I took a bus to Antwerp from Amsterdam —a 2.5-hour journey by Flixbus, which was very punctual. I left my luggage in the railway station lockers and went off to explore the city. The friendly tourist office staff gave me a map and general directions. He said it was just a 20-minute walk to the old city, and I also wanted to visit the port, which was walkable from there. I had breakfast in the station complex and set off. Antwerp was so different from Amsterdam—very modern, though the buildings were old. There were lots of high-end shops on both sides of the road, and I browsed through a few. Since it was Friday, there were many shoppers around. I heard a didgeridoo being played by a street artist and felt happy to be in Belgium. The road suddenly opened up into the old town, with a church surrounded by the town hall and other medieval buildings. It was a beautiful day, and there was a group of giggling schoolgirls nearby. I walked around and soaked in the atmosphere. There was another square right next to this one, and I just sat there for a while, people-watching. I saw the famed Leonidas café at the square and went in for a hot chocolate—they gave a complimentary milk chocolate, and it was delicious. No wonder people rave about Belgian chocolates. I made a mental note to buy my quota from Leonidas.
After some more people-watching in the town square and a bit of window shopping, I reached the end of the road, which had the river Schelde across it. It’s a beautiful quay with small ships (boats), usually cargo ships. I expected it to be a bigger river, considering Antwerp is a major port, but it was a beautiful day, and I spent some time enjoying the view. I walked towards the port, which took about 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. There was a beautiful red building at the port housing the MAS museum. People were hanging around, enjoying a lovely afternoon outdoors. There didn’t seem to be much else to see, so I spent time sitting and watching the world go by.
I walked back through the city and took a train to Ghent, which is an hour from Antwerp. When I reached Ghent, it started drizzling. There was no internet on my phone, which made it difficult to find my way to the homestay. Thankfully, I met a couple of teenagers who guided me. The railway station was about a kilometer from the old part of town, and there were no trams or buses to that area. My Airbnb host, Trui, had given me perfect directions, and despite the rain, I reached without getting lost or having to call her.
Trui’s place was a medieval 15th-century home with winding staircases and slanting roofs—the kind of house I’d always wondered about in Europe. Finally, I got to stay in one. I had the entire floor to myself, with Trui on the floor below. My room had a double bed, slanting roof, wooden floors, and felt like staying in an Enid Blyton house. There was a massive bookshelf with lots of interesting books. If I’d had the time, I would have spent a day just reading and lazing around the lovely house.
Two Days in Bruges and Ghent
The next day, I decided to visit Bruges, which is ideally a 45-minute train ride away. But since it was the weekend, many trains weren’t running, and I missed my train because I was lazing around at Trui’s home. The next train was late, so I got chatting with a middle-aged American couple from Texas. The man had visited both Prague and Bruges, and according to them, Bruges was more romantic and beautiful. They had gotten engaged in Prague, so that city was special to them, too. We got on an overcrowded train and had to stand in the pathway all the way, but it wasn’t too cramped, and I had a group of giggling schoolgirls to watch. These girls were like any other group of schoolgirls, giggling and drawing random pictures on each other’s hands.
The city of Bruges begins as soon as you cross the road from the station. I picked up a free map at the railway station. The crowd here was larger than anywhere else I’d visited so far. I crossed the road and immediately found myself at the most beautiful lake/pond ever—Minnewater. On one side was a dense wooded area, another had a small castle, a third had lovely old red stone buildings, and the fourth had a beautiful tiny bridge across the lake. I fell in love with the place immediately. It was a cloudy morning with no sign of rain, and the weather was perfect. I walked around, took pictures, and decided to explore the path on the bridge. It was picture-perfect, with tall trees on both sides—ideal for cycling.
On the way to town, I passed rows and rows of chocolate shops of every variety. I saw a couple of Leonidas shops and decided all my chocolate shopping would be done in Bruges. I have never seen a prettier place than Bruges—it’s straight out of a fairy tale, with medieval houses everywhere and a couple of small castles. I was mesmerized. I overheard a tourist guide telling his group that the northern part of town was the most romantic, so I decided to go there after seeing the main sights. I reached the center of town, which had a huge square with a church and town hall. There were a number of small lanes opening into the square. I crossed one and walked randomly, reaching another small square with a gate. Across the gate was a stone bridge with a beautiful canal and, of course, boats. This was the prettiest sight in Bruges and is supposedly the most photographed spot—and not without reason. I walked a bit and did the most important thing in Bruges: took a boat ride. It was an open boat with an English-speaking guide who pointed out the important buildings. The canal circled the entire town and is a must-do in Bruges, especially to see the town from a different angle. There are innumerable bridges, and every sight was photogenic. Hands down, the most romantic place ever—lovely flowering plants on the stone bridges and windowsills, and the beautiful weather. The boat ride lasted an hour.
I walked across the town, exploring the lanes and bylanes, bought loads of chocolates, and had hot chocolate at a beautiful café. Here, when they make hot chocolate, they add real chocolate rather than powder, which makes it taste even better. I then explored the outskirts of the city—the area the earlier tourist guide had mentioned—and it was mind-blowing. Since it was Saturday, there were no locals or tourists in sight, and it felt like I had the entire city to myself. I walked by the canal, on the lovely cobblestone roads, and just soaked in the beauty. On the way, I heard Punjabi and realized I was sitting under a place owned by a Punjabi family, so I just sat there listening for a while.
After a good hour of wandering, I headed back to town and then to the railway station, taking a detour through a beautiful residential area. I met an old local couple who were really sweet and guided me when I looked lost. I reached the station through a lovely park and took a train to Ghent, which took 35 minutes.
I reached Ghent around 9 pm and, since I was leaving for Amsterdam the next day, decided to explore Ghent at night, even though I was tired. That turned out to be the best impromptu decision of my trip. Behind St. Jacob’s Church is the old town, and I decided to walk and see what was happening. I was greeted by a massive crowd surrounding the canal—a three-story ramp had been built on the canal, with musicians and singers performing classical English music. I asked someone what was going on, and he said it was the first day of the Ghent Festival. I bought a waffle from a street vendor and stood there listening to the live music. The crowd was excited for the fireworks at 11 pm, so I waited, too. The fireworks were a bit of an anti-climax, lasting only 15 minutes, and compared to our Diwali fireworks, they were quite disappointing.
The next day, I got up a bit late since it was just local sightseeing in Ghent. While leaving, Trui told me to do a boat tour. Ghent is also a medieval old town like Bruges, but a little different. There’s a canal running through town, surrounded by beautiful stone medieval buildings. The morning was an extension of the Ghent Festival, with a group playing English classical music on a stage in the town square. It was a Sunday morning, so not many locals or tourists were around—it felt like I had the whole square to myself. I had breakfast listening to the live music, not understanding a note, but it was a pleasant experience. I then went for the boat ride, which was a beautiful morning with a group of European and French tourists. Our boat driver and guide was quite a character, with funny anecdotes about all the buildings. The boat ride gave an overview of the town and its culture. There were a couple of castles on the canal and lots of bridges. I felt Bruges was the more beautiful and romantic town compared to Ghent. I spent the morning roaming and exploring the beautiful town. As the day became sunnier, lots of locals came out, soaking up the sun and playing with their kids. I spent a leisurely afternoon strolling, bought loads of chocolates from Leonidas, and enjoyed the day. I returned to Trui’s place and left to catch the bus back to Amsterdam, reaching at 11 pm.