Nic-naking in Antwerp

      We ended our day trip to Antwerp with a fossick through the antique area.  This was an all sorts of fab and sad.  Our pick of the bunch had to be International 14.  A little bit on the decorator side, but put together with such flair and panache, just like the stylish proprietor, Eva.  So fantastic that there is a roll of nineteenth century wallpaper coming home with us.  Which is sure to have its own post when we return.

Puppy love #3

A puppy from Antwerp.

Antwerp style.

       With the art out of the way it was time to explore the fashions of Antwerp.  First spot, MOMU, Antwerp's museum dedicated to fashion and design.  Unravel was the current exhibition, exploring knitwear in fashion.

After this knit and purl experience, we took to the streets to look over the designers.  Our first hit was at Ann Demeulemeester, I guess you would call her the grandma of the Antwerp 6.

 

Salesman wearing said outfit

Outfit

Black, white and grey and all beautiful but all a bit yesterday.

The shop was total amazing, over two levels with soaring ceilings and spartan design. But.

OK. Lets go see Walter, an old favorite of the Castles, a decade ago.

OK. Half the punch and twice the price. I don't think so Mr. van Beirendonck.

Housed in an old garage, as per Walter, it was a quirky shop.  

Maybe we have just out grown the WLT. Or maybe we just got old?

Snapped on the street. We wonder if this is not where Belgian fashion should be going?

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Allo, allo Antwerpen

Papenstraatje en rose.

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Antwerp in a day.

       Yesterday we headed north to Belgium.   A quick train trip saw us alighting at Centraal Station in Antwerp, a grand affair of a building that promised a grand adventure.  Our first port of call was Rubens House.  Beautifully preserved, it gave a sense of the age he lived in, think "Girl with a pearl earring", yes it had a thin veneer of Vermeer, with an Italianate twist.

Rubenshuis

Rubenesque

         Our next destination was to be the Royal Museum of Fine Art but it was closed for renovation until the end of 2017, so we decided not to wait.  It was time to give up on the fine arts and take in the architecture and do a spot of shopping also spying out the much lauded fashion scene of this hamlet.

Building tops of Papenstraatje

Fountain outside Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal

Het Steen

Dining @ Nero, Antwerp

 

We chose a Lunch of seasonal produce, being White Asparagus topped with boiled egg in a butter sauce, slices of smoked salmon were optional. Washed down with a carafe of Rose', perfect.

                 P.S.  Later in the day we indulged in a local favorite,  frites with mayonnaise.

Too scared to eat these in public in Paris.

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