brought it to Bruges.

Madonna and Child by Michelangelo

The statue is stunning. Mary appears remarkably young, perhaps reflecting the same ideal of perpetual youth and purity that Michelangelo used in his Pietà.

The sculpture has had its own adventures over the years. It was taken from Bruges twice—once during the French Revolutionary Wars and again during World War II—before eventually being returned. It also appears in the 2014 film The Monuments Men, where it is referred to as the Madonna of Bruges.

Burg Square and the Belfry

As we headed toward the market square, we could see the Belfry of Bruges, the medieval bell tower that once housed the city treasury and archives and served as an observation post. It stands about 102 meters, or 335 feet, tall and leans slightly to the east by approximately 87 centimeters, or 34 inches.

The Belfry of Bruges

For a fee, you can climb roughly 330 steps to the top. We decided we were perfectly happy admiring it from street level.

Provinciaal Hof (Provincial Court) located on the central market square (Markt)

Monument to Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, 14th-century Flemish resistance heroes

Markt Square

Our guide told us that all weddings in Bruges take place at City Hall. While standing in Burg Square, we were able to see the final processions from two weddings.

Bride and Groom with bus to transport guests (no vehicles in Burg Square)

Two grooms wave to their guests

Provostry of St. Donatian in Burg Square

Bruges City Hall was built between 1376 and 1421 in the monumental late-Gothic style. Next door is the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which contains a cloth relic said to be stained with Christ’s blood.

According to tradition, Joseph of Arimathea collected the blood, and Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders, brought the relic to Bruges after returning from the Second Crusade in 1150. The relic is associated with a chapel near what is now City Hall, the former residence of the Count.

Bruges City Hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood on the far right

Unfortunately, the relic is only available for viewing on Fridays, so we missed it by one day.

Cruising the Canals

The next part of our tour was a boat ride through the canals. Bruges has forty-one bridges, and some were so low that you could almost touch the underside as we passed beneath them.

Ready to cruise the canals!

Stone bridges and Weeping Willow trees along the historic Dijver Canal

Medieval houses line the canals

Along the Lisseweegs Vaartje canal

The swans and ducks all looked very happy and well-fed

We saw a white house that was used as a backdrop in The Nun’s Story, starring Audrey Hepburn, and the Hotel De Tuilerieën, where Audrey Hepburn stayed during filming.

The Hotel De Tuilerieën where Audrey Hepburn stayed while filming The Nun's Story

We also saw the house from the movie In Bruges, where Colin Farrell’s character jumps from a window.

The house from the movie In Bruges

Many of the buildings lining the canals are now homes or businesses, including several English tea houses, but they were once warehouses when Bruges was an important trading port.

The boat ride gave us a completely different view of the city. After several days of walking tours, it was nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery without worrying about where we were going next.

One of many chocolate shops along the Burg Square

After our canal ride, we walked past the Vismarkt, or Fish Market, built in 1820 in a Roman classical colonnade style. It was originally part of Burg Square but was moved because of the smell of fish. It is the oldest preserved fish market in Belgium, and you can still buy fish there today. We did not.

Bruges' Market for fish and lots of other things

We also passed St. John’s Hospital, built around 1150. It is one of Europe’s oldest surviving medieval hospital buildings and cared for the sick and injured for more than 800 years. Today, it is a museum with paintings, an authentic 17th-century pharmacy, and a collection of old medical instruments.

Passing Saint John's Hospital

Lunch at the Half Moon

Our group had lunch at the Half Moon Brewery. The meal was served family-style and included ham, salad, Belgian fries, stew, and chocolate mousse.

We did have to ask for more stew to make sure everyone in our group received some, and we also managed to get extra Belgian fries. So, eventually, there was plenty of food, and it was delicious.

The Half-Moon Brewery

Ham was our starter

Belgian fries, and you can just see the stew pot on the right

The chocolate mousse was wonderful

We sat beside a couple who had joined our group after taking a Paris-to-Normandy cruise. The gentleman was a former serviceman and was disappointed that the rain had prevented them from properly visiting Normandy. The woman sitting next to me had ordered a separate meal because she had a problem with gluten.

Bill enjoyed a local beer, while I stuck with ginger ale with plenty of ice.

Chocolate Shopping and the Journey Home

After lunch, we had some time to shop. Bill and I got lost several times, but fortunately the shopping area was small enough that we could eventually reorient ourselves.

Our main goal was to buy Belgian chocolate to bring home and share with the kids. We managed that, which was much more important than remembering exactly how we got from one shop to another.

We always see places named for Bill; it was nice to see my name up there!

Bruges was definitely my favorite place we visited in Belgium. Overall, it was second only to Lucerne, which may be the most beautiful place on Earth.

We eventually met back up with the group for the drive to Brussels. One couple decided to take a taxi to the bus because it was a fairly long walk. By 4:45, we were all back on board and headed toward Brussels.

During the drive, Sylvie gave us our departure information for the next morning. Four couples had the same flight schedule, and Bill and I were assigned to the second car.

At least one couple had received an airport notification saying that, because of the new EAS system, passengers on international flights should arrive three hours before departure instead of the usual two. Our pickup time was moved earlier accordingly. We had a great time, but 13 days was a long trip for us, and we were ready to get home.

We knew Sunday would be a long day of travel.

We had absolutely no idea just how long it would end up being.

Day 12: Antwerp

We enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the hotel before heading out on the bus for Antwerp, our guide Sylvie's hometown. Our driver was Ivan, who would also be driving us to Bruges on Saturday. Ivan was quiet, but he drove just as aggressively as our driver the day before. Apparently, that is simply the norm in Belgium!

Our hotel was happy to offer us a breakfast buffet as part of our stay.

The drive was rainy, but Sylvie pointed out several interesting sights along the way. We passed the Palace of Laeken, where the Belgian royal family lives, and the Church of Our Lady of Laeken, which serves as a memorial to Queen Louise-Marie, the wife of King Leopold I.

A rainy view of the Royal Palace of Laeken, the official residence of Belgium's Royal Family.

A very rainy photo of the Church of Our Lady of Laeken

Sylvie told us that the Belgian royal family is somewhat more private than the Dutch royal family. They generally prefer to live a quieter life with less publicity.

We also stopped at the Atomium, the enormous structure built for the 1958 World's Fair. It stands 102 meters tall and is designed to resemble an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Sylvie tried to convince Ivan to move the bus closer so we could get a better picture, but he parked where he thought was best, and we grabbed a photo. He did move a little closer when we were leaving, so we eventually got a closer look. 

Atomium as seen from the bus window

The Antomium and us

Antwerp

Johan was our guide in Antwerp. He had previously taught physical education and also worked as a guide at Breendonk, the Belgian prison camp near Antwerp. He proudly speaks Flemish, along with Spanish, German, and French.

Antwerp has a population of about 570,000 and is an important shipping port on the Scheldt River. It is the second-largest petrochemical port in the world after Houston, which of course caught our attention. The Scheldt is tidal, with an 18-foot difference between high and low tide.

There are no bridges connecting the two banks of the Scheldt in Antwerp. Instead, people use ferries and water buses to cross the river.

Our first stop was Het Steen, the oldest surviving building in Antwerp and its oldest medieval castle. The name comes from Heeren Steen, meaning "The Lord's Stone Castle." Near the entrance is a sculpture called The Generous Gatekeeper, and a statue featuring the mythical giant Lange Wapper and two humans. According to local legend, Lange Wapper terrorized the people of Antwerp with his tricks and ability to change size. Another statue on the castle grounds honors the Canadian soldiers who liberated the port of Antwerp during World War II. Today, Het Steen serves as a visitor center.

Het Steen in Antwerp

Lange Wapper terrorizing some locals

Bevrijding (Liberation), also known as Weerbaarheid (Resilience), located near Het Steen

Johann by the Generous Gatekeeper

Vlaeykensgang is a hidden medieval alley dating back to 1591

Vleeshuis (Butcher's Hall) dating back to the early 16th century

Johan also told us an unusual World War II story involving American paratrooper Vince Speranza. During the 1944 Battle of the Bulge, Speranza of the 101st Airborne Division was trying to get a drink to wounded soldiers in a bombed-out church. With no cups available, he cleaned out his steel helmet, filled it with beer from a local tavern, and carried it back to his comrades.

The story became a European legend and eventually inspired Belgium's "Airborne Beer," which is still served in helmet-shaped bowls. Naturally, we looked in several liquor stores during our visit, but unfortunately never found any.

Legends and History

We passed Clara Goessen Street, named for a woman with a particularly tragic history. On August 22, 1603, Clara Goessen was burned at the stake in Antwerp's Grote Markt after being accused of witchcraft. She had been born in Strasbourg but lived and worked in Antwerp as a brothel keeper. She was the last woman executed as a witch in Antwerp.

Today, she is remembered with a street sign near the Vleeshuis, not far from Het Steen. Writer and city guide Walter Clement also wrote a book about her, I Clara, My Story.

Johann on Clara Goessen Street

Another distinctive feature of Antwerp is the large number of Madonna statues scattered throughout the city. Johan explained that when lanterns were installed to make the streets safer at night, the government attempted to impose a tax on the homes and businesses displaying them. Residents objected, claiming that the lanterns were actually there to honor the Madonna. Conveniently, Madonna statues began appearing beside many of the lanterns, allowing residents to show their faith and devotion while avoiding a lantern tax.

Madonna statue on the corner of Vleeshuis (Butcher's Hall)

18th-century terracotta Madonna and Child by Flemish sculptor Walter Pompe

Another beautiful Madonna and Child

Madonna in the city center

We also learned about Trappist beer. To qualify as an official Trappist beer, it must be brewed within the walls of a monastery, the profits must be used only to support the monastic community or charitable causes, and the brewing operation cannot interfere with the monastery's primary religious purpose. There are eleven official Trappist beers, five of which are made in Belgium.

Antwerp has an unusual legend behind its name. The Dutch name is said to mean "to throw away the hand." According to the story, a giant named Druon Antigoon stood in the Scheldt and stopped passing ships, demanding payment from the crews. If they refused, he chopped off one of their hands.

A Roman soldier named Silvius Brabo eventually challenged the giant and defeated him. Brabo then chopped off Antigoon's hand and threw it into the Scheldt. The story is commemorated by the fountain in front of City Hall, where a statue of Brabo is shown dramatically tossing the giant's severed hand into the river.

Silvius Brabo literally throws away the hand of Antigoon

The Cathedral of Our Lady

The Cathedral of Our Lady dominates Antwerp's skyline. Johan called its 123-meter (404-foot) tower the "nicest Gothic tower in the world."

The altar in the Cathedral of Our Lady

Inside, we were especially impressed by the artwork, including four original paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, the famous Flemish Baroque painter who grew up in Antwerp.

Johan gave us some helpful tips for recognizing a Rubens painting. They tend to have lots of people, lots of action, and lots of color. Look for a strong diagonal line in the composition. Mary will usually be present, wearing blue, and there will often be at least one person looking directly at the viewer.

Rubens' The Assumption of the Virgin Mary

The Raising of the Cross by Rubens

The Descent from the Cross, also by Rubens

The cathedral's pulpit, carved from oak in 1713, is also spectacular. Its base is supported by four life-sized female figures representing the four continents known at the time.

The Oak Pulpit in the Cathedral

The dome of the Cathedral features a painting by Cornelis Schut called The Assumption of Mary, created in 1648 

One of the first paintings we saw was not a Rubens. It depicted King Albert I, known as the "Soldier King" for fighting alongside his troops during World War I. His wife, Queen Elisabeth, served as a nurse, and the couple was beloved by the Belgian people.

Albert died after falling from a mountain, which is particularly mysterious because, as Johan pointed out, Belgium doesn't have any particularly large mountains! Albert was an experienced climber, and his death remains somewhat of a mystery. There have been theories of both murder and suicide.

The cathedral also contains a sculpture by Jan Fabre called The Man Who Bears the Cross. Fabre used himself as the model for the polished bronze figure carrying the cross. The sculpture is intended to represent the struggle between faith and everyday life.

The Man Who Bears the Cross by Jan Fabre

Johan also told us that Fabre was a choreographer who was later imprisoned for coercing dancers into sexual relationships in exchange for parts. So while the statue itself is interesting, we were definitely less impressed with the artist.

Outside the cathedral, we saw a statue of the dog and his boy from A Dog of Flanders, a famous story that, as Johan reminded us, is extremely sad.

We then walked through the Alley of the Pies toward Antwerp's Grote Markt, Antwerp's City center. Like many Belgian cities, Antwerp has a beautiful central square surrounded by ornate guild houses representing different trades. The City Hall combines Renaissance architectural elements with the traditional guild-house style.

Guild houses in Antwerp

The gold statues that top the guild houses let visitors know which guild was represented

Before lunch, we stopped to sample some Belgian Chocolate at Elisa Pralines. The chocolate was shaped like tiny hands, in honor of Antwerp's name origins.

Chocolate fountain in the window of Elisa Pralines

Bill gets a tiny chocolate hand

Lunch in Antwerp

Lunch was on our own, so Bill and I decided to try Elfde Gebod, a restaurant across from the cathedral. The name means "11th Commandment" in Dutch, and the place is filled with religious statues and paintings. Even the menu items have religiously themed names.

The restaurant offers plenty of Belgian specialties, including mussels and rabbit with prunes, but we decided to pass on both. Bill tried La Trappe, one of Belgium's Trappist beers, named after the monastery where the Trappist order originated.

Bill enjoys a La Trappe beer

I ordered the Croque Adam, a fried ham and cheese sandwich. Dad had a club chicken sandwich, and we shared an order of Belgian fries. The food was good, although the tables were packed very closely together. When three fairly loud twenty-somethings sat down right beside us, conversation became a bit difficult.

The pub was filled with religious statues and figures

Our lunch: Belgian fries on the side

After lunch, we met Johan near the statue of Peter Paul Rubens, and he led us back to the bus for the trip to Brussels. 

Peter Paul Rubens' statue

On the bus, Sylvie shared some Antwerpse Handjes (Antwerp Hands), traditional hand-shaped butter and almond biscuits.

Antwerpse Handjes are only found in Antwerp

The bus ride was, once again, terrifying. There were plenty of close calls with pedestrians and other vehicles, and I began to wonder whether surviving Belgian traffic should be added to our list of accomplishments from this trip.

Fortunately, we made it safely back to the hotel.

We picked up dinner from the deli near the hotel, and after a long, rainy day of sightseeing—and another adventure on Belgian roads—we were exhausted and collapsed into bed early.