Antwerp is one of Europe's little secrets. If you are a tourist in Belgium, chances are you'll head to Brussels or Brugge and ignore this historic port city in Flanders. But, there is much to enjoy in Antwerp, especially if you are an artist. In its past, Antwerp was the home of Rubens, van Dyck, Pieter Brueghel the Elder and my personal favorite Van Gogh (for four months). Rubens' home is a museum well worth visiting.
Long ago, and very much in the present, the residents of Antwerp have enjoyed their outdoor cafés. There are so many under the shadow of the cathedral in the center of Antwerp's old town, but over 2,500 cafés and bars can be found throughout the city. Yep, there is more than a bit of choice. And, a little rain doesn't dampen the enthusiasm of anyone in search of a drink, including this young man. And, if you happen to visit Antwerp, my personal advice is for coffee at the 11th Commandment and the Bourla.
My café of choice in Antwerp is always the Bourla.Every citizen of Germany may disagree, but word has it that Belgium has the best beer in the world. Belgian beer dates back at least to the first Crusades in the twelfth century as a healthier option to the available water. It's not a very big country, but there are around 180 breweries. If you get your beer at a café, there are specific drinking glasses for each beer served. And, believe it or not, in 2016, UNESCO added the Belgian beer culture to its list of "intangible cultural heritage of humanity".
All of this was wasted on me. I don't drink. I don't like the smell of beer. I don't like the taste of beer. And, I don't like how many people behave when they've had too much of it. But, I have to admit, that on one occasion, I found a brew I could do. It was a cherry flavored beer. Just like you'd expect, it was red and sweet. Yep, I finally found a beer in Belgium that I could swallow. When I mentioned this to a Belgian friend, he scoffed, "Only old women drink cherry beer!"
