“Mythical origins of towns and cities are some of the most entertaining, physically represented stories in the world.” – Old Sean
Construction While Visiting Antwerp
I’m beginning to muster a fledgling concern that I’ve arrived in Europe at a poor time in regards to the infrastructure.
It feels like everywhere I go, there’s a sizable amount of construction going on in Europe currently.
That might just be projections. We live in the modern world, and there’s always repairs and infrastructure expansions to some extent.
Regardless, despite occasionally having to dodge around some pried up concrete or being disappointed while sightseeing landmarks behind scaffolding, it’s not terribly inconvenient.
Welcome to Belgium
Anyway, I’ve arrived in Belgium for the second-to-last-leg of my northern arc. My job has thus far sent me through Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and now, Belgium.
In each location, I took photos, wrote stories, crafted brochures, conducted interviews, wandered to obscure locations and submitted reports.
Belgium is my next target. And for Belgium the first stop was visiting Antwerp.
The Mythos of Antwerp(en)
Antwerpen, when directly translated, means something close to “throwing hand” or “thrown hand.”
As a delightful result, there are a bunch of hand-themed foods and treats throughout Antwerp. These are an homage to Antwerp’s origin mythology.
Four separate locals have told me mildly diverging origin myths alluding to Antwerp’s roots.
They all tell the story of a Flemmish Giant named Druon Antigoon who kept a toll along the river and chopped off the hands of those who were unable to pay.
Eventually, a dwarf arrived and gave the behemoth a taste of his own medicine. He tricked the giant, eventually challenging the giant to combat where short knives were used, forcing the bohemoths to lung in close. This allowed the dwarf to cut off the Giant’s hand, tossing the severed appendage into the river.
In other stories, the brave dwarf was a young Roman soldier name Silvius Brabo who performed the deed and freed the city from the evil Giant’s tyranny.
The city became handwerpen (hand-throwing) which eventually morphed into “Antwerpen.” So, Throwing Hand it is.
Experiences Visiting Antwerp
In Antwerp, I spent a surprising amount of time underneath the city.
I wandered through the St. Anna Tunnel which cuts under the river. Later, I also joined the slippery and moist tour of Antwerp’s old sewer system, De Ruien. This isn’t as pungent as it sounds, as the tunnels are well-lit, quite pretty and kind of cool to explore. Additionally, actual waste and sanitation pumps are sealed inside smaller, airtight, modern pipes that network the city.
While De Ruien doesn’t smell great, it’s more of a dense, heavy, tropical aroma found in sealed greenhouse. The natural subterranean moisture amplifies latent smells.
Finger Foods of Antwerp
Naturally, I also got to eat Antwerp’s famous hand-shaped foods.
This includes chocolates pressed into hand shapes and small sweet crackers and cookies in a similar shape. Bakeries in Antwerp are very clever when displaying these. I saw hands posed in mock-applause, chocolate palms making endless concentric circles and tiny molds playing (and losing) rock-paper-scissors against other treats.
Also in the theme of foods, I visited a restaurant which serves a mean rabbit stew (in the complimentary sense, not the emotionally unbalanced sense).
An Evening Lap Through Antwerp
I also visited several of the prettier town squares. This includes the architecturally profound Grote Markt and artistically-fountained Antwerpen Centraal Plaza.
As I continued to walk through Antwerp, I got to see the enormous severed stone hand of the Giant. This enormous slab of stone artwork is called the Hand of Druon Antigoon.
Afterwards, I spent some time picking around the Antwerp Zoo. The last moments of my evening were spent at the truly gorgeous Antwerp Central Station.
The remaining sunlight of my day was spent resting near the Scheldt River, reading a book while I waited for the sun to dip lower for dramatic sensations.
Upcoming Weekend
Tomorrow morning, I have a few museums to visit and an interview to conduct before I officially make it to my “weekend.”
My work-week is a bit unusual. Six days a week, I work however many hours are needed to finish each project. I’m allowed to select one day at my discretion to take “off.” I can use this time to either rest or check out a place I’m personally interested in.
And I’m personally interested in Bruges. I’ll be catching a train there tomorrow morning for my off-day.
So until then,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written June 15th, 2018
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