Our Sunday Afternoon in Antwerp

Finally recovering from jet-lag, we drove to Antwerp on Sunday. It's only about an hour away from Brugge by car. Antwerp is home to the fifth largest port in the world and is also known as the "diamond center of the world." Much to my surprise, I didn't see one jewelry store or any diamonds. After researching, it's more for diamond trading and for large retailers not for the average tourist. Scott gave out a big sigh of relief!

We decided to take the horse and carriage ride which gave us a quaint 20 minute tour of the city. Below are a few highlights:

The picture above is from the GroteMarkt (Center Square) Everything focuses around the center statue of a Roman soldier who freed the port of Antwerp by defeating the Antigoon (that's what the tour book says) and throwing his severed hand into the water. You can't see it but the statue shows him holding the hand. Off of the GroteMarkt are several shopping streets along with restaurants and bars. Their shopping is a lot better than Brugge's.

Antwerp is also home to the Antwerp Cathedral. It is the largest gothic church in the low countries. The Cathedral took 170 years to build and was gutted by fire and vandals in the 16th century and restored in the 18th century.

The first picture is of a castle built in the 11th century to protect the city against the Vikings. In the 18th century it became a prison and it is now a museum.

I hope to have the rest of the pictures from our trip on Kodak Gallery by the end of the week. I'll add a link to view next week.

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It's good to be back in Belgium. I was gone about 2 weeks with only a carry-on suitcase in tow. I spent the first couple of nights with my brother-in-law, John - sister-in-law, Nicole - nephew, Max - and mother-in-law, Jacke. Then on to a hotel with Scott while he was in Georgia working. Finally, my last stop was Albany to visit my parents: Mike and Sandy and friends: Shannon, Josh, and Ashley.

I've only been out of the U.S. now for about 2 months, but I was a crazy woman in all of the grocery stores and Walmart/Target stores. I guess being gone you realize how much you miss the things you are usually able to get within a 15 minute drive. I look back now and see the error of my ways. Every single item I bought from the grocery store to take back with me, I really didn't need - It was just a want. Serves me right though, we made Kraft macaroni and cheese the first night I got back and it didn't even taste good. We've narrowed the problem down to the water, butter, or milk. Next time I visit, I won't be filling my suitcase full of wants - only necessities!

Thanks to everyone who reads the BLOG regularly. A lot of you have renamed the BLOG, the mis-adventures of Lacy, so here's another mis-adventure:

At the time, when I was buying all of the food and miscellaneous stuff to bring back my goal was to only buy what I could fit in my carry-on suitcase. By day 2, I had enough stuff for another suitcase. I plied everything into an extra suitcase I had at my parents and headed off to the ATL airport with 2 carry-0n size suitcases, a soft carry-on bag and a large purse (and my all needed neck pillow, of course!) Being the stubborn person that I am, I've decided that I won't mail anything back, but I'll deal with the luggage while traveling...how hard can it be.

I get off the plane in Brussels and had to wait in the customs line an hour and a half lugging my carry-on bag and large purse with me all the while. It's very heavy at this point. The train schedule that I had previously reviewed on-line gives me a 10:04 train and a 10:34 train. I really want to make the 10:04 train b/c that's the one that I've written in detail the stops. The 10:34 train all I know is it gets to the airport at 10:34 and I have to change trains twice. The 10:04 is just 1 train change.

At 9:45, I've just gotten through customs and have arrived at the baggage claim. Luckily, my bags are already there and this is my first attempt at rolling all of the luggage by myself through a crowed airport. The train station is several floors below so I decide to take the elevator instead of the escalator due to my time constraints. I think I only knocked a few people down along the way and I finally reach the elevator. The people in there didn't hold the door for me and I missed that elevator. I guess that was my KARMA for knocking the other people in my way. (Usually, that would be no big deal but, I have about 5 minutes to pay for a train ticket and find my level to meet the train.) I make the next elevator and successfully, purchase my train ticket, then my day starts going down hill. The escalator is broken to go to the train stop down below, so I must carry all of my luggage down. I have about 50lbs in each hand, plus my carry-on, purse, and now the annoying neck pillow. I thought I was going to go head first down the stairs. At this point I realize I'm not super-woman and think it can't get that much worse. The train pulls in (whoo, hoo I made the 10:04 train) and I stop to get on one bag up the train stairs at a time. I sit as close to the door as possible so it will be less to lug off. As I go to get off the train for my train change, I lift my bags and realize I can't go down the steep train stairs with both bags. I put one down and get off the trains and drag the rest off. I just held up the train for about 5 minutes, but I got off.

I have no clue where my next train is so I stand at the line for a minute resting because at this point I'm very sore from lifting the bags and can we say "jet-lagged!" Then, I see my next train on rail 16 I'm on 14. No elevator/escalator here so again, I have to haul my luggage down about 5 flights of stairs and then up 5 more to get to the next gate. I'm am exhausted by this point and all I want to do is sit down. The next train comes and I go to lug my bags up the train steps again and one of my bags gets caught. While I try to release my bag, the other suit case falls. There's a big line behind me now, but I can't help it. I literally can't move any faster. I'm rolling one suitcase down the aisle and dragging the other one on it's back b/c I didn't have time to flip it over b/c the lady behind me starts getting irritated. I don't speak French, Dutch, or whatever language she was speaking to me in but I knew enough to know she was mad. The train is already full from its previous stop so I can't find a seat. The aisles are very small so every step I take I'm barely making it with my luggage. (The trains are not really made for luggage just daily commuters.) I find a seat dead center of the train, I stop and lift my first suitcase over my head into the storage compartment. All the while, little lady, keeps getting louder and louder for me to move. Finally I say, "do you not see my trying?!" I was pretty impressed with myself for lifting 50lbs over my head. I just shoved the other suitcase in the seat across from me then held my carry-on bag and purse...and stupid neck pillow! To keep this story from getting even longer, I made it to Brugge...had to haul the luggage down another 5 flights of stairs and then on and off the local bus and then down 2 blocks on cobblestone. I was exhausted when I got home and have been sore the last couple of days. I worked my trapezius muscle more than it has ever been worked.

My dad always says, "never pack more than you can carry." I think I found my limit.

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I've got about 6 normal loads of laundry to do today, which in European washers is about 12 loads, so I better get started.

Until next time!