I think that after 3 years in Europe, our 2 favorite countries to visit were the Netherlands and Belgium. The Dutch are just super nice and it is fun to be there. The Belgians are also kind, supportive of Americans and still remember WWII and the assistance given by the US. Both of these countries were also close to where we lived so this may be the reason I remember them with fondness. In the end, we hold Belgium in high regard because it was both our first and last trip to Europe and they make the finest chocolate in the world (the latter fact being very important) :)
One city we had not visited was Antwerp. Some cities like Antwerp require special driving permits for your car and given the situation of COVID-19 and not being sure leading up to our trip if we were going to be able to go, we did not purchase a driving permit. So we instead decided to drive to the nearest train station just outside the area that required a permit, purchased some train tickets, and commuted into Antwerp.
The first place we visited was Saint Anna's Tunnel which runs underneath the Scheldt River in Antwerp. 1876 feet of long monotonous tunnel.
But there are cool escalators made of wood made in the 1930s which were cool to see.
And people commuting via bicycle. I think the world (especially the USA) needs more of this.
While I was getting a view of the river, Camille decided she needed to use the toilet and could not wait. One thing about Europe, public bathrooms are not a thing. And when they are, you have to hunt for them and then pay for them. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic so much was closed that this made findings a bathroom even harder...
So adventure #1 (other than driving to another country and riding the train) was overcoming the fact we had a change of clothes but had left it in the car...
So after we walked the tunnel a second time and rode the wooden escalators again, I bought the kids a pastry and went hunting for clothes for Camille.
Google maps led me to "Children's Clothing" shops but pants looked like hand-me-downs from the 1980s and were 70 Euro a piece! Gratefully I found a worker in one of these stores that pointed me towards a shopping mall where I was able to find pants and underwear (some of the best kids underwear we ever found to date mind you, Camille loved them).
Here we are after getting Camille dressed and were ready for the day
Some candid shots by Jari
After this, we set off on foot to find a few things to see.
Antwerp is home to fantastic architecture and history.
Here we are at the Statue of Silvius Brabo
Wikipedia explains this best:
Silvius Brabo [ˈsɪɫviəz ˈbraːboː] was a mythical Roman soldier who was said to have killed a giant, and by this would have created the name Brabant.
Later this story was also used to explain the name Antwerp ('Antwerpen' in Dutch) which, according to the story, is a derivative of 'Antwerpen' (meaning hand throwing). Brabo once killed a giant, called Druon Antigoon, who asked money from people who wanted to pass the bridge over the river Scheldt. When they didn't want to or couldn't pay, he cut off their hand and threw it in the river. Because of this, Brabo also removed the hand of the giant and threw it into the river.
Love the old homes which probably cost millions of dollars to own these days
More pictures of the same thing, from my camera this time
At some point, we sat down for lunch which the kids chose from the grocery store.
Side note for those with kids: it is far less expensive and easier to shop at the grocery store for lunch for kids than at a restaurant. At least it has been for us. There is nothing more painful than sitting down to lunch only to spend 30 minutes keeping kids from fighting while you wait for something like pizza which is way overpriced.
Sandwiches and Sushi
Unfortunately, our eating schedule interfered with touring the town as we sat too long and missed the chance to enter the cathedral there :(
Jari and I never tired of the beauty of the cathedrals in Europe. These doors are the portals or entrance into the narthex vestibule, and the doors are planks of wood with wrought-iron strap hinges. The carvings in the rounded section are the tympanum and are iconic Catholic doctrine and Bible depictions.
(Random dog statue built into the square outside the cathedral)
Jari found this picture nearby that looked like our kids loving the dog also
More urban art during construction
Walking through the streets is sometimes just as fun as seeing statues and going to museums. We don't have places like this in the USA
A highlight of Antwerp was a visit to the Chocolate Factory. We went to a chocolate factory in Cologne when we first arrived in Germany which was good but this one was much better for so many reasons. We had to be there at a certain time and almost didn't make it due to the youngest wanting to walk at her own pace.
But we made it!
In each room, the kids were on the lookout for this little chocolatier.
We all received little audio guides that you simply scanned near points of interest and it would teach you about the history and process of chocolate making.
Camille had to pee in the middle of the tour and we could not go back. We had already had 1 accident so I took this threat of urination seriously. Gratefully my phone had service and I was able to call the front desk of the factory and ask for an escort out of the tour to use the bathroom. Consequently, I missed some of the cool things in the tour which explained how chocolate is made.
There were informational posters highlighting chocolate in various ways. Some just fun advertisements
Some areas of the tour were closed off during the pandemic.
Here we are in a small chocolate shop with antiques from a time when pralines and truffle creation were on the rise around the world
A few families were highlighted as well who were known for their teamwork in making things like truffles that we enjoy now.
This was a fun section of the tour. An overhead projector played a fun dessert creation for us. It delighted the kids.
Dad's video
Mom's view x 2
And onward to some fantastic chocolate creations!
Each of these ranges between 1-2 feet in size.
Here is a chunk of Rose or Pink Chocolate which is a natural variety of chocolate that has a subtle fruity flavor. It was discovered in 2017 and we were able to sample some at the end of the tour.
Here are some chocolate castles. I don't remember why these were made.
In the end, there are lots of fondue options to sample chocolate but due to COVID-19, these were closed. So the museum/factory provided us with gift bags for each person (made me feel less guilty about the price of admission)
Chocolate vault in the souvenir shop
Exiting the tour we found ourselves right next to China Town.
Every large city in the world has a China Town I think.
We attempted to visit Het Steen but it was closed for construction 👎😥 It was built to protect against Viking raiders apparently.
Oh, we also enjoyed some nice hot Belgian fries. We miss French fries which are popular in Belgium. Healthy? No. Enjoyable? Yes.
The last stop was to see the Giant Hand of Antigoon statue before jumping on the train again.
While we have camped at times, we prefer to stay at Air BnBs along the way. We had a great stay at a cute home not far from the train station. I stopped by a Carrefour for some chocolate (great Belgian chocolate without the high prices of the big city) and dinner ingredients. While there Camille decided to pee her pants in the cart and I noticed that she was dripping. For real?!?!?
The next morning I went for a nice run and as usual, took pictures of the area around us.
The next stop was Aachen which is inside Germany and about 1.5 hours from home. It is not a large city but is charming.
Our destination was the Cathedral as it has a rich history. Its construction was ordered by Emperor Charlemagne who united a big part of Europe under Catholicism, which meant peace and some prosperity. The rounded roof is the Palatine (palatial) Chapel, which is Romanesque, and where the throne for Karl der Grosse, Charles Martel, Charles the Great, or Charlemagne is located. It is Romanesque. The rest of the Aachen Cathedral is Gothic.
Sadly for us, Mass was in session and they would not let us in as tourists.
The next stop was the Aachen Zoo. I know some people hate the zoo and find it inhumane to lock up animals but I for one love going to the zoo and the kids do as well.
I love Red Pandas! I think they are one of my favorite animals to look at. I love their color patterns.
Still don't know what this thing is... A Rabikangapig? It's like a bunch of animals went through IVF and things were terribly wrong...
These chickens were awesome with their head plumage!
They had some small rodents that the kids fed them with seeds they found...
...as well as their fingers. At least, Camille, had her finger sampled.
I think Canadian Geese are some of the meanest birds on the planet. This is the closest I have dared come in years.
Padlock fence
The zoo had a great playground which we enjoyed more than once.
On to our last event: Dreilandenpunt (Three Land's Point): Where Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands come together on the map).
Plan ahead, there are NO public toilets here at all. The only toilets require you to sit down at the restaurant... From what we saw in the distant woods people don't always frequent the restaurants to use the toilet
Other than a photo op, the reason we came here was to go through this labyrinth. I had been planning this trip for 2 years and every time we had free time to go (when I was simultaneously thinking about the labyrinth) it was either closed due to the time of year or closed for some other reason.
It is a legitimate labyrinth. Unlike corn mazes, there is no cutting through the bushes. They also have these fun fountains that turn on and off at random intervals.
At times we got tired of waiting...
Other times we just got soaked while it turned on while we were crossing.
Most people spend about 1 hour here...
After failing for an hour and a half and ready to give up I started a GPS track. While not accurate it does tell part of our story here.
We found our way to the entrance a few times. Here I am trying to cheat using google maps...
Eventually, we went in the exit and tried to reverse engineer our way to the entrance.
We did eventually figure it out.
An experience like that calls for a souvenir. We still laugh about it to this day-- the time we got lost in a maze most people can pass through in under an hour.
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