Today I greet you from a comfy, quiet home in Brugge. My host Nele offered to let me stay over the weekend while she is away at a retreat. I wasn’t expecting that offer so I’d planned another host, but this is definitely preferable. On Monday we’ll drive together to Alveringem for my Workaway. She already knew about the project and has been wanting to check it out! 🙂
Anyway, back to the blog…
Celebrity Meeting
March 11, 2023
Last we left off, I was leaving Tilburg way too soon, especially considering that the sun was shining for once. My next hosts were my friend Lente’s parents and I didn’t want to keep them waiting, nor arrive in the dark. I said “Houdoe” to Niels – Noord-Brabant style – and headed to the train. The ride was uneventful except for the fact that I hadn’t known to buy a ticket in advance; the app I was using only worked in the Netherlands, and now I was crossing into Belgium. The ticket lady said she’d come back to collect payment but never returned…works for me!
Soon I was standing at the tram stop in Mortsel meeting Lente’s mom, Greet. She was friendly and welcoming and we discussed my trip and how I know Lente on the walk to her place (if you’ve been following my blog awhile you may remember Lente and her husband Marnik; they were stranded at Hiromi and Kirby’s place in El Segundo waiting for their bikes so they could ride the Pacific Coast Highway, and they were still there when I returned at the end of my trip. You can read about it here and here. Spoiler alert: There is a happy ending 😊 ).
As we dropped off Greet’s bike in the garage it was immediately apparent that Mortsel is a tight-knit community. There were over a dozen bikes in the garage (a typical garage you’d put a car in, not something industrial). Greet explained that her and her husband Walter open it to neighbors to store bikes. She pointed out buildings Walter has worked on for his business, and I learned of Walter’s political work for the green party in town, advocating for improved cycling infrastructure. Later, I learned from Walter that Mortsel is the most densely populated area in all of Belgium, despite its small size.
When we walked in the door I met Walter in person. He was watching a cycling race on TV, just as I imagined a Belgian dad would. I commented on the race and said that Jumbo-Visma is my favorite team, especially Wout van Aert. “Ah, Wout van Aert!” both parents exclaimed. Always love watching Belgian eyes light up in delighted surprise when I mention their cycling superstar.
Speaking of cycling superstars…you may have noticed that the heading of this section mentions meeting celebrities. Keep that in mind; we’ll come back to it 😉
The rest of the evening was uneventful; Greet and Walter had dinner plans but were kind enough to let me stay in their home alone. “Treat the house as your own and be comfortable here.” Greet instructed. I really felt it; they are very welcoming people!
Antwerp Tour, Folklore, Family Dinner
March 12, 2023
The next morning I found a lovely breakfast and place-setting laid out for me, and I joined Greet and Walter for the meal. Greet and I made plans to meet after working half the day. Greet has two bikes, so I would borrow one and we’d ride to Antwerp for a tour of the city. Later, after lunch, we hopped on the bikes and were off!
Antwerp Tour & Folklore
As we rode, Greet pointed out landmarks in Mortsel, including the school Lente used to work at. We rode on a fietsstraat – a street designed to give priority to bicycles; cars must drive slowly behind and cannot pass. Walter advocated for this particular fietsstraat for years and, after data had been collected on how many cyclists use the road on a daily basis, the town opened the street fully for bikes. It was there that I experienced my first angry Belgian driver, who rode on our tails the whole way and shouted in Dutch when he finally got to pass. “Ok, dank je wel!” Greet responded cheerily. Always meeting anger with kindness. 😊 This was interesting to observe; it gives me hope for US cycling infrastructure, knowing that even a bike-friendly place like Belgium has drivers shouting at cyclists like in America.
Greet was a great tour guide, and I learned interesting things about Antwerp. Flemish folklore has worked its way into Antwerp’s history. For instance, do you know how the city got its name? Here is the story (summed up in my own words):
Once upon a time there was a giant named Antigoon, who lived in a fortress along the Scheldt River. Any time a boat passed by or a traveler tried to cross the bridge on foot, Antigoon demanded a toll. If they didn’t pay, he cut off one of their hands and threw it in the river! One day, a soldier named Silvius Brabo sailed down the river. He refused to pay the toll and instead fought Antigoon, cutting off one of the giant’s hands and throwing it in the river!
In Dutch, the word for “hand” is hand (barely audible h), and “to throw” is twerpen. Put them together and you get handtwerpen…Antwerp!
The city embraces this tale fully. In Grote Markt (the center square), outside city hall stands a large statue of Brabo, positioned to throw Antigoon’s hand. I learned from Marnik that there are some inconsistencies with the statue; the city had to turn the statue so Brabo wasn’t positioned to throw Antigoon’s hand into city hall, and if you look at Brabo’s stance, he’s not throwing with the correct leg/arm combo (as a softball player, I’m sorry I didn’t catch this myself). Now if you go to Antwerp, you’ll understand why they proudly display a statue of a man holding a dismembered hand!
The lore extends beyond Grote Markt; there is a statue of a hand turning into a bird inside the gorgeous Antwerp Central Station (the most beautiful train station I’ve ever seen), a stone hand on the main shopping street (Meir), and the new MAS building is covered with hands on the bricks. There are local biscuits called Antwerpse Handjes (Antwerps’s little hands) which are only allowed to be made by bakers licensed by the city, and chocolates with similar rules. Has anyone found other hands in Antwerp? Feel free to share in the comments!
Halfway through the journey, Walter met us and Greet went home to prepare dinner for a family gathering. Between my two tour guides (and Marnik adding details when he saw my stories on Instagram), here are some highlights and fun facts:
- I already mentioned this, but it’s worth repeating that Antwerp Centraale (Antwerp Central Station) is incredibly beautiful. Seriously…do not miss seeing this if you visit Antwerp. I would have, since I’d done the confident New Yorker thing and hurried straight from train to tram when I’d arrived from Tilburg without going upstairs. If not for Greet’s tour I would have missed this gorgeous station, and that would have been a real shame. At this point in the trip I’ve seen a lot of beautiful buildings, and that interior is hands down (pun intended) my favorite.
- In the 14th century, Antwerp was incredibly important for trading because of its port. From what I understand, nearly half of the world’s trade passed through Antwerp in the 16th century. Now all the old storage centers along the river have been turned into community spaces like indoor skate parks, basketball courts, etc.
- Antwerp also had/has a major role in the diamond industry, which has helped keep the city profitable.
- Likewise, Antwerp was an important city for immigration to America and Canada in the late 1800s/early 1900s, particularly for emigrants heading to Ellis Island. There is a ship called the Red Star Line that carried travelers to North America from all over Europe…more on that in a bit.
- The first printed newspaper in the world was published in Antwerp in 1605 (the selfie below with Greet and Walter is us with a statue of the guy who printed it).
- In my photos below you’ll find a picture of me standing outside Het Steen – a medieval castle that was once the city center – with a statue of Lange Wapper (translates to “long flag”). The Lange Wapper is a giant who was born from vegetables and loved to play tricks on Antwerpians. He was a bully, and his stories remind me a bit of Loki’s tricks in Norse mythology.
- Near the end of the day Walter took me to “Elfde Gebod,” a restaurant-bar that translates to “Eleventh Commandment.” The building that houses Elfde Gebod has been standing since 1425! Elfde Gebod claims to be the oldest restaurant in Antwerp, and it’s filled from top to bottom with Christian art, especially statues. It’s quite the atmosphere!
I was surprised by how much I liked Antwerp. In many ways it reminded me of Brooklyn; the shopping strip is similar to downtown Brooklyn, the dock has a sort of Coney Island feel (there is even a ferris wheel), and in between are tons of neighborhoods populated by different ethnic groups. I wasn’t planning to stop in Antwerp originally, but I’m glad I did.
Family Dinner
Later that night, Walter and I returned for a big family dinner; Lente’s grandfather, her brother Ruben, and Ruben’s girlfriend Emma all joined. Lente’s grandfather has traveled to New York many times and was excited to meet me, and I enjoyed the company and conversation during the meal, which even featured a traditional Belgian side dish made from chickory. For dessert we had traditional Belgian sweets: Smoutebollen (fried balls of dough that taste similar to American funnel cake) and Galette (similar to Dutch stroopwafels, but I liked these better because they weren’t as sweet. Totally different than French galette). While eating dessert we video-called Lente and Marnik, who couldn’t join in person because they moved to Tromsø, Norway recently (I joke that they are copying me; I did the Pacific Coast Highway, then they did, I went to Tromsø, then they did…Greet remarked happily that by that logic, their next stop should be Mortsel!). Lente and I continued to chat and reminisce about our cycling trips long after everyone went home; it was so nice to catch up with her.
Forts, Protest Run, Celebrities Again
March 13, 2023
Forts
For the next adventure, I explored a shelf of children’s books in Dutch and read one called Toen Findus klein was (“When Findus was little”) about a cat named Findus who got lost when he was a kitten. It was a cute story! Meanwhile, still reading Nijntje Vliegt each night, so my trip is rich with Dutch tales. 😊
After lunch, Greet and I walked to her chicken coop, then took a wooded path to a series of forts that run throughout Mortsel, Antwerp, and surrounding areas. You can tour the forts by bike on the “Brialmontroute,” which is ~28 miles.
Since we were on foot, we only visited Fort 4. All of these forts were built in the Belle epoque before WWI, from 1860-64, as a line of defense. Fort 4 is one of seven remaining from that era, and it has many layers. The outer building was built to be largely invisible, making it difficult for enemies to see it as they approached. They’d have to get through two outer layers of the fort to breach the barracks at the center. As shown on the map below, Fort 4 is part of a complex fort system; even if this fort was breached, there were others waiting behind it to protect Antwerp. Definitely worth visiting if you are nearby.
Protest Run
For almost ten years, Walter has been meeting friends at the chuch tower every Monday night at 18:00 for a 4 km run. They take off as soon as the sixth chime ends. It started as a protest; there was a big fair in Mortsel each year, as well as a running event that brought hundreds of people to town. Then the city moved the fair and eliminated the run, and the people of Mortsel were upset. Walter started writing letters to the city council to bring back the fair, and when that didn’t work he started running every day in protest. On the first day, a few people joined. On the second, a few more. By the end of the week, almost 200 people had joined for the protest run! At that point the city decided Mortsel could keep its fair and running event, so the protest was a success!
Walter continues to lead a casual run every Monday night, so I decided to join. We were a small group of five, and as we ran I learned that sometimes people stand outside to cheer and wave for the weekly runners. What a fun tradition!
Celebrities
Okay so…you’ve probably been wondering why I keep making these mysterious headings about celebrities. Now you’ll find out!
When I met Lente in California, she told me that she was practically born on a bike. When they were just 25 and 30, her parents took a round-the-world bike trip to bring attention to Belgian cycling. The idea was that if they could cycle the world, local Belgians could cycle a few km to the grocery store. At that time Belgium was already a cycle-friendly country but nowhere near like it is now, and they wanted to make a trip to spread a positive message about cycling.
So, over 30 years ago, they set out. They had no money for good equipment, but they obtained sponsors by writing letters to organizations and promising to feature their brands at the bottom of letters they’d write to the local Mortsel newspaper each month. For the entire year and a half trip, the Mortsel newspaper published monthly updates about their journey, first small stories, then full page articles. When they returned (7 months pregnant with Lente!), Greet and Walter made a slideshow, and 400 people showed up to watch it in the local Mortsel theater. They were the stars of the city!
On the last night of my stay, I felt so honored to watch their slideshow and hear stories from the trip. It is truly incredible to think about all that they did on their bicycles three decades ago, without internet, cell phone, GPS, or other luxuries that make cycling trips so accessible today. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it; Greet and Walter are truly an inspiration. And they didn’t make an easy trip visiting English-speaking countries; they cycled across parts of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America where nobody spoke English, sometimes stopping in tiny, impoverished villages, always being welcomed openly. The stories of their journey are incredible, as are the photos. I will think of their journey whenever I am feeling low on a cycling trip. If they could do everything they did thirty years ago, I can certainly travel by bike today. Dank je wel Greet and Walter for sharing the slideshow, answering my questions, and sharing stories from your trip; I feel really special to have gotten to meet you.
The Red Star Line
March 14, 2023
The next morning, I had breakfast and said goodbye to Greet and Walter. I am genuinely glad I stopped in Mortsel; thank you Lente for recommending that I stay with your parents, and Greet and Walter, I hope we meet again!
Next, I caught the tram to Antwerp for one last stop: The Red Star Line Museum.
I haven’t visited museums on this trip; I typically prefer hanging with local people when I travel and doing outdoor activities instead of looking at art, etc. However, as a New Yorker with European heritage I felt it was important to visit this museum and learn a side of the European immigration story that I don’t experience in New York.
The museum was laid out very well, and I learned a ton about the immigration process. Antwerp was the port where immigrants – mostly from Germany and Eastern Europe – came to begin their voyages to North America. In the early 20th century, many traveled on The Red Star Line, mainly to Philadelphia and New York (specifically Ellis Island).
I won’t go into all the details about the museum, but most shocking were the differences between first, second, and third class tickets. Passengers with first class tickets essentially had a journey of luxury, with live music, comfortable living quarters, wine, good food, etc. Second class was considerably less comfortable, and third class was of course the worst, with cramped quarters, bad food, lice easily spreading, etc. Even those third class tickets required some wealth; in 1902 one third class ticket cost 162.50 Belgian francs, or $31 USD. By today’s rates, that’s roughly 1000 euros! Back then, the average European had to work around 75 days to afford that one single third-class ticket. Rates fluctuated quite a bit; in 1895 that same ticket cost 85 francs (550€ today), and by 1924 it was 2400 francs (2500€ today). Children under 10 or 12 could board for half price.
Everyone emigrating was afraid of getting sick on board and not being allowed into America, but it was most desperate for third class travelers, who were the only group who had to take yet another medical examination once they reached America. As always, those with the least money have to jump the most hurdles to progress…
It’s wild to think about what immigrants had to do to get to North America. First, saving up to afford the journey. Next, traveling sometimes far, long, expensive distances to Antwerp. Then, a medical examination in Antwerp; they could not board without passing. The exam covered physical ailments but also included a series of puzzles designed to test intelligence. I tried one puzzle in the museum and it was difficult! Next, another medical examination halfway through the voyage. This is what all passengers feared; if they got sick on the ship and were deemed “unfit” or a danger to society (if they were discovered to have done too much union organizing, for instance, as was the case with one man), they’d be sent back to Europe when the ship reached land (in his case, American union workers rallied for him to be let into the country). Finally, third class passengers had to forego one more exam once they reached North America. According to the museum, two percent of passengers were sent back to Europe. Imagine paying all that money and making that 14-day journey across the ocean only to be separated from your loved ones and forced to go right back…
I’m glad I visited the museum, though I wish it were a bit more interactive. Nonetheless, it’s worth checking out if you visit Antwerp.
Next up: Traveling to G(h)ent! <– Find out why I’m writing it like this in the next entry! 😉
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