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Gril on a Trail – Antwerp, the diamond capital…

Gosia — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 21:15:17 +0000

It’s really hard to say how many times I’ve been in Belgium and how many times I’ve slept at the Charleroi Airport. For a long time, I regularly used Ryanair’s cheap flights, combined with the discount tickets offered by Flibco (more information here). That’s why, I’ve visited many places in the so called Benelux countries and even in France. After visiting Dutch Rotterdam – the largest port in Europe, I thought it was time to see Belgian Antwerp. I have to admit that my knowledge of this city was limited to the information that I read from the book of Economic geography, when I was preparing for my final exams in high school. The Diamond Capital While Brussels is the “capital” of European Union, Antwerp can be described as the capital of diamonds. It is estimated that around 80% of exploited, rough diamonds and nearly half of the cut ones are sold on Antwerp market. The value of the diamonds is classified by so called 4C, which stands for: “cut, color, clarity and carat – weight”. However, it is widely said that diamonds form Antwerp have an additional fifth class C – confidence. All right then, diamonds are beautiful stones, it’s said that they’re women’s best friends, but I must admit, they’re out of my league. Besides , it’s also said that one cannot buy friendship. So what can you do in Antwerp, of course, apart from window – shopping? While organizing a trip, to find the answer to this question I decided to search for information on the Internet. At first I came across a post on travel blog, where in the first paragraph was stated that Antwerp is known for many attractions “such as the station, town hall or even the shopping centre”. At THIS moment, the thought of sightseeing the train station gave me chills, and the prospect of visiting EVEN the shopping centre made me feel as desperate as tourists on holiday in Egypt without an all-inclusive option. After all, I’ve decided to face it and see by myself what Antwerp has to offer. Of course, the first place where I landed in Antwerp was the Train Station. I can only say one thing about this place: To Antwerp only by train! Indeed, I must admit that one of the main attractions of the city is the Railway Station – Antwerpen Centraal. Built between the 19th and 20th century, it is one of the largest railway stations in Belgium. It’s a place where you just have to be. The raw, marble interior of the main hall, the glass dome and the old clock make the unique climate of this place. No wonder, it;’s called Spoorwegkathedraal, which means: Railway Cathedral. Meanwhile, the other side of the Antwerp station looks completely different… What’s more, the train station is so high that the platforms are located on 4 levels. The observation of arriving and leaving trains from the top floor of the station was impressive. I felt like I was a part of the famous Tetris game. EVEN shopping centre is not that bad… The main shopping street – Meir leads from the train station to the Old Town. There are plenty of exclusive boutiques and designer shops, as well as the original stands. Here is EVEN the famous shopping centre called Stadsfeestzaal. Indeed, the interior of the centre is impressive, while the amount of decorations and gold made me think of a trip to St. Petersburg 😉 Little Warsaw But this is not the end of the city’s attractions, because in the vicinity of train station, there’s a Jewish district inhabited by Orthodox Hassids. More interestingly, this district is also called ” Kleine Warschau ” which means “Small Warsaw “. This name is not random, as many inhabitants of this district are the descendants of Jews arriving here from Warsaw, during World War I. It is worth to add that before the outbreak of World War I, Warsaw was a kind of a diamond trade centre. Walking the famous Pelikaanstraat street is like moving into another reality, it feels like time has stopped there. You can meet Hassids dressed in traditional black coats and tall, furry caps. The Jewish district is also a quarter of diamonds, and actually it’s composed exclusively of jewellery shops and diamond galleries. One can ask the question: why the Jews are excel in diamond trade and cutting? Despite the fact that the Jews have been living in Europe for a long time, they weren’t able to be fully assimilated. They work in a numerous possessions. For this reason, they’ve specialized in specific sectors of the economy like: trade, banking or diamond cutting. Hidden gems… On the main market called Grote Markt you’ll find the representative renaissance building of the Town Hall. Nearby, you can admire the Cathedral, which can be recognized by the high tower. A little further is the Museum aan de Stroom, in short MAS, which can be translated as Museum by the river. Inside you can see the exposition dedicated to the history of Antwerp. At the top of the MAS, there’s a panoramic terrace with 360° panoramic view of Antwerp. Access to the terrace is free of charge. Finish your sightseeing in one of the cosy pubs, located on the secret street – Vlaeykensgang. Although it’s close to the Old Town square, it isn’t easy to find. This is the perfect place to relax from crowded centre. Some abstraction… The perfect ending to a tour to Antwerp is Middelheim park. It’s an open-air museum where you can see numerous, interesting sculptures and various types of artistic facilities, such as bicycle skeleton, totaled car or bent sailboat. In my opinion, Middelheim is one of those points which are must, while being in Antwerp. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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Artistic Warsaw – murals

Gosia — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 21:18:54 +0000

Warsaw keeps surprising me everyday. It’s nice to see how it transforms into modern metropolis which in my humble opininion can compete with other famous European capitals. This modernity relies not only on urban infrastructure development but also on public space diversification. Street art is one of these components which create city atmosphere. Interesting murals can be found in various places in Warsaw such as gates or walls. What’s more, they aren’t only art for art’s sake but also they present an alternative and interesting way of depicting Warsaw history and people who lived here. The best way to see this uniqe pices of art is a bike tour, just take a look! Stop 1: Kasprowicza 59 On the wall of the building one can see a mural presenting bear and rooster/cock. This sweet picture has covered previous controversial image of a red creature in a crown, strolling along the buildings roofs with the inscription: “Zbyniu don’t go this way”. The archetype of this figure was a mayor of Bielany (District of Warsaw) – Zbigniew Dubiel who decided to build here an apartment complex regardless of residents’ protests. As you can see, mural which had been made by residents turned out to be a perfect argument in discussion. Current work is somewhat a symbol of reconciliation. Stop 2: Aleja Zjednoczenia 15 The bear is not the only one fabulous character in Old Bielany. Passageway at the Aleja Zjednczenia 15 carries to a fairy – tale world. Depressing and ugly corridor was decorated with fabulous characters: Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf. Stop 3: Koźmiana 6 You can spot such a picture in the picturesque Kępa Potocka: Stop: 4 Andersa 27 The gate of the building is decorated with a mural presenting colorful crayons. Nothing indicates here, that this work was in fact made in memory of Janusz Korczak. When you go inside you can see this famous educationalist’s quotes: “Tell a child that he is good, that he can” and “When a child smiles, all world smiles” Stop 5: Nowlipki 2a A little bit farther from “the pencil box gate” is one of my favorite murals, so called “international gate”. This work presents women representing various cultures. This is a symbol of the Warsaw cosmopolitan character. Stop 6: Nowolipki 9B At Nowolipki 2B street you can see a group of musicians. Stop 7: Aleja Solidarności 78 The mural located in the gate of the building, presents the history of Solidarności avenue, former Leszno street. Here you can find famous “Moving Church” (located nearby) or defunct Femina Theatre/Cinema. Mural shows famous people connected with Warsaw ghetto: Marek Edelman and Stefania Grodzieńska. Stop 8: Aleja Jana Pawła 44 Another mural presenting famous residents of the Leszno but in a fancy way. One can spot here famous Polish writers: Cyprian Kamil Norwid or Bolesław Prus sitting on birds which are flying among trees. Stop 9: Chłodna 34 The wall of the Epidemiology Institute it’s an ideal place for the mural presenting lungs. In my opinion this image could be used on the cigarettes labels as well. Stop 10: Waliców 14 This is my favorite mural. I walk here at least once a week but every time it impresses me greatly. It’s located on the wall of the house ruined during WWII. There’s an inscription “Stone and what”. It’s a kind of Polish word – play because by joining these words you can receive the word townhouse. It’s worth to know that during WWII, after the Warsaw Uprising, SS chief Heinrich Himmler told that: “This city must completely disappear from the surface of the earth and serve only as a transport station for the Wermacht. No stone can remain standing. Every building must be razed to its foundation”. In my opinion simplicity and suggestiveness of this mural impress the most. Inscription and this red balloon can be interpreted in many ways. Stop 11: Sienna 45 On the Wall of the famous „House under the Sails” is one of the biggest murals in Warsaw. Soldiers here, look like puppets. Stop 12: Emilii Plater 13 Here you can see a controversial mural which shows insurgent against a background of a liquor store. Stop 13: Chmielna 35 Famous Warsaw shopping avenue was decorated with well-known Muppet. Stop 14: Tamka 37 Next to the Fryderyk Chopin Museum one can admire a mural with this famous Polish composer. Stop 15: Zajęcza 8 On the wall you can see Captain America. Stop 16: Podzamcze Over the famous Old Town fountains you can see mural connected with the Warsaw Uprising. Stop 17: Freta 16 The Old Town building is decorated with the mural in memory o Maria Skłodowska – Curie. It indicates the place of birth of this famous Nobelist. Stop 18: Konwiktorska On the walls of Polonia Stadium you can see more murals connected with the Warsaw Uprising. It’s not the end of Warsaw murals. I will try to present the rest in further articles. Day after day new works are created in Warsaw, you only need to go off the beaten path or just raise your head! If you see an interesting mural, please share your finding here 🙂 ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

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