A place to return to: Antwerp

We visited Antwerp twice during the course of the last year. We loved it so much that we started picturing ourselves living there: morning runs in the Middleheim park, weekly dinners at our favorite restaurant, bike rides to work- stuff like that. We wanted to spend more time there, to feel the vibe of the city, hence our twice-in-a-year score. Our first visit to Antwerp in October last year was kind of improvised- we wanted to get away for a couple of days, found a flight from Pula to Brussels and decided to make a little road trip out of it, which included Brussels, Antwerp, Utrecht and Waterloo.

We did have some trouble finding the apartment in Antwerp, as everything nice and affordable was apparently booked, but we decided to stretch our budget a bit on behalf of comfort. We ended up in amazing town house, so beautifully decorated that it would fit perfecly the pages of some interior design magazine, with luxurious room and a view of the neighbouring forest park. Our hosts were a source of usefull information about the city and served the tastiest breakfast in their classy dining room (think arguably the best croissants in Antwerp, a selection of tasty jams and juices and inevitable pot of tea). 

The house was close enough to the city center that we parked our car in front of the house and didn't use it again till the day of our departure. With Antwerp city bikes (called Velo bikes), the car was unnecessary. There are bike stations literally on every corner of the city, and for 3.80 Euros a day, you got your transportation in Antwerp covered. There is an organized network of bike lanes and cyclists definitely have a priviledged status in the city transport system. From the area we covered with bikes, it seemed that you can be anywhere in the city within 20 minutes ride. 

Our hosts offered suggestions on what to visit, and the crown jewel of their recommendations (and Antwerp as a whole) was the Middleheim park. Situated on the outskirts of the central Antwerp, it functions both as a park and one of the oldest open air museums in the world. We were taken there by our host on a foggy October morning, which made the first impression to be even more enchanting than it might have been on a sunny day. As we walked trough the park, unexpected views kept opening in front of us: there were Rodin's Honore Balsac, Juan Munoz's figures trapped on the trees, Giacomo Manzu's Cardinal, just to name a few. Then there were contemporary instalations and sculptures which left us in awe: Honore d'O's Shouting is breathing (a giant network of wires and motors that makes the tree braches vibrate), Antony Gormley's Firmament III (a three dimensional net of stainless steel), Erwin Wurm's Misconceivable (a bended sailingboat which deviates subtly from the reality)... All in all, a morning spent there was not enough. So we went another day with our Velo bikes, and enjoyed art while cycling (sounds familiar?). If you find yourself in or around Antwerp, take some time to visit this park. It will pay off, and not just because the entrance is free of charge. :)

Juan Munoz's figure

Giacomo Manu's Cardinal

Anthony Gormley's Firmament III

Antwerp is loaded with museums, and we got to see a couple of them the first time we visited. The Plantin-Moretus museum ranked as one of the most important Antwerp museums, so we decided to pay it a visit. Once the first industrial printing house in the world (founded in 1555), now it hosts a collection of oldest printing presses in the world, typographic material, art, books, and also period rooms with Rubens's artwork. It was protected by Unesco in 2005, and completely renovated in 2016. 

Except for the museums, strolling around the city and admiring its architecture is worth a day of sightseeing. Grote Markt (the main square) reminiscents medieval times, with its medieval guildhalls and a town hall which is one of the first examples of Renaissance architecture in the Low Countries. A couple of minutes walk from the Grote Markt is a hidden 16th century alley called Vlaeykensgang- once a place where shoemakers and the poorest city dwellers lived, now a hip secluded street with restaurants and shops in a medieval atmosphere.

One of the unmissable stops in Antwerp is its Central Train Station, built in 1905 in eclectic turn-of-the-century style. Our first glimpse of it was by night, which made it even more magical- we marvelled at the lighting on the red steel construction, and the recently built levels below the ground where trains kept coming and going. We visited it by day as well, just to see what daily light brings to its glass and steel construction.

One morning before breakfast, our host offered to take us to see the Cogels-Osylei street, famous for its grand turn-of-the-century houses. He drove us around, showed us the street, and while he went to grab those delicious croissants for breakfast, we had some time to admire and photograph the houses. Photos don't do them justice, especially not on a cloudy day like we had, but there were some seriously interesting (and romantic!) round windows, golden sunflowers, representations of seasons of the year, mosaics and entire flow of refined ornaments for which the peirod is known for.

Cogels-Osylei street

It wouldn't be a complete post about Antwerp if I hadn't mention how amazing the food is there. I've heard before opinions on Belgian food to be boring and tasteless, which was so off according to our experience. We got hooked on waffles, stews, beer (that's food as well, right?), mussels, frites, all traditional Belgian, but also on falafel, burgers, fish and chips... A place called Falafel Tof got us excited about vegetarian dishes- tasty and colorful vegetable sides, crispy potatoes with sauces and falafel of course. A place called Brutal got us excited about Thai Boulabaise, burgers, stew and the best yoghurt, clementines, crumble and mint desert. And a place called Bia Mara got us excited about proper British fish and chips with tasty dips (think truffles with mayonaisse). We loved the diversity of diferent cuisines, reflecting diversity among Belgians, a thing not that common back at home.

In those three days we got to know the city pretty well, thanks to the fact that we cycled to almost all of the places we wanted to see. We decided we'll be back, and so we were, about half a year later. In one of my next posts, I'll write about our second visit to Antwerp.

Have you ever been to Antwerp? Or plan to visit? I would really love to read some thoughts or tips on this amazing city.

Beautiful landscapes: De Hoge Veluwe National Park

I heard about De Hoge Veluwe National Park from a Belgian couple we met here in Premantura. We were talking about Cape Kamenjak, a protected landscape just next to the village; and how cool it would be if the area was closed for cars, and if there were free bikes offered to visitors instead. It sounded so efficient, so sustainable, so northern: they talked about a national park in The Netherlands that had white bikes included in the entrance price and scattered all over the park for visitors to take them or drop them off whenever they want.

I forgot about that story until we ended up roadtripping trough Belgium and The Netherlands last October (I already wrote about sailing the canals of Utrecht in my previous post). After a quick research, I found out that the park is situated just about an hour drive from Utrecht, or more specifically, Zeist, were we stayed in a wonderful AirBnb. Lucky coincidence for us was that (as we found out from our lovely hosts), the park was home to the Kroller-Muller museum, which hosts the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world, some well known masterpieces from modern masters such as Monet or Picasso, and has one of the biggest sculpture gardens in the world. And that was a great alternative to Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam which was vaguely in our plans, but in the end we decided to leave Amsterdam for next time. 

The morning of our daytrip didn't start promising- it was grey and foggy; heavy rain kept following us during the entire drive to the park. And then, as we approached the park, the sun showed up and stayed for a while, perfectly enough for us to take an exiciting bike ride trough the park and enjoy this peculiar landscape covered with everchanging skies. The moment we got off the bikes in front of the museum, the first raindrops fell, but we didn't mind. We had the entire afternoon to marvel at Van Gogh's Potato eaters and Country road in Provence by night, quite a nice collections of Paul Signac (one of Luka's favorite painters) and Odilon Redon (one of my favorite painters); even some Croatian artists, such as Dusan Dzamonja are represented. It is a good place to get to know some of the (not as well known as Van Gogh, but still amazing) Dutch and Belgian artists such as Theo van Rysselberghe, and all in all, it is an impressive collection ranging from modern to contemporary art.

The boundaries between nature and exhibition space are kind of blurred here, with tall glass walls that allow you to enjoy the greenery of the park from the inside and the sculptures that found their place in the sun in the park surrounding the museum. Approaching that museum in the middle of the wood seemed like a treasure hunt to us. 

Visiting De Hoge Veluwe is a combination of spending an active day out in the nature and soaking up the culture in beatiful, natural setting. The cycling roads are paved and used by bikers and walkers only, crisscrossing a diverse and mostly flat (Yay! for a relaxing bike ride) landscape, ranging from yellowish grassland to pine tree woods with rich earthy scent and a lot of mushrooms (we even saw a couple of agarics, which looked exactly like Christmas decorations). Amazing alternative to a day in the city, and you still get that essential Dutch experience!

How about you? Have you ever visited this or some other interesting place where art and nature meet?

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Sailing the canals of Utrecht

About this time last year we did a little road trip around Belgium and the Netherlands. It was perfectly fit for October, filled with hearty food, lovely encounters, autumn colors and murky days. I can imagine Low Countries being nice and sunny in the summertime or flowery in the springtime, but somehow when the weather gets colder, I long for the north, be it that I find medieval streets looking at its best when gloomy and foggy, or that I find stews, waffles, chocolate and beer being especially fit for cozying up after a walk in the rain. 

We enjoyed every bit of our trip, but fondest memories are mostly made of spending time with people that are dear to you. So, for a couple of days we ended up in Utrecht, where our wedding photographers-turned-friends Hanneke and Robert live with their son Loek. They organized a perfect day trip for us, which included the ultimate sightseeing of Utrecht, and that is, sailing the canals of course. 

Since they moved to their new neighbourhood, they got themselves a small boat, which they frequently used before, only not with two more adults. That turned out to be a lot of fun and only a little bit frightening at the beggining, when I was positive that the boat was going to sink under our weight and subtly asked Hanneke what would happened to us if we fell into the water of the canal. Her answer was soothing enough: The swim in the canals wasn't recommendable but we wouldn't die either. That was when I started enjoying the experience. 

After the motor almost bailed on us once, we got to the city center where we had to turn it off and continue on rowing, a task very well performed by Robert and Luka, and also very suitable for enjoying the views and taking many photos. We were visiting Utrecht for the first time, and seeing it from the canals on a gloomy day, with leaves on the trees showing off their autumn colors, and the midweek absence of other merry sailors, was indeed an unforgettable experience. We had some good laughs (mostly teasing the guys and their ability to row), some good talks (catching up while being introduced to the city), and some good cakes and coffee (we bought chocolate cakes in a shop on the canal and had them in a boat accompanied with a few jealous looks of the passers by). 

On our private tour we got to know that all of those bicycles tied to the railings of the canal weren't tied because of stealing but because of possibility of being thrown in the canal at night by drunk youngsters. We also got to know that the Mayor takes a swim once a year in the canals of Utrecht to point out that the water is good enough (I'll never be able to become a Mayor of Utrecht). And that the best netherlandish chocolate is called Tony Chocolonely, peculiar both in flavor combinations and Willy Wonk-ish design (We bought a lot of those later that day). You don't get stories like that on a guided tour. So thank you, Hanneke and Robert.

We ended that day in a best possible way, having dinner that Robert prepaired at their place (it was perfectly baked whole chicken), talking, laughing and getting to know Loek (a very cool little guy who left to bed early without being slightly bothered by us chatting downstairs). With October rolling out to November, I'm not only reflecting these lovely memories, but also daydreaming of going back, while it's still cold.  

What are yours favorite autumn / wintery escapes?

* If you're interested in Hanneke's work (which is pretty amazing, trust me on that), you can check out her website here, even just for lighting up your day with all the brightness she manages to capture.

Foodie destinations: Belgium

We wanted to get away for a few days in October, found a cheap flight to Belgium, and as my friend told me nice things about Bruges, we decided to give it a try.
It was a short, 3 nights stay, but we had a great time and fully enjoyed every aspect of it (cuisine, architecture, weather).

Delicious Belgian cuisine, a lunch in Bruges

We stayed at a lovely B&B in Brussels (Uccle), where we enjoyed the tastefully furnished room (and the whole house!), delicious breakfast (which included fresh strawberries, freshly pressed orange juice, some really crunchy baguettes, and sweet jams), and our new pet friend- a 3 months old, extremely cute, teddy bear lookalike and playful Scottish fold kitten. 

Our cozy room in Uccle

Our new friend- the cutest Scottish fold kitten :)

We rented a car at the airport, so we were able to move around as it suited us, which is always great.
While planning for this trip, I found out that Belgium has a highly rated and interesting local cuisine with typical dishes like waffles, mussels with French fries (called frites), sausages with mashed potatoes called staempl), beer stews, and gratinated chicory. There are also the beer and the chocolate, of course.

On our first evening, we tried out a charming local restaurant in Ixelles called Le Bugatti. The atmosphere was cozy, thanks to the art-deco style and candle lighted interior, and the food was delicious! I tried the stew with frites, Luka tried the sausages with stoempl and some extremely good Belgian beer. We were convinced- Belgian cuisine is something worth traveling for!

Next morning we headed to Bruges, perhaps the most touristy city in Belgium. There was a traffic jam on the highway, so we got off of it and went for a local road. That was a great decision, as we got to see the beautiful countryside residential architecture. Almost every property has a fairytale-like house, with lovely bay and roof windows, colorful doors, and window frames, a tastefully decorated interior, and a well taken care of garden. I was so impressed that I didn't even make one photo of this beauty.

Wandering through the medieval streets of Bruges

The city of Bruges is charming, with its picturesque houses and canals, but Saturdays overcrowded with tourists, especially groups which flooded its streets. When you move away from the main streets, it becomes a quiet little town with a medieval atmosphere, and I can imagine it being particularly interesting by night!

Romantic Bruges

Charming brick houses in Bruges

Quiet Bruges neighbourhood on the canal

We had a nice walk, a nice meal and a beer at the local pub (garlic shrimps, chicken in beer sauce, and a beer served in a horn-shaped glass), and our first Belgian waffle (mine with strawberries, Luka's with chocolate, and it was love at first bite). There are two most popular varieties of waffle in Belgium: the Liege waffle and the Brussels waffle, the first one being chewier and denser, the second one lighter and crispier. We opted for Liege, but next time we should also give a chance to Brussels variety!

Or first waffles- in Bruge! Yum!

On our way back we stopped at Ghent, where I wanted to see the Ghent altarpiece (painted by Hubert and Jan Van Eyck in the 15th century) in St Bavo Cathedral which I didn't due to restoration work on it. That was a disappointment, as it is one of the first examples of early Renaissance in northern European art, one of the most important artworks in the Western world, and the most frequently stolen artwork in history! You have probably heard about it in the movie or in the book The Monuments Men, where it is the main object of the hunt for the troop.

Ghent is a lively, vibrant town, not so overpacked with tourists. The center is free of cars, so you can truly enjoy wandering through its streets and admiring the medieval architecture!

Laid back atmosphere in front of the St Nicholas Church in Ghent

We had a dinner at Ellis gourmet burger, and if you're ever in Belgium don't miss it! I would go back anytime, just to have their tasty burgers again! We also experienced the perfect storm, chasing through Ghent's puddled streets and pouring rain, and drove back to Brussels completely wet but happy.

The next day we decided to stay in Brussels and explore the city. We had a long morning walk in the center, which included wandering through chocolate shops and buying presents for family, friends and ourselves. The center itself is pretty and pedestrian-friendly, with some impressive points like the Grand Place (I recommend you to visit it by night also, as all the facades are lighted, which creates a Disneyland impression). We also got to see the tiny statue of Manneken Pis and didn't really understood what all the fuss is about. The little guy pees in the fountain, and even more awkwardly, they dress him during the day. :) There is a picture below, so you can judge it by yourself!

Grand Place by night

The statue of Manneken Pis dressed in... something :)

That day we also visited the house/museum of Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta. Art Nouveau was a Belgian version of Austrian Secession (with well-known protagonist Gustav Klimt). The architect applied the premises of this new style to his own house which resulted in the so-called "gesamtkunstwerk" which would mean something like “a complete piece of art”. That applied to the architecture meant that every single part of the house was artistically designed, from the layout to furniture, keyholes or ventilation tops. The Horta house is a wonderful example of that style, flowing in organic lines, with many open spaces, lovely personal details, spacious rooms overlooking beautiful garden in the back of the house and the street in front of it. If you're ever in Brussels visit that house, as an exquisite work of art or as an unusual inspiration for interior design.

Artistic details of the Horta House

That evening we tried out a restaurant called 9 et Voisins, and although it seems like I'm recommending everything we tried in Belgium, it's because everything was worth recommending!
We consulted Tripadvisor frequently on where to eat topic, so it's not just us, people love this place.
If you're in the mood for juicy Argentinian steak or perfectly cooked stuffed chicory, accompanied with standard great beer and really cozy atmosphere, go for it. They are also open on Sunday, which is great to know when you're in Brussels.
Brussels has plenty of nice and pretty big parks. We've visited only one of them, which was close to our B&B and it was spacious, clean, simple and colored in autumn colors. Great for a walk on the fresh Belgian morning.

Autumn colors in Wolvendael Park, Uccle

Since we're back we couldn't get used to the idea of not eating waffles on a daily basis! So we found a nice little place that serves Belgian waffles in Zagreb, which is a good enough substitution till our next trip to Belgium!