Antwerp

My new friend Bri and I headed to the port city of Antwerp, and the next stop on my Belgian tour. Bri was accompanying me just for the day, but I had a couple of nights booked. We arrived in one of the most beautiful train stations in Europe. It was almost straight out of Harry Potter.

Antwerp Central train station. 

I checked into my hostel and we went looking for food (frites with steak sauce). Antwerp was a bit larger than I had expected, but as we explored, I found it wasn't as large as I initially thought. Just compared to Bruges, it seemed bigger. We went to check out the sights.

St. Paul's Church.

Town Hall.

I wanted to walk under the Schelde River through the Sint-Annatunnel. It looked like it went on forever, but was really only a quarter of a mile long. We walked to the other end and had some nice views of the city across the river.

Under the Schelde River. 

Antwerp.

We didn't stay for too long and went back through the tunnel to keep exploring the Old Town.

Art.

Flemish architecture in Grote Markt. 

Het Steen.

After all our walking, it was time to eat again. We had to get more waffles, and this time with ice cream. It was so good. Honestly, you could add ice cream to anything and I'm on board with it.

Waffles and ice cream. Yes, please.

Bri had to head back to Bruges, but before we said goodbye, we got to see a beautiful sunset.

Sun setting on Antwerp.

That evening, I hung out at the hostel to make dinner and plan out the next few days. The following morning, I headed out for a run. Antwerp isn't the most friendly running city. I found a park to get run in, but it wasn't very large, and was hassled by a few guys on my way. There is a great bike path, but due to construction, it was a little tricky to run on. Even with those challenges, it was good to see some more of the port side of the city. 

Port of Antwerp.

After my run, I spent the day wandering around Antwerp. And drinking beer. 

Inside Central Station.

Hidden alleys.

Doors and bikes.

Antwerp streets.

It was time to grab a beer, and I found a cute cafe bookstore to have one in. I hung out for a bit and tried a new beer recommended by the bartender.

Beer at a bookstore.

I caught Grote Markt at dusk with the lights reflecting off the rain before making another stop at a popular cozy bar for another drink before dinner. 

Nighttime scenes.

I went back to the hostel and met some people while I was making dinner. I drank the beer I had gotten at the grocery store, plus some other alcohol that my new friends were sharing. The next morning was a little rough. This is why you don't mix beer, bourbon, and wine. Fortunately, I didn't have very far to travel, and wasn't in a hurry, so I managed. I made my way to the train station in the rain, and was in Brussels in a very short amount of time. It was time make the most of the last stop on my trip.