Week 29 - October 26- November 1

We cannot believe it is November already!  Sorry for the lack of posts but we have been busy, but not always with the most post worthy activities.  Since we last posted, Tyler got another year older and wiser.  We went to a new hot dog restaurant in town to celebrate.  The following weekend, was a 3 day weekend with the Monday off for All Saints Day.  And we planned a full schedule!  Saturday started with a full day of Antwerp American football.  There is a club league of about 10 teams throughout Belgium, and the Antwerp Club hosted a scrimmage between the 4 top teams.  Since Tyler knows more than the average Belgian about the rules of American Football, and he knows how to press the record and stop buttons, he got volunteered to act as the official videographer of the tournament.  A fellow American sat in the tower and called the game over a loudspeaker.  The teams really appreciated the semi-professional atmosphere the announcing and recording created around the game.  The Antwerp Diamonds played hard, but lost in the championship to the Brussels' Tigers.    

A little taste of America for Tyler's Birthday!

Up in the tower

Football!

On Sunday morning, we opted for a spur-of-the-moment trip to Amsterdam for a night.  It is a 2 hour drive from Antwerp, and we still had not yet been so we decided to put an end to that.  We stayed at a hotel across the harbor from Amsterdam in a cool up-and-coming hipster-type area.  To get into Amsterdam, we just had to take a free 15 minute ferry ride to the central station.  It was fun to ride with the commuters on a Monday morning and get an appreciation for the importance of the nautical travel in The Netherlands.
We arrived around noon on Sunday, and we headed for lunch based on a recommendation from the hotel.  It was a really cool restaurant made out of old shipping containers.  It didn't look like much on the outside, but the inside had a comfy and rustic aesthetic, and of course the food was delicious.  When we arrived to the city, there was a huge curtain of fog  over everything so we weren't sure we would be able to see much.  Luckily, while we were eating lunch, the fog began to burn off, and we could see Amsterdam across the harbor by the end of lunch.  After lunch, we headed over to the city and explored Old town Amsterdam (read: cool old buildings overtaken by the Red Light District and "coffee shops").  We weren't loving the seedy vibe at first but as we explored more and headed out of the very center of town, the majesty of Amsterdam started to appear.  After some further exploration on foot, we headed to the Anne Frank House/Museum.  This historic site makes the most of a small space that contained such a powerful story.  The exhibits are tasteful and succinct, with relevant video footage throughout the rooms.  The poignancy builds throughout the tour with the final rooms leaving a lasting impact.

After the museum, we were hungry for dinner and set out on a search for something delicious.  A fun Argentinian themed place did the trick. After dinner and a walk through the dark, misty canals, we headed back to the hotel.

Shipping container restaurant

A container neighborhood.

So many bikes!

The bookshelf passageway to the hidden annex at the Anne Frank house

On Monday morning, we headed to the ferry and stopped at a lovely pastry and coffee shop (real coffee).  We walked to the Van Gogh museum only to find a HUGE line.  We hadn't purchased tickets ahead so we decided to forgo the museum as not to waste our limited time standing in line.  Instead, we went to the Heineken Brewery for the Heineken Experience tour.  We have both been on numerous brewery tours but this is one of the best we had experienced.  It started with a museum like history of the company and headed through a short brewery review that is typical of all brewery experiences.  After that, there was a corny 4D "ride" that reviewed the brewing process before heading into a tasting room, where they told us about the attributes of the beer and allowed us to taste!  Usually this is where brewery tours end but this one had additional exhibits of bottling, advertising history and various games that could be played.  At the end you received two more beers to enjoy in their bar area.
After the brewery tour we headed for lunch at a tasty soup shop where the workers did not enjoy our feeble attempts at the Dutch language.  The only way to learn is to PRACTICE, something we will both certainly remember when people struggle with English in the US.  After lunch, we wandered the streets and a few shops before heading home.  It was a brief visit but we are glad to have gotten a taste of Amsterdam.  With it being so close, we will definitely be back again!  

The Royal Palace

The flower market