Tags: #Antwerp, #Belgium, #Christmas, #DateNight, #FamilyFriendly, #Market, #PearlofWisdom, #Wanderin'
Antwerp Christmas Market
When my family and I lived in the Netherlands, my husband and I used to get up on a Sunday, look at each other and say, “What should we do today?” If it wasn’t raining, the answer was often, “Let’s go to Belgium!” We drive and park and wander the streets of Antwerp admiring the architecture, the wide boulevards, visit the Bric-a-Brac market in Sint-Jansvliet and inevitably feast on a waffle from our favorite stand in the train station. We’d head back to Leiden before dark. We’ve visited Christmas markets in Brussels, Brugge, Paris, and Aachen. For some strange reason,
AWCA Gala Evening
The Indian summer air shimmies through the wide boulevard of the Meir – leaves on the towering trees dance. Shop lights glow in the twilight as the final shoppers are deposited, hands full of bags and eyes wide with excitement – the Saturday evening beckons. My dress bounces around my knees and high heels click on the pavement I’ve so often passed over – always pushing a stroller laden with cups, snacks, and a discarded jacket, shoe, or both. Tonight, a tiny gold purse dangles from my wrist. Freedom. I grab my husband’s suited arm and we sashay towards the
Waag
When I lived in the Netherlands, the Leiden Weigh house (De Waag), rich with history, stood vacant at the convergence of the Mare, Nieuwe and Oude Rijn canals. The building was originally opened in 1659, replacing the wooden structure that had stood on the site since 1455. Goods from cities around the Netherlands (think: cheese from Alkmaar or tulips from Lisse) were transported via the canals, and large cranes would unload the goods. The goods were then weighed and traded inside the building. The building itself was created in the Dutch Classicism style, which is similar to the town hall
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