Posts Tagged Belgium
Belgian Food Pt 2: Shrimp Croquettes @ Ghent Sint-Pieters Station
Before going to Antwerp, we spent as measly as 30 minutes binging for food at Ghent Sint-Pieters Station. I know it’s a pity that I didn’t get the name of the restaurant. But, just looking at the architecture, I think anyone could easily spot it! 
Food & Bar
I wasn’t really clued in on the serving size of the food we ordered, but I got myself some Garnaalkroketten met bro (shrimp croquettes), thinking it’s just enough to satiate my momentary starvation. My officemate M got himself a fettucini carbonara, thinking it’s also fair enough to consume in one sitting.
*My itsy-bitsy Garnaalkroketten met bro (Shrimp croquettes)*
*An enormous bowl of Fettucini Carbonara*
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*
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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