Antwerp

I absolutely love the few times I have had the chance to explore a place with a local. There's something wonderful about seeing a place through their eyes or finding little spots you otherwise wouldn't have. I had that opportunity in Antwerp (the birthplace of my Grandmother) so I had to take it! I met Melissa my first week into this trip in Valencia Spain which now feels like a lifetime ago. She's Belgian, lives in Antwerp, and was nice enough to not only show me around but let me stay with her for the weekend.  She educated me a bit more on Belgian beer, showed me the city, and we had plenty of time to catch up.

Some highlights...

Antwerp Central Station, also in the heart of the Diamond
District which we did walk around but unfortunately they
were all closed. It is a very large district however with
several streets full of different jewelers.

Belgians usually buy their chocolate at the supermarket. It's cheaper, tastes pretty darn good, and you avoid all the annoying tourists. As a good little tourists I've been doing like the locals and went to the supermarket for my chocolate but my local tour guide insisted that I had to try some Belgian chocolate from a cute little Belgian chocolate store so I did and they were delicious!

This is a shopping mall with a glass ceiling and an oversized champagne glass that has a champagne bar in it.

Every European city has an ornate Cathedral!

Town Hall with the statue of Brabo in front

This is Brabo, he's the hero that folklore says saved and also named the city. There was a giant (following picture) who was mean, as giants generally are, and exacted a toll for anyone trying to cross the river. If someone didn't pay the toll he ripped of their head and threw it in the river. Well this dude ripped off the giants head and threw it in the river, poetic justice I guess. Antwerpen (the Belgian name) comes from "hand werpen"which in Dutch means to throw.

Melissa showed me the oldest street in Antwerp that dates back to the 16th century. It was located through a tiny walkway from the main street and I would never have found it. It now has a couple of restaurants which apparently are over priced and not that good but for lunch Melissa took me to another place that I would have never found. Again we had to walk through a tiny unsuspecting walkway and I had a magnificent caesar salad.

This is not only genius it also makes complete sense considering the Belgians like their beer! This was in that 16th-century street and was designed to help your key find the hole if you were drunk. If you put the key up against either perpendicular side you can follow the metal with your key down to the hole. I could have used this a few times in my life!

A 16th century basement turned into a restaurant