Antwerp

I am trying to remember the cycle to Antwerp but we have cycled so much and now that I am in The Hague, it seems like it was moons ago! Ah yes, Brussels to Antwerp was fairly uneventful. 30miles in the sunshine, through small Belgium towns. When we arrived in Antwerp, we were so excitable, this place was gorgeous! There was an absolutely beautiful sunset over the river, so he first stop was a picture in front of a bright pink, orange and dusky purple backdrop. Then, directly in front of us was a kingly cathedral overlooking the whole of Antwerp with a proud dominance. We headed for that direction and quickly noticed Antwerp was quietly rich and a luxurious place. Ferraris and porches rolled around, yet no where had a boastful air to it... It's hard to put in to words, but if you wanted to get a feel of the city then I suppose that's something worth noting. After a meal in the square, we started towards our hostel, which was the complete opposite of quiet luxury. It was a really hippy vibed hostel. The front room - it felt that homely!- had wicker chairs, low lights, dusty ornaments and a couple of sofas. Oddly there were two armless full mannequins nailed to the wall...

The room we stayed in had 14 beds in, and that was just one room of three floors in this old rickety house. The breakfast was really nice there, the lady put on a typical spread of cold meats, cheese, bread and a selection of spreads with coffee and juices - I've really grown to like a jam sandwich and a coffee in the morning! So yes, that was the hostel. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay in Antwerp that long (sad face) as we had to set out for the long cycle to Rotterdam. The more we told people about our cycle to Rotterdam the more unsure we felt ... A shocked 'Oh! Good luck' usually followed! But it was forecasted for 19 degree Celsius and boy it didn't disappoint!