Trains and planes and transfers,
tickets, grand magnifeicent grand old central station
helpful kind understand chatty people
service with a smile
lovely rooom with bath , shower , bidet and comfy big bed
telly with hundreds of channels in many languages
pleasure filled sensuous days and nights
tastes, scents ,waffles sold on the street ,
shops filled with chocolate ,
shops filled with diamonds ,
diamond museum right next door ,
supposedly a "must" that I didn't visit
yummy food .. mmmmmmmmm hundreds of different beers
walking walking and more walking
aftrenoon power naps and relaxing hot lavender bath
mmmmmmm hits all the spots
impressions galore , adventures in the old town
powerspots in gigantic old cathedral
Cafes , brasseries , restaurants
colourful boutiques, amazing creative fashions
chocolate chocolate and chocolate everywhere dark 80% proof and wicked
Sabor y company limited , Grote Markt 28
Rammy and partner opened coffee shop 6 months ago
house on four floors
bottom floor and firt flor done
third and fourth floor living quaters
fantastic view of old town and Cathedral
creative enterprise
Can imagine old town in the summer
bohemian , artistic , cosy
outside cafe's and fun hidden away places
wouldn't mind living here
spending more time here
was quite surprised
antwerp is also right in the middle of things
Paris , Amsterdam , London all within easy reach
a few hours away by train, car a plane
had deja view while in the old town
and passed several power spots
amazing discoveries

It's great to get away, especially off season and during the week, not a weekend. Prices are reasonable , special campaigns everwhere. You travel with with the men in suits and few high-powered women in suits.

Plenty of time is a must to allow for worry free transfers to the airport. These days I've learned to check myself in at one of those machines using my Eurobonus card. It's dead easy - you just touch the screen and answer questions and your boarding card and luggage tag comes out easy peasy. Then all you have to do is drop you bag at a queue free check in. On the way back I was allowed to check in first class , cos it happened to be free , AND ,, my little red case decorated with six luminous butterflies came out first ! It's never happened before .I was right chuffed.

The train transfer from Brussels to Antwerp is a little more complicated when you haven't done it before. They keep changing the platforms and the announcements aren't understandable.Schmergidergi language ;-) People are so helpful though . EVeryone I met was very friendly, chatty and helpful. Earth angels , the lot of them. So impressed.

A girl from Bangladesh who lived in Antwerp helped me first. Her English was excellent. she worked for Sony and was an ambitious career climber who was frustrated and stuck because of an obstinate nasty boss who insisted in standing in her way, despite her loyalty, hard work, skills and merits.

FOund the hotel easily , right opposite the Central Station- which by the way is amagnificent grand building.

My room was lovely- everything worked. The bath was huge and there was a bidet too. I'd brought special laveder bath salts with me so I must have had at least 6 baths while I was there lol .. I love baths .... and I don't have one at home , so it was BLISS.. you can't imagine.

A huge buffet breakfast was included and my eggs were cooked fresh for me on the spot. Fruit too and a machine that you fed with bread and it came out as toast

I could get used to this life style... big comfy bed and bath ... yes, and I am a happy camper.

Wish I had pics to post - so many images and impressions imprinted in my head CPU .

There I was , happily drinking my café alongé , nibbling my yummy still warm crusty and flaky croissant while gazing out of the window onto the statue in the middle of the De Grote Markt. Antwerp.

" Oh, that's the statue depicting the story of how Antwerp got its name " says Rammy , one of the two owners of the café.

" You see , there was once a monster who lived near the river and would ask everyone who crossed the river to pay a toll. If they refused, he would chop off their hand . He continued to do this until the hero Brabo came along and cut off the moster's hand instead . ".

Hence the name Ant- werpen from Dutch "hand werpen " = hand-throwing.
So now we know

http://www.feratel.com/panoramabild.jsp?CMSSystemID=17&CMSLinkTypID=15&checkit=1&country=15_0107&state=&village=9030&Submit3.x=14&Submit3.y=7

www.feratel.com Rammy tells me the feratel web cam is constantly on the square , so his mum gets to see him every day when he walks across the square .