Brussels To Antwerp And On To Maastricht

 We have moved a bit since the last blog post. Yesterday we were in Brussels and Antwerp, today we were in Antwerp, and we are now underway to Maastricht in the Netherlands. As yesterday was our last day in Brussels, there were no planned excursions, just packing and tagging our bags with our cabin number tags, checking out of the hotel and  boarding the bus for the ride to Antwerp. We did get out for a short walk on our own in a search for an extra pair of sun glasses for me as well as a cane, because I left mine back in California. One place we searched for the sunglasses was an optical store, but since the lowest price we saw for a pair of sunglasses was about 140 Euros I decided against buying there. Finding the cane proved to be much easier. We walked into a pharmacy and canes were right in front of us. Even I could not miss them. We eventually found sunglasses for a much more reasonable price thanks to Patti's eagle eyes when we walked into a recycled clothing store. Sunday night in Brussels found us at good restaurant called Arion where we ate and  enjoyed splitting mussels and pasta. We really enjoyed Brussels.

  Our bus ride to Antwerp was longer than expected thanks to congested traffic courtesy of road construction when we got got close to our ship. Boarding was easy and we were escorted to our cabin by one of the crew. Our cabin is nice and utilitarian. There is not a huge amount of space, but there is enough for the two of us and it is comfortable. We got unpacked and settled and had a gathering in the lounge for safety information and to meet some of the main officers. After dinner we called it a day.

  This morning we had a walking tour of Antwerp and visited the Cathedral of Mother Mary where there are three works of art by Reubens on display. The legend about how Antwerp got its name goes something like this. There was once a mean giant who would not lets ships pass unless the captain shared his cargo with the giant. A Roman soldier fought the giant and killed him and cut off his hand and threw the hand into the river. Antwerp is combinations of the Flemish words hand and throw, harkening back to the legend of the giant's hand being thrown into the river. The cathedral is a massive gothic cathedral. We had a very good guide who was very informative and told us a lot about the paintings by Reubens. The weather was cold and we had a bit of rain, but the excursion was definitely worth it. After lunch, we had a wonderful excursion to the Jewish quarter of Antwerp that included a visit to a Kosher bakery, a visit to an Orthodox Jewish home, and a synagogue visit. The home we visited was a real highlight. Kosher forbids mixing dairy and meat, so there are separate sinks and dishwashers for meat and dairy as well as two separate ovens and two separate preparation areas. Our hostess was a delightful young mother of four who explained to us the beliefs and practices of Orthodox Jews. She was wonderful and served us some of the pastries our guide bought for us as a gift for her. She said her children always like when Viking visitors come because they know they will have some left over pastries to eat. We ended our tour with a synagogue visit that was conducted by the husband of our in home visit. The synagogue is classic Orthodox. Men sit downstairs and women upstairs. The Jewish quarter of Antwerp is not that large, but there are multiple synagogues, the majority of which are Orthodox, the remainder being Reform. He explained many aspects of the Jewish faith and way of life. The Jewish quarter and the Muslim quarter are right next to each other and the Muslims and Jews of Antwerp coexist without resorting to violence.

  It is now Wednesday morning and we are still sailing to Maastricht. Our excursions today are a walking tour of Maastricht and a visit to the American cemetery where over 8,000 Americ

an soldiers who died in World War II are buried. The day promises to be grey with the chance of rain and temperatures in the low 50s, so we will dress accordingly. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday.