Wenesday the 1st of june 2005.

Main impression:
Antwerp.

Odor:
Waffles, always waffles.

Coulor:
Red, the trains tracks arriving in Antwerp is surounded by red poppy. It's the first time I see wild poppy (I saw the same ones few days ago when I was going to Amsterdam but I choose to wait for my report on Antwerp to talk about it), It's even one of the first time that I see real ones. I'm so used to see the plastic imitations that are sold to us for rememberance day that I forgot that the symbol reprrsent a real flower and that we could see whole fields of them.

Flavor:
Anne-Marie's "chicons au gratin". The biterness of chicory rolled in the sweet flavor of ham covered in a cream sauce, toped with oven melted cheese. I realy like this flavors mix.

Sound:
In front of the cathedral, on the placce when I was comming back to the train, a black man started to play sax (did you know that the sax, one of the most prised jazz instrument was invented in Belgium). A jazz song followed by a jazzy version of Ravel's "Boléro". The sound of the sax in this place bouncing on the sculpted stones of the cathedral and the others centuries old buildings all around... Wow and re-Wow! Superb!

Texture/sentation:
My knee is more and more painfull, it's hard to walk without a limp.

Day summary:
When I discussed my itinary with Joris, he sugested to come to Antwerp today instead of next monday since most tourists attractions are closed here on monday while they would be open in Brugges since it's more axed on tourism.

I arrived in Antwerp around 11:30 AM (yes, I know, I'm not an early bird) I walk to Café Horta where I take a "3 deckers fish sandwich" kind of club sandwich with smoked salmon and two others fish spiecies. All preceded by a soup and accompanied by a beer (I don't remember the name).

Before lunch I left a memory carte at the FNAC to have photos transfered to CD. I go back to take them before going to visit "Rubenshuis", the Rubens house. This museum is very interesting for the magnific work of Rubens, Van Dyck and authers painters of this era that we can find there but also for his greco-roman collection that he brougth back from the time he was ambassador in Rome. Also we should not forget that the painter was living in this house and it was not much touched still so we can still perceve the day to day life of this period.

After the visit I go to take a beer at the "Oud Arsenal". I took only one since I planed to go to the "Kulminator" later.

Finally, since I have to be back in Brussels for 8:00 PM, I don't have time for the Kulminator. I content myself by walking around in the centre near the "grand-place" and the Cathedral where I listen to a suberb musician play sax whith the sound boncing back on the Cathedral's stones.

Return to Brussels where I arrive just in time for Anne-Marie invitation to eat "chicons gratinés".