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A Wonderful Journey From Antwerp To Brussels
It’s5.30 a.m. The very familiar alarm call over the Belgian hotel-room phone once again made around forty sleepyheads crawl out of their beds, most unwillingly. It had become a boring routine. 3 milestones one after the other-a wake-up call, hurried breakfast in a large room and then the bus-boarding activity-with an hour between each point. No way out. It was going to be another eventful day we knew, since our tour would begin at Antwerp, then we would be on the road to Brussels and finally would have to reach the Midi railway station to push off to London.
It had already been about thirteen days on the road and I was feeling a bit homesick. However, excitement still lingered as I knew that it would be another of those days when I would once again be experiencing something new and interesting. Undoubtedly. A road trip across the length and breadth of Europe is bound to expose a traveler to various landscapes, cultures, customs, people and to top it all, plush hotels and wonderful choice of breakfasts!
Photo credits: Inside 1: American breakfast - today.com; Inside 1A: European breakfast: travelmono.com
In Germany, for example, we were privy to a mouth-watering American spread with at least 30 odd items. Similar trends continued in Switzerland and France as well. But, as we inched northwards, moved into Holland and Belgium, there was a twist in the story. Breads, breads and breads…various types of breads and sweet stuff like chocolate cornflakes, cakes and so on. But imagine no waffles, that too in Belgium!At one place we did not even have the luxury of getting eggs, leave aside meat. However, it will not be fair to criticize the entire region, but certain hotels do expose you to too sugary-sweet breakfast spreads!
Well, breakfast over, it was time to board our luxury coach and roll on towards Brussels. A really chilly October morning! In spite of being enveloped in multiple layers of clothing, the cold wind pinched us with its icy fingers. We were in the Flemish region of Belgium and thus had to begin our journey southwards, along the A12. Fortunately, on special request, our tour guide consented to take us on a very short city trip.
Photo Credits: Inside 2: Grote Markt Antwerp - freepic.com; Inside 2A: Cathedral - justmovingaround.com
The city hall at the main square (‘Grote Markt’) of Antwerp, the old Guildhouses dating back to the 16th century, the Cathedral of our Lady and the river Scheldt were some of the visual treats, before we hit the concrete highway. It had been a hurricane city tour, some how sandwiched between Antwerp and Brussels, as we had a train to catch. So, not enough time to see even the city’s famous Diamond District. What a pity!But some fellow tourists were not at all unhappy. The last day had been a hectic one and some of them had already made up their minds to slip into the sleep mode in the coach. Boy! You could hear quite a lot of rhythmic, unmusical snores. I guess, even Thor, the Norse God of Thunder and Lightning, would have found it hard to compete with that combined nasal ‘rumbling’!
After about an hour we reached Brussels, the capital of Belgium, supposed to be the most populated as well as the most bustling area. I was so eager to see this new city with its rich history that even the rain, a real let-downer,that began lashing at the coach windows all of a sudden,did not dampen my spirits.
Photo Credits: Inside 3: Atomium - kim.com; Inside 3A: Grote Markt Brussels - skyscrapercity.com
Soon we were to get off the coach. Umbrellas up! Raincoats on! The first destination for us in Brussels was the world famous Atomium. This modern structure, shaped like a unit cell of a ferrite crystal, is one of the major tourist attractions of the city. It was just a photo stop for us since the tour did not include an entry into the same. Man − I tell you − such package tours become really disappointing at some points especially when the guide informs, in a very gentle but rather firm tone, that this/that is not part of the itinerary and thus cannot be explored further due to “paucity of time”. Really a test of our patience at times!
The next stop for us was the famous Grand Place or ‘Grote Markt’ of Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. This central square has been a witness to the two World Wars and has, quite naturally, experienced everything from bombardments, destruction, demolition to, fortunately, rebuilding and reawakening.
Photo Credits:Inside 4: Godiva - insider.com; Inside 4A: Le Cygne - justmovingaround.com
The city has a special charm. So, in spite of the light drizzle that accompanied us all throughout our tour of Brussels, it was more than exciting to walk past the Town Hall, the City Museum, the very first shop for Godiva Chocolate sand all other old buildings, neatly numbered and preserved. Building no. 9, named ‘Le Cygne’ (The Swan), with the statue of a white swan over the doorway, was of particular importance. It was THE place where Karl Marx had written the Manifesto of the Communist Party.
Photo Credits:Inside 5: Manneken Pis - hertz.com; Inside 5A: Royal Palace - xinhuanet.com
Whoever sets out on a tour of Europe, will have to have pairs and pairs of walking shoes. Once out of the bus, you just WALK and WALK and WALK! Thankfully, the idea of walking on cobbled streets has always fascinated me, so I was one of the few who didn’t grumble or groan. As we moved down an alley from the Grand Place, crossed a few blocks, we found ourselves looking at something quite unique. It was the world-famous MannekenPis, a child urinating, which is like a symbol of the city itself. Several stories and tales have been spun around it. It is interesting to note that just as souvenir shops in Paris display hundreds of miniature versions of the Eiffel Tower, souvenir shops in Brussels seem to be flooded with replicas of this mere 61 cm bronze piece of art.
Back to our tour − it was time for us to explore a bit more of the city as we drove past the Royal Palace, the old Brussels Stock Exchange and the Saint-Michel Cathedral. The rain God was really upset that morning and the drizzle kept accompanying our coach all through. However, we, the half drenched tourists, still kept on asking the guide to stop at all possible places for some photo opportunity. See, I told you, no rain could dampen our spirits!
One interesting thing that caught our attention in the midst of the drizzle was the number of cyclists. Belgium is one of those countries of the world where cycling is an integral part of life itself. The nation has a good record in cycling as a sport as well. Naturally,Belgian cities are very bike-friendly and one cannot miss the large number of bicycle stands where scores of them can be seen parked together. But I wonder,will they be able to beat the cycle stands outside our railway stations? I guess, the Belgians will be in a state of shock seeing the sheer numbers in India.
Time literally flew and we had to hurry to reach the Midi Station from where we were to board the Eurostar train for a journey to London. I had always dreamt of being in a sailing vessel on the waters of the English Channel, but luck wanted me to go deep down. Our train, we were told, would enter a dark tunnel and speed on towards London with the waters above our heads!
The rain had stopped when we reached the station and the Sun had just peeped out of the clouds. But as the day was particularly windy, its rays did little to warm us up. Till date,I have never been exposed to anything so bone freezing. In no time our hands and lips turned blue. It was almost impossible to stand in the open and even the senior most member of our group did a kind of Usain Bolt sprint to enter the station for a little warmth. Once in, we rushed to the toilets to place our numb fingers under hot water taps. Thankfully, no one collapsed after the ordeal and we somehow managed to board the train and take our seats. Whew! It was indeed a COLD day and the wind chill that we faced just before moving out of Belgium was truly the ICING on the cake!
Photo credits: Banner Left: i.stack.imgur.com; Banner Center: tititudorancea.com; Banner Right: intheknow.com
Photo credits: Inside 1: American breakfast - today.com; Inside 1A: European breakfast: travelmono.com
In Germany, for example, we were privy to a mouth-watering American spread with at least 30 odd items. Similar trends continued in Switzerland and France as well. But, as we inched northwards, moved into Holland and Belgium, there was a twist in the story. Breads, breads and breads…various types of breads and sweet stuff like chocolate cornflakes, cakes and so on. But imagine no waffles, that too in Belgium!At one place we did not even have the luxury of getting eggs, leave aside meat. However, it will not be fair to criticize the entire region, but certain hotels do expose you to too sugary-sweet breakfast spreads!
Well, breakfast over, it was time to board our luxury coach and roll on towards Brussels. A really chilly October morning! In spite of being enveloped in multiple layers of clothing, the cold wind pinched us with its icy fingers. We were in the Flemish region of Belgium and thus had to begin our journey southwards, along the A12. Fortunately, on special request, our tour guide consented to take us on a very short city trip.
Photo Credits: Inside 2: Grote Markt Antwerp - freepic.com; Inside 2A: Cathedral - justmovingaround.com
The city hall at the main square (‘Grote Markt’) of Antwerp, the old Guildhouses dating back to the 16th century, the Cathedral of our Lady and the river Scheldt were some of the visual treats, before we hit the concrete highway. It had been a hurricane city tour, some how sandwiched between Antwerp and Brussels, as we had a train to catch. So, not enough time to see even the city’s famous Diamond District. What a pity!But some fellow tourists were not at all unhappy. The last day had been a hectic one and some of them had already made up their minds to slip into the sleep mode in the coach. Boy! You could hear quite a lot of rhythmic, unmusical snores. I guess, even Thor, the Norse God of Thunder and Lightning, would have found it hard to compete with that combined nasal ‘rumbling’!
After about an hour we reached Brussels, the capital of Belgium, supposed to be the most populated as well as the most bustling area. I was so eager to see this new city with its rich history that even the rain, a real let-downer,that began lashing at the coach windows all of a sudden,did not dampen my spirits.
Photo Credits: Inside 3: Atomium - kim.com; Inside 3A: Grote Markt Brussels - skyscrapercity.com
Soon we were to get off the coach. Umbrellas up! Raincoats on! The first destination for us in Brussels was the world famous Atomium. This modern structure, shaped like a unit cell of a ferrite crystal, is one of the major tourist attractions of the city. It was just a photo stop for us since the tour did not include an entry into the same. Man − I tell you − such package tours become really disappointing at some points especially when the guide informs, in a very gentle but rather firm tone, that this/that is not part of the itinerary and thus cannot be explored further due to “paucity of time”. Really a test of our patience at times!
The next stop for us was the famous Grand Place or ‘Grote Markt’ of Brussels, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. This central square has been a witness to the two World Wars and has, quite naturally, experienced everything from bombardments, destruction, demolition to, fortunately, rebuilding and reawakening.
Photo Credits:Inside 4: Godiva - insider.com; Inside 4A: Le Cygne - justmovingaround.com
The city has a special charm. So, in spite of the light drizzle that accompanied us all throughout our tour of Brussels, it was more than exciting to walk past the Town Hall, the City Museum, the very first shop for Godiva Chocolate sand all other old buildings, neatly numbered and preserved. Building no. 9, named ‘Le Cygne’ (The Swan), with the statue of a white swan over the doorway, was of particular importance. It was THE place where Karl Marx had written the Manifesto of the Communist Party.
Photo Credits:Inside 5: Manneken Pis - hertz.com; Inside 5A: Royal Palace - xinhuanet.com
Whoever sets out on a tour of Europe, will have to have pairs and pairs of walking shoes. Once out of the bus, you just WALK and WALK and WALK! Thankfully, the idea of walking on cobbled streets has always fascinated me, so I was one of the few who didn’t grumble or groan. As we moved down an alley from the Grand Place, crossed a few blocks, we found ourselves looking at something quite unique. It was the world-famous MannekenPis, a child urinating, which is like a symbol of the city itself. Several stories and tales have been spun around it. It is interesting to note that just as souvenir shops in Paris display hundreds of miniature versions of the Eiffel Tower, souvenir shops in Brussels seem to be flooded with replicas of this mere 61 cm bronze piece of art.
Back to our tour − it was time for us to explore a bit more of the city as we drove past the Royal Palace, the old Brussels Stock Exchange and the Saint-Michel Cathedral. The rain God was really upset that morning and the drizzle kept accompanying our coach all through. However, we, the half drenched tourists, still kept on asking the guide to stop at all possible places for some photo opportunity. See, I told you, no rain could dampen our spirits!
One interesting thing that caught our attention in the midst of the drizzle was the number of cyclists. Belgium is one of those countries of the world where cycling is an integral part of life itself. The nation has a good record in cycling as a sport as well. Naturally,Belgian cities are very bike-friendly and one cannot miss the large number of bicycle stands where scores of them can be seen parked together. But I wonder,will they be able to beat the cycle stands outside our railway stations? I guess, the Belgians will be in a state of shock seeing the sheer numbers in India.
Time literally flew and we had to hurry to reach the Midi Station from where we were to board the Eurostar train for a journey to London. I had always dreamt of being in a sailing vessel on the waters of the English Channel, but luck wanted me to go deep down. Our train, we were told, would enter a dark tunnel and speed on towards London with the waters above our heads!
The rain had stopped when we reached the station and the Sun had just peeped out of the clouds. But as the day was particularly windy, its rays did little to warm us up. Till date,I have never been exposed to anything so bone freezing. In no time our hands and lips turned blue. It was almost impossible to stand in the open and even the senior most member of our group did a kind of Usain Bolt sprint to enter the station for a little warmth. Once in, we rushed to the toilets to place our numb fingers under hot water taps. Thankfully, no one collapsed after the ordeal and we somehow managed to board the train and take our seats. Whew! It was indeed a COLD day and the wind chill that we faced just before moving out of Belgium was truly the ICING on the cake!
Photo credits: Banner Left: i.stack.imgur.com; Banner Center: tititudorancea.com; Banner Right: intheknow.comOther Articles in Wots Hot
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