Trip Day 39 – Antwerp

A heavy fog covered the city of Brussels as I venture out into the day, My first task is to switch hotels as my former hotel is now full and I find myself with out a room, luckily I located alternative lodging just around the corner, so fortunately I don’t have far to drag my bags. After checking in and dropping off my bags it is a brisk stroll in the cold air to the station to find a train to Antwerp.

Luckily the trains to Antwerp run pretty regularly and it is not long that I have boarded and found a seat for the 30 minute trip. Antwerp is the second largest city in Belgium and is in the Dutch speaking half, so my French wont be welcomed here. Antwerp is a busy city that is known for its diamonds. I arrive at the station and it is a magnificent building, it has 22 platforms over 3 levels and it is only a 20 minute walk from the old centre of town. As soon as I leave the station I find shop after shop selling diamond jewellery, a lot of the streets are closed to traffic and the bike seems to be the main way to get around, also the prices seem to be a little cheaper than Brussels.

The clouds have all burnt away but the wind is still chilly as I walk along the avenue to the market square. Greeting me as I enter the square is the Antwerp cathedral, a highly decorated building that dominates the square.