Tuesday 17 July 2012

Antwerp from An Angle

On a overcast day by the side of the Scheldt River the signs tell both walker and sailor where they are, Antwerp or its Dutch name Antwerpen.  The building is the Zuiderterras café and restaurant which in a country that has two languages Flemish and French appears to combine the two in this word, so we have the south terrace.  Interesting how languages shift and adapt.
Walk further along and the goddess of wisdom and patroness of the arts and trade Minerva stands gazing down the river.  The tall tower belongs to the Cathedral of Our Lady and its 404 feet can been seen from every part of the city.
 Its other end is just as unique.
To get the best view of the Antwerp skyline a walk from the city through the tunnel under the river takes you to the verdant banks on the other side. On this still sunny day the sound of the church carillon on the clock drifted across the water. 
as we walked along the river path which had lots of photo opportunities which will make another appearance for this round of ABC (if I don't absent-mindedly forget, a common occurrence).  But lets head towards that red square building the MAS (Museum aan der Stroom) where one can get  
a 360 degree view over the city.  The building is situated near the location of the old Red Star line quay where 2.7 million emigrants set sail for North America. Today the area is being regenerated and there are more yachts than liners.

Setting sail for another round of ABC Wednesday


10 comments:

Leslie: said...

I was wondering what that red building was - I hope you write about it one day. Thanks for the lovely walkabout in Antwerp and have an awesome week,

Leslie
abcw team

Carol said...

Great "A" and I enjoyed this walk with you. The cathedral is gorgeous. Love the skyline shot with the wild flower foreground.

Paula Scott Molokai Girl Studio said...

Foggy or not, Antwerp is beautiful! Love Minerva!

Chubskulit Rose said...

I am curious about the red structure as well, it stands out among the buildings out there.

Roger Owen Green said...

intriguing and informative post.
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

Wanda said...

A lovely walk, indeed, and I love the picture of the skyline in the back and the flowers in the foreground. So beautiful.

VioletSky said...

The cathedral has quite an impressive tower!

Meryl said...

Those are beautiful shots showing so many facets of Antwerp.

Gerald (SK14) said...

Never been to Antwerp - thanks for the introduction to it - you could almost be an ambassador for the city

Anonymous said...

j'apprécie la statue et aussi cette jachère de fleurs