Archive for category Belgium
Visiting Antwerp Zoo
Posted by roanne in Antwerp, Architecture, Belgium, Personal Moods, Shopping, Zoo on April 8, 2009
It’s been a long time since I went to a zoo. I remember going to Manila zoo, Malabon zoo and, of course, the Wildlife in Quezon City when I was little. I was supposed to go to Zoobic Safari last year, but to no avail.
So, here’s my chance to finally get in touch with wildlife. Last Saturday, we had a chance to visit Antwerp, one of the biggest and prettiest cities in Belgium. We immediately barged into the zoo to take a look at the animals, and have snapshots of them as well.
Traveling to Antwerp is quite simple: from Ghent Sint-Pieters station, we took a train going to Anterwepen Centraal. Since the zoo is nearby the train station, we had it as our first stop. For adults, it usually costs around € 18.50 to enter.
To give you some history about the Antwerp Zoo, it’s considered as one of the oldest and largest in the world-dated back since 1843. It also houses thousands of animals from various parts of the globe. This is why we need an ample of memory space in our digicam ‘coz we really get to capture LOTS.
Lovely Flamingos in Antwerp Zoo
We got to see those penguins, sea otters, seals, angel fishes and various sea creatures; deer; lionesses, tigers, leopard and black panther; buffalos and oxen; elephants; owls, eagles, pigeons, flamingos & various birds; camels and donkeys; etc. We also watched a very cool seal show. Also, the nature surrounding it is something that beckons us to take some more shots!
Train Stations and Architecture
*(L-R:) Antwerp Central Train Station & Antoon Van Dyck Statue*
One of the things that really amaze me is the architecture. The pristine Romantic, Medieval and Renaissance and pillars are well-preserved and part of the country’s past and culture. Some are even a mix of the old and the contemporary, making them truly one of a kind! I also discovered lots of statues of Belgian figures who contributed to its thriving history.
Shopping & Entertainment
A MUST thing to do in Antwerp is, ehem, shopping! We really got some pretty cheap stuff from the shopping center of the city. I’m so happy that I landed on H&M, one of my favorite shops, which is not currently available in the Philippines [yet].
I bought some souvenirs and makeup[!] in Bozzy, one of the gift shops I randomly stumbled upon. Of course, getting a cutesy hat in H&M truly made shopping worthwhile.
We also got to try Ben & Jerry’s specialty brownie ice cream. I’ve been lemming for Ben & Jerry’s so long, since it’s such a rare find in the Philippines. 
I also got to meet a human statue, in the guise of Nostradamus. 
*Human Nostradamus Statue*
Belgian Food Part 1: Meat Fondue & Vol au Vent
Of course, food is something to look forward to here in Belgium. I can definitely swear that everything is a must-try–other than chocolates.
So far, We’ve been into two restaurants in Ghent: Du Progres and ‘T Gents Fonduehuisje. Each has their own unique cuisine. Du Progres is more of a European cuisine–French, Dutch and Italian included. On the other hand, ‘T Gents Fonduehuisje is more of French, yet resembling shabu-shabu, which is the Japanese way of cooking food on your own.
So, here’s my wee bit of review on these two restaurants. 
Du Progres
*Koninginnehapje (Vol au Vent)*
L, E, M and I had dinner in this cozy resto place, where they serve mostly European food–particularly Belgian . I got myself a plate of Vol au vent–baked chicken with yummy white sauce. My plate also has frites (french fries) and fresh green salad. I also tried one of Belgian’s finest beers, according to Luc. The verdict: Vol au vent’s really great! The white sauce is really rich, creamy and very tasty! I also enjoyed nibbling french fries. The salad, however, tastes so-so to me. I neither like nor dislike it. In my opinion, I believe there are better tasting salads I tried, particularly the one in Cyma which is a Greek salad.
Du progres is located at Korenmarkt 10-9000 Gent. You can visit their website at http://www.duprogres.be.
‘T Gents Fonduehuisje
The restaurant name says it all–it houses meat fondue in which you have to cook the meat on your own, then dip it in a sauce of your choice. M, V, S, T and I had a wonderful dinner in this very homey place. C caught up and took us to some drinking place where I had a glass of sweet sherry.
Back to the resto, we had 2 platters of meat (chicken, beef, turkey and veal) and seafood (salmon, etc) that we hafta cook. Including the smorgasbord were 6 various sauces/dipping; among of which are garlic and mayo, mustard, sweet jam, etc. We also had this salad, frites and bread on the side. I really love everything in this restaurant. The meat and fish all prove to be fresh and super tasty. I tried and loved all the sauces, and the variety of taste makes them more interesting to try out. The salad is also not bad. It somehow reminds me of my Healthy Shabu-Shabu Experience, in which you have to cook the meat and fish in a pot. Albeit, this one has a more old-school method.
*Colorful and Uber Yummy Sauces*
‘T Gents Fonduehuisje is located at Jan Breydelstraat 30-9000 Ghent. You can visit their website at http://www.gentsfonduehuisje.be.
More Fondue House Pics:
*Belgian Frites (French Fries*
*Fresh Raw Fish with Lemons*
*Fresh Raw Meat (Veal, Lamb, Pork & Beef)*
*Fresh Garden Salad*
Manila – Amsterdam – Brussels – Ghent
Posted by roanne in Airport, Amsterdam, Belgium, Brussels, Ghent, Netherlands, Personal Moods on April 3, 2009
It’s almost
I finally arrived in Brussels last night (EST time, of course[!]). It’s been literally a long day for me and my colleague, traveling 13 long hours from Manila to Amsterdam then waiting for 4 hours and finally flying for about 40 mins from Amsterdam to Brussels.
Travel from Manila to Amsterdam was somewhat exhausting because I could hardly get my sleeping position (my reclining chair’s broken ). Yet, the airplane’s entertainment system somehow kept me preoccupied whilst sleeping amid of each movie.
Then, we hafta wait for about 3-4 hours before finally flying to Brussels. While waiting, we decided to saunter around the Schiphol Airport [in Amsterdam] to keep ourselves preoccupied at the moment. The airport actually looks like a larger version of SM Megamall, only less busy, more walkways and teemed with airplanes.
I actually got myself a pretty keychain (that also doubles as a cellphone charm) during one of our window shopping strolls there. 
*Cutesy keychain with Easter Bunny*
The Brussels airport, on the other hand, really looks entirely different than the one in Amsterdam. It really looks contemporary to me, just like nouveau architecture you see in Singapore or in the US.
It took us about 30-45 mins before finally arriving in our destination–Ghent. Ghent is really a majestic place, and I’m starting to love it! Everything you see is a picturesque landscape. I definitely love the houses as well as the nature surrounding it. In particular, the place we’re currently staying in has a wide garden, overlooking the river. The weather’s somewhat cold, but it’s really fine for me. I could compare it to Baguio’s temperature, albeit colder. Best of all, there’s little to no pollution at all.
I really had a nice first day meeting new, interesting people to boot.
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