We made it through customs and actually it was far easier than we had anticipated! We were please to discover it was very simple ….and we were off to do some touring! Antwerp’s old section of the city was well worth a look. We taxied in and spent the day seeing some of the sights. The blokes split up for the day and Terry, our New Zealander buddy, joined us for some more touring. The Cathedral and of all things….the train station…were major highlights!

At the end of our evening we decided to really be adventuresome and take the bus system back to the ship. This was our first minor ‘disaster’:)! It ended up that the suggested directions left in the ‘lounge’ by a previous freighter passenger were a “little faulty”. The last bus stop was really a few miles from the ship quay. So long into the night, in total darkness, three wandering sailors made their way through the unknown freighter docks on foot…ending up with blisters abundant for this ole mate:)! Lesson learned…cabs for the rest of this port!!

Here are some spots of Antwerp:

Finally in the middle of the city is the most elaborate train station that I have ever experienced. It was just absolutely beautiful….with a huge ferris wheel in front. Here, take a look:

Lovely dinner at a beautiful little outdoor cafe’….

Before I leave you in Antwerp, I have to mention the fantastic bike system they have in place. For thirty Euro a year (abt 38.00 American dollars) you can rent a ‘public bike’ any time you would like. They are located in racks all over the city. You swipe your card, a computer tells you which number of bike to take, and then you just ride off to whatever your next destination is and park it. It is an amazing system to navigate the city!