A bit about Antwerp

Antwerp is a port city. It has ancient buildings with the cutest wrought-iron gates outside the windows. There are flowers everywhere. All the signs are in a million languages, and everyone walks around drinking beer. Since it is a university cioty a lot of the restaurants give discounts to students. There are horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping along the streets, but the horses look a lot happier than in other cities I've been. There is a scout rally or something becuse in the Metro Tunnl there was a ring of boy-scouts playing a game. Also tons of bands, posing with their instruments in front of different statues. There is live music everywhere - buskers and litle orchestras playing and there are tubes going faaar underground on some of the street corners where people throw their bottles and cans for recycling.

Lots of the words on the signs have AA in them - strange language! And people would rather talk English (even if they can't) than french (even if they can). There is a huge zoo in the centre of the city and diamond shops everywhere.

Time to sneak out of the hostel!