A visit to Belgium is not complete without experiencing
Antwerp that thrives from the middle ages. Antwerp or Antwerpen is connected to the North Sea and is the second largest port in Europe. My visit was a day trip from Brussels and can be easily reached by
car in 40 minutes. The river Scheldt
winding around the city and provide the uniqueness of any city that was found
near a river with its immense use of transportation, providing water and the
parks and natural habitats.
My main intention to visit Antwerp was
to see the birth place of Ruben and some of his original paintings that are
still kept in the famous Cathedral of Our Lady.
The Cathedral stands tall in the city center surrounded by cobblestone
streets. I was awestruck by the life like painting “Elevation of the cross”. Peter Paul Ruben
is famous for his baroque style of painting with all grandiose and attention to
detail on the human anatomy. Also
visited the birthplace of Ruben converted into a Museum to look at some of his
other great art. Next to it is the Grote
Market and historic baroque style buildings almost like an open air museum.
The diamond district with its hustle
and bustle is a showcase of various ethnic communities that co-exist to trade
and trade… Hasidic Jews, Indians, Lebanese, and other artisans and traders own
shops, cut and polish diamonds and sell. The Antwerp Diamond Bank and the De
Beers are famous in the diamond trade all over the World. A compressed carbon still rules the World!
Contented with a great lunch and
Belgian Chocolate ice cream, I started my journey back to Brussels.
PEACE ON EARTH
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