Antwerp 1

I commenced my stroll around Antwerp at the magnificent neo-Baroque Centraal Station. This classical structure with its spires, balconies and multiple pillars was built in 1905 when Belgium was a colonial power with the vast resource rich Congo providing a wealth of ivory and rubber. Adjacent to the station is the Diamond Quarter, the world's largest diamond centre where these precious stones are cut or re-cut, polished and sold. A little further on I came to a bronze statue of one of Antwerp's famous painters, David Teniers, flanked by a pair of towering twin façades. Next stop was the Cathedral of Our Lady with its lacy 400 foot high spire. The church was begun in 1352 but not consecrated until 1521. The tympanum or archway above the main portal, showing the Last Judgement with Christ raising his hand to divide the righteous from the wicked, is quite remarkable. From the Cathedral I came to Antwerp's river, the Schelde, which I crossed via the pedestrian and cyclists' St. Anna's Tunnel. This remarkable 572 metre tunnel with its lovely white ceramic tiles was built in 1932 and is accessed by descending on wooden escalators deep under the river. I came back via the free river ferry. My last stop was the Vleehuis or Butchers Guild Hall. This striking building with its tall, turreted gables and alternating layers of red brick and cream stone was built in 1504.








Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Eschif de Creyssac

Image
As it was a warm day I decided to take a stroll along the shaded banks of Pèrigueux's river, the Isle, which itself is a tributary of the mighty Dordogne. On the outskirts of Périgueux, as I was about to descend to the river, I came across quite a remarkable construction, a medieval outpost. This imposing wooden edifice was called the "Eschif de Creyssac" and was built in 1347. Before Pèrigueux became a modern town it was known as the village of Puy-Sainte-Front, named after the usual suspect. Puy means a volcanic hill and this outpost straddled its fortifications and served as a look-out post between the village and the river. From the riverside one also has a splendid visage of the domes and cones of the Byzantine Cathédrale-Ste-Front.
Read more

Bordeaux 4

Image
My balade this morning commenced by walking across the Pont de Pierre, a canal bridge spanning the Garonne and linking Bordeaux with the area on the other side known as La Bastide. This stone bridge was built by Napoleon in 1810. A little further past the bridge I came across the stunning Église Sainte-Marie de la Bastide built in 1867 by Paul Abadie on marshland. You may notice similarities with the Église Sacré Coeur de Montmarte, which was built by the same architect. La Bastide also has a Jardin Botanique which contained some Australian flora such as willow myrtle, bottle brush and cypress pine. Back on the other side on my way home I passed The Théâtre Français, one of Bordeaux's original theatres built in classical style in the 18th century with Doric and Ionic columns.
Read more

Agen

Image
Agen on the banks of the mighty Garonne, which flows through South-West France and Northern Spain before finally debouching into the Atlantic Ocean at Bordeaux, is another charming town with old lanes and  handsome wooden and brick houses. My first stop on my morning walk was the composite Romanesque and Gothic Cathédrale Saint-Caprais with its gorgeous water-coloured frescoes on the domed ceiling above the Altar and Choeur. I next headed to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, magnificently housed in four adjacent 16th and 17th century Renaissance mansions with its huge variety of archeological exhibits dating back to Roman times such this 2nd century AD head of a consul and a wonderful Art collection of painters such as Goya and Tintoretto. The town is famous throughout the world for its Pruneaux d'Agen (dried prunes) with their exotic flavours such as Armagnac, introduced by Benedictine monks, and I made sure to sample them. Tomorrow I continue west to Marmande.
Read more