Belgium is not the Netherlands

But it’s not that different. They speak Dutch (in parts). They have Albert Heijn grocery stores. They accept Euro and ride bicycles. But immediately as you step off the train, you are faced with the fact that Belgium is not the Netherlands. The magnificent and ornate Antwerp Central station belies nothing of the Dutch practicality that I found in Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam, it is pure spectacle. And it was only a taste of what I would find throughout Antwerp.

That said, just two weeks into my trip and I’m already having trouble remembering where I am. It doesn’t help that the language is the same. Except that it means that the handful of phrases that I’ve memorized, and mostly been too shy to even utter, are still good here. Alstublieft (please), dank u wel (thanks, very much), goedemiddag (good afternoon). Maybe one of these phrases will leave my lips at more than a whisper (they won’t). English is still so commonly understood and spoken, that it’s hard to break the habit of just defaulting to it. But no one seems terribly put out by it. Save for that one old woman on the street, who seemed to think that it was my fault that a random newspaper was lying twenty feet away from where I was sitting at a cafe table. Or at least I think that’s what she was saying. Ik spreek geen Nederlands (I can’t speak Dutch).

Shine Bright Like a Diamond

Antwerp is famous as a diamond capital of the world. The central train station releases you directly into Diamant, the diamond district. The streets are adorned with glittering storefronts, with rings, necklaces and anything else that a jeweler sees fit to bedazzle. To say the shiny displays held little interest for me would be downplaying my feelings considerably. Though, I did find it amusing when I came back a couple of days later to photograph the train station and I needed to remember that I had locked my bike in front of Diamond World, rather than Diamond Planet, the shop two storefronts over.

I, again, picked a hostel that was a good hike away from the center of town. This one was pretty swank as far a hostels go. It featured a very comfortable co-working space, a fully outfitted kitchen and a sixth floor rooftop patio with bar service. All in all, it made for an enjoyable stay.

Antwerp, my entry point into Belgium, has a rich and varied history that I learned almost nothing about. Opting instead for a self-guided wander through the streets, seeing what I could see and comparing it to what I’d recently seen.

At the street level, Antwerp is noticeably different from the Dutch cities. The buildings are an eclectic mix of styles and ages. You still have the narrow town and row-houses, three or four stories tall, some looking a little worse for the wear. Narrow, alley-like streets lined with dozens of these buildings on each block. But, where the Dutch buildings are likely to be of a cohesive style, Antwerp’s can be incredibly different from building to building. Simple, modern buildings with clean lines, sit shoulder to shoulder with hundred and fifty year old neoclassical inspired motifs complete with fluted columns and intricate bas reliefs, which themselves abut on art nouveau beauties with dynamic flowing lines and giant, round portals for windows. Every street is a cacophony of forms.

The Belgians do not share the Dutch disdain for public statuary. You can find large sculptural displays scattered through the streets of Antwerp. They adorn many squares and rounds, celebrating the achievements of various historical figures. Though not without the inherent risks of literally raising specific human beings on pedestals. See the story of a statue of Leopold II, removed from the streets of Ekeren, Antwerp in 2020. Increased criticism of his bloody and brutal colonial regime in the Congo Free State during the late 1800s and early 1900s led to repeated vandalism. Activists doused the statue in red paint, symbolizing the blood on the hands of the second Belgian monarch.

My wander eventually brought me to the historic center of Antwerp, with the obvious crown jewel in the form of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal (Cathedral of Our Lady). This enormous gothic cathedral looms over everything in the vicinity. Its massive, over-exaggerated scale giving you the sense of being nothing but an ant for the giant beings that would inhabit this massive structure.

Just around the corner is the Stadhuis Antwerpen (Antwerp City Hall), bedecked in flags from nations around the world. The square in front holds the famous Brabofontein (Brabo’s fountain). This strange statue depicts a nude figure, holding a severed hand (from which, water spouts out into the fountain, though the fountain wasn’t on I during my visit) poised to hurl it as far as he can. The subject of the fountain refers to a 15th century legend of Silvius Brabo and the giant Druoon Antigoon, and is based on the folk etymology for the city of Antwerp’s name. From Wikipedia, “Antwerpen is a composition of the Dutch words “(h)ant” (hand) and “werpen” (throw or launch).”

Chatty Belgians

The following day, I rented a bike from the hostel and found my way to a large nature reserve to the north of the city, Oude Landen (Old Lands). I found a beautiful, wooded park with a thick underbrush. Immediately, bird song emerged from the trees and encouraged me further along the path. Acorns fell freely from the oaks that surrounded, perhaps marking where the little songbirds were flitting from branch to branch, or maybe just because it was their time. I don’t really know how acorns work.

I spent a good half-hour tracking some chiffchaffs (tiny brown birds, about the size of a finch) through the bushes, trying to get a clear picture. Without luck. However, in my endeavors I came across a number of other hikers in the park. With exception, each one of them made a friendly approach and asked what I was doing. When I responded by saying I only spoke English, each one casually switched over from Dutch and asked their question again. They all seemed delighted with my pursuits and made some small conversation, one even asked to see what I had manage to capture. The Belgian nature seems to be rather curious and pleasant, a welcome change from the city streets where everyone does their best to politely ignore everyone else.

Eventually, I managed to find a couple of lookouts busy with activity of the little songbirds that had been teasing me with hints and glimmers for the past half-hour. I would then spend another hour and half, waiting for them to make their brief appearances so I could snap some photos. It’s amazing how quickly the time slipped away. As I had entered the forest, I could hear some bells chiming out for noon, and I stirred from my final shooting position, I heard the same bells chiming out twice.

Seeing the Sights

I made my move, knowing that I still had another number of sights that I want to shoot before my day was done. Before the day was up, I made my way to Zaha Hadidplein, containing the Port Authority Building, a fantastic hybrid of a modern glass outgrowth sat atop of a traditional Hanseatic style office building. I made a quick pass by MAS (MAS – Museum aan de Stroom) which highlights Antwerp and its connection to the wider world. The building itself is a brilliant red sandstone, cut across by glass panels as though a river flowing across the building. Finally, I rode through the busy and cluttered streets of the historic district and Diamant, on my way to shoot the aforementioned train station.

All in all, Antwerp did not rank too highly in the list of cities I’ve visited so far. Something about it left me feeling cold, despite the warm and friendly interactions I had with the people of city. There are definitely some beautiful sights to see, but it just wasn’t the place for me.

Bird Corner

Antwerp is a smallish and dense city, full of narrow alleys and busy streets, but not many parks large enough to support more than the normal city birds. At the outskirts, in Oude Landen, I did manage to track down some songbirds, but otherwise it wasn’t a great hit, birdwise.

Where Next?

I’ve just left Ghent after a few days there, and I’m currently in Brussels. I have a few days here before I leave Belgium behind and move into France!