September 15th Antwerp 1 of 3

So we left Bruges, and took an hour long train ride to to Antwerp. This station is amazing, probably 6 levels of trains topped off with this early 20th century reception hall.

The grand stairway, towards the ticket office was so nice…wish I had taken a few in black and white, felt like something out of another era.

Looking up from the entry way near the ticket office, this grand atrium.Walking down the main street from the train station to our hotel. I love the guilding across Belgium, but these buildings with their dark black against the bright gold are stunning. This art deco addition to a much older structure. The Goddess Electra gonna toss you a lightning bolt…This was on a corner a few blocks from our hotel. I wish I knew how to find the history of such decorations, especially when not really attached to some obvious hotel/museum/palace etc.This is one of my favorite shots in a while. Antwerp isnt the most intriguing city to visit to many European visitors, but I love it. I came here in 2001 or 2002 with my friend Brett to see YES in concert. We also checked out the museum and home of Peter Paul Reubens, the famous painter. Reubens like to paint his women large and shapely, thus the term, ‘Rubenesque’. Here is a statue in the main square of Reubens himself, with the gorgeous cathedral behind him.Another great shot of Saviya ‘on the ball’ in Antwerp. She used this shot for her magazine as well.

Here again is the main square, with its ladder front guilded buildings…And the carriage drawn by massive horses.We took a walk down the waterfront along the river. I had hoped to return to this building below. Its a 1000 year old castle that has been repurposed as a maritime museum. Unfortunately it was under renovation and we could not enter. But so nice! And one piece of information that I found interesting and funny at all once.  Look at the picture below. There is a carved stone about 3 feet over the middle of the archway. This stone was the oldest thing in Antwerp. It was rescued from another structure that had been destroyed. This structure was from the first or second century and was a carving of a god of fertility. Pretty cool!

-Colin