What do you do with a London-based Aussie who arrives here in Antwerp, laden down by bottles of New Zealand red wine?Invite her to stay, but of course.
So it was that Clare, an old Istanbul friend, landed in Belgium Friday night. So we've test-driven the Kiwi reds and found them more than adequate ... (it has been SO LONG since I enjoyed good New Zealand wine).
We spent Saturday wandering in Antwerpen ... and I realised again how much I love the way that each guest gives a new view of this city I live in. The photos will prove it. We photographed cockroaches as big as my hand and all kinds of other fascinating subjects .. via graffitti.
We ate waffles and explored the so-called Foreigners Market ... due to the fact that most stall owners are of foreign origin. We sampled the multitude of free olives and feta cheeses at the Moroccan stall and then sampled some more when we arrived at the French-speaking cheese guy's stall, buying a strong-tasting Brie that went so well with the wine this evening. And Clare was lucky enough to experience that very special customer service I've only experienced in Belgium so far ... the 3 seconds to make yourself and your order clear or the salesperson moves on to the customer behind you. ;)
A bow to tradition saw us resting in my favourite pub, Elfde Gebod - The Eleventh Commandment, evoking a spiritual moment by combining the drinking of alcohol in a place religiously named.
6 comments:
Great times in Antwerp, I see. Thank god it cleared up today.
It did ... it was superb and I even have a little sunburn this morning however ... grey skies again today. I guess we have to be grateful for small mercies :)
In Belgium you must take advantage of the days the sun is out, coz otherwise it's all rain and grey skies. I hope you didn't eat to much chocolats in Brugge.
Clare bought Antwerpen's Burie chocolates today ... we ate a chocolate ladybird as we sheltered from the series of rain storms ... oh, and the one hailstorm.
Less fun today ... we went to the Middelheim open air museum and it was closed :( There are no staff so no idea why it would be locked and closed ...
Cool cockroach: PROPER graffiti: stencils are art, not that amateurish scribble the juniors do. That stencil reminds me of Banksy's Rats :)
Ah, continental cheese & red wine.. now you're talking :)
Loved Banksy's Rats ...! Must pass that site on to Clare, as she was the one who introduced me to the world of the graffiti artist.
We finished the last Australian red wine before she flew out tonight, and the need for a good Brie did come up in conversation. :)
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