Archives
Much smaller than I expected, Antwerp was pretty much destroyed by the Nazis during World War II. After walking into the city from the River Scheldt, you can see what remains of the castle/fort now being restored to become part of the cruise port entry hall along with remnants of the original medieval city walls. Long an important port city, Antwerp was occupied by Germany during the war, briefly liberated, and then… Read More
My daughter and son-in-law convinced me to watch the 2008 Colin Farrell movie In Bruges before coming here. I can’t say I would ever recommend anyone watch that dark crime/dramedy, but I did find myself looking around for landmarks. Of course, the majestic town belfry tower does play a significant role in the movie. I was planning to climb to the top of the tower – but when I found out it… Read More
It was a bleak morning when we walked into central Ghent, overcast, cloudy, and cool. Restoration has come a bit late to this city and as a result, a lot of newer construction is mixed in among the old. The castle/fort Castle Gravensteen was imposing as were the churches such as St. Bavo Cathedral and the Town Hall. This is a big city with 250,000 residents, once a very significant trading… Read More
Spending an afternoon at the Floralia Flower Show outside of Brussels was heavenly. Even if there were no flowers, who wouldn’t love visiting the grounds of the historic Kasteel van Groot-Bijgaarden. The immaculately landscaped 14-hectare park features beautiful lawns in every direction, shady paths for strolling, and a covered bridge. Birds were singing and flowers, naturally, were everywhere. The show runs annually for about a month from early April until early May… Read More
