One of the real gems of the trip that I wasn’t expecting was Antwerp. After a 60 mile ride from Bruges, I rolled up to the river and saw an amazing city skyline across the water.

Antwerp - Across the Sea

Bridge? What Bridge?

I had no idea how to get to the other side of the river and my Belgian isn’t quite upto snuff, so I was a bit lost. My GPS kept telling me to go across the water but there was no road to be found.

Lots of boats on the sides of the river. Maybe you have to be ferried across – seems kind of inefficient, but who knows? So, I explored the river bank. I rode a couple miles in each direction and still couldn’t find any way across.

Finally, I decided to trust the directions I was getting from my GPS and I zeroed in exactly on the place it was telling me to go. Lo and behold, there’s a building there. Inside the building, I discovered an ancient escalator. The entire thing was made of wood – the sides, th e housing, even the slats on the steps.

Carrying a 90 pound bike on an escalator was a challenge, but I was motivated by not wanting to kill the people below me if it slid down willy-nilly.

At the base of the escalator was the tunnel to get to the main part of the city. The tunnel was long and built for pedestrian traffic, of which there were thousands taking advantage (due in part to an event the city was hosting).

Hostel Territory

I checked in at the hostel, which was not my favorite. The place was essentially a bar with owners who decided to make a few extra bucks by renting out the crappy rooms upstairs – the floor of the bar patio was covered in sand, which meant everything in the hostel was, too.

The stairs were winding, as is the case in most old buildings in Europe, but these also added an angle of inclination with each step. By the time you got to the third story, they sat at about a 30 degree angle. God help anyone who had to climb those drunk.

Finally, the hostel (which housed about 30 people) had one restroom, one stall, one shower. I’m glad I shower in the afternoon since I’m off riding in the mornings.

Wanna Watch The Boat Races?

As far as the city goes, I lucked out big time. I arrived on the final day of the Tall Boat races. While the races were over by the time I arrived, I did get to see a nautical parade of old style sailing boats and their crews – including some who were hanging from the masts 120 feet up.

The city is really beautiful and it’s a place I’d love to go back to again for a longer stay. As it was, I was pretty exhausted so after an unexpected encounter with the city’s red-light zone (more on that in two days), it was time to head for bed and rest up for the next day’s ride to Rotterdam.