Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam

Josh and I left for our trip to Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany, the day before Easter.  We were two of many travelers leaving London for the holiday weekend.  The train station was bustling, but we got through security fairly quickly and were soon settled in for our ride to Brussels.  We somehow had premier tickets and were treated to a nice complimentary breakfast, it was a good start to our vacation!  Josh and I arrived in Brussels around noon on Saturday.  We dropped off our bags at the hotel and headed to our first destination...Cantillon Brewery.

Breakfast on the train to Brussels.

Cantillon Brewery - Home of Lambics!!!

Josh and I tasting some beer!

The main reason I was excited about our trip to Belgium, was that it is the home of Lambic beers, and I LOVE lambics!  Lambics are produced by spontaneous fermentation of wild yeasts, unlike most beers which have the yeast introduced to it by brewers.  The beer is then left to age for up to three years, then blended with fruits.  My favorites are the Kriek (cherry) and Framboise (raspberry), but I also tried a peach one that was fantastic.  The highlight of our time in Belgium was definitely the beer! 

Me at the Cantillon Brewery in Brussels

Josh with some Lambic barrels at the Cantillon Brewery

While the beer was a highlight, the rest of Brussels was a disappointment.  Sadly, it is not a city I would recommend as a holiday spot.  The city gives off the feel of neglect with buildings and roads that are in disrepair and there is trash everywhere.  Brussels seems to be overrun with beggars and homeless.  We saw people living along the streets and in the bus depot, their areas carved out by piles of clothes, blankets and mattresses.  Despite being the capital of the European Union, it seems as if the city and it's people have been deemed unimportant by the country. 

The main tourist areas seemed to be in better conditions, but we were put off by the high prices at the restaurants.  We ended up forgoing restaurant meals for Subway and kebab shops. 

The unofficial symbol of Brussels is the Manneken Pis, a bronze statue of a little boy peeing...

Manneken Pis

And not to be outdone, a little girl peeing...

Hhhhmm...peeing on the street...now where have I seen that before??  It certainly seems to be a popular European pastime.  I really don't blame them though, when you have to pay up to 1 euro to use a bathroom!  I'm surprised I didn't have to pay to use the bathroom in our hotel room...seriously ridiculous!  Each bathroom has its own attendant who takes your money and then cleans the bathroom after you finish.  I like the cleaning part, but I was weirded out by the ladies outside the door listening to me pee! 

The main tourist area of Brussels was situated around the Grand Place or Grote Market.  There, you can find a variety of chocolate shops, souvenir shops, restaurants and Belgium waffle stands.

Josh at the Grand Place

My first Belgian waffle :)

Belgium chocolate and beer shops.

On Easter morning, Josh and I went to St. Micheal and St. Gudula Catholic church.  St. Micheal's was a beautiful church and it was extremely crowded with Easter celebrants.  The church was enormous and Josh and I sat toward the back, it seemed like the officiants were really far away!  One of the priests had a red cap on, I think he may have been a cardinal.  The mass was said in French, but I was still able to follow a little.  Amen and Alleluia are the same in French and in English and I loved hearing the choir sing Alleluia.  The choir was fantastic.  I kept closing my eyes during the service just so I could hear their voices better, it was beautiful.

Easter mass at St. Micheal's in Brussels

The exterior of St. Micheal's in Brussels

The baptismal font at St. Micheal's

 After Easter mass, Josh and I had plans to visit a few tourist attractions that were north of the city.  Unfortunately, the city buses were not running that day, so we ended up just wandering around the city.  We came across a park that was quite nice. 

Me...freezing at a park in Brussels!

Josh and his new friend...some kind of armless merman!

This lions expression cracks me up!  He reminds me of the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz.

The day after Easter was a bank holiday in Brussels and the UK.  Josh and I took a train from Brussels to Antwerp.  Antwerp was a much cleaner, nicer city than Brussels was.  Many of the shops were closed because of the holiday, but there was still plenty to see in Antwerp.

The front of the train station in Antwerp, Belgium.

Antwerp city hall

St. James church in Antwerp

Our day in Antwerp was cold and rainy.  Josh and I stopped at a pub and enjoyed a pint as the rain fell.  Directly opposite from the pub was a bakery.  We decided to get a few treats after drinking our beer and I enjoyed a delicious cream puff and a coconut macaroon. 

View from a pub in Antwerp on a rainy day.

We walked along the river in Antwerp and then came upon a tunnel that would take us to the other side.  To get to the bottom of the tunnel, we had to take the original wooden escalators to the bottom. 

Wooden escalator in a tunnel across the river in Antwerp

Josh and I on the river in Antwerp...yes, it was cold!

Josh in Antwerp

Josh and I really enjoyed our day in Antwerp...it would have been nicer if the weather would have cooperated, but we can't have it all!  We made it back to our hotel in Brussels and prepared for our bus ride to the second country of the trip, the Netherlands, for a visit to Amsterdam the next day.

As soon I set eyes on Amsterdam, I fell in love.  I haven't visited too many European cities yet, but I think Amsterdam will be hard to beat!  In all honesty, my expectations for Amsterdam had not been that high.  I have always assumed it was a seedy city, rife with prostitutes and people high on marijuana.  To my pleasant surprise, Amsterdam was clean, well cared for and beautiful city.  There is a canal system that rings the city and gives it sparkle.  The streets are all paved with stones and tram rails are embedded in the brick.  The architecture is stunning and mostly original.  The city has taken great pains to preserve the history and charm of each individual building.  The houses are narrow and tall and each one has a hook near the roof so that furniture can be moved in and out.  Some of the houses are obviously leaning, but not in a derelict way, but in a "settled in" way.  There are bicycles everywhere...it is obvious it is the main form of transportation for the city.  Bikes line the canal and streets. 

Beautiful Amsterdam

An old leany building in Amsterdam

Amsterdam canal

Of course, Amsterdam has a reputation for two things, legalized prostitution and marijuana.  Both "products" are easily available if you are looking for them.  Josh and I walked through the red light district the night that we arrived.  The district is actually a small portion of the city and most of the businesses are down small alley's.  There are ladies, wearing very little, standing in windows lit by red neon lights.  Along the main "red light district" streets, there are a few lighted windows, but mostly there are restaurants, bars and coffee shops.  We saw people of all ages in the district, including families with children.  If it is possible to do prostitution and drugs in a "classy" way, Amsterdam had done it.  Never did I feel unsafe or uncomfortable.  There are strict regulations on the sex trade and marijuana use and it seems as if residents and visitors are happy to comply.  Marijuana is only available at coffee shops, it is not sold in bars that serve alcohol or in convenience stores.  Marijuana joints and baked goods can not be smoked in public, but it can be purchased at coffee shops and taken home to smoke or eat in private. 

Amsterdam's red light district at night.

Red light district.

Red lights in the red light district.

Prostitution and marijuana are just a small part of what Amsterdam has to offer.  There are many museums and churches to visit as well as canal rides and history tours.  The main Amsterdam attraction seems to be the Anne Frank House, were Anne and her family hid during the Nazi invasion of Holland.  We had to wait in line for over an hour to get into the museum, but in my mind, it was really worth the wait.  I remember reading the diary of Anne Frank as a young girl and thinking how awful it would be to not be able to feel the sun on your face or the grass beneath your feet.  I imagined the rooms that they hid in to be quite small, but in person, they seemed spacious.  I am sure though, with eight people sharing the rooms, that they felt small very quickly.  Josh and I actually got to walk up the narrow steep stairs that led to the secret annex and see the bookcase specially built to hide the entrance to the annex.  We saw the marks on the wall where Anne's father, Otto, tracked the growth of his two children during their years in hiding.  We were able to see the room that Anne stayed in, the walls adorned with pictures cut out from magazines to help brighten her space.  We were also able to view actual pages from Anne's diary, describing her daily life and thoughts.  Of the eight people who shared the space in the annex, only Otto survived the war. 

Me next to a statue of Anne Frank

The Anne Frank House

After our visit to Anne Frank's House, Josh and I took a canal tour of Amsterdam.  I loved it!

Amsterdam from the canal

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Josh and I were sad to say goodbye to Amsterdam.  If we would have known how much we would enjoy the city, we would have planned to stay longer!  Hopefully we will get the chance to visit again.  That is it for me for now!  I'll write about the rest of our trip in a few day! 

Rachel