Day 5: Antwerp
We woke up in a new country on Day 5 – in Antwerp, Belgium. Because the ship was docked overnight, we had the whole day ahead of us so we jumped right into being tourists.
Our first stop was Chocolate Nation, a massive museum dedicated to Belgian chocolate. It’s a really well done space where we learned a lot about the history of chocolate and its significance in Belgium. Visitors follow the chocolate from the cocoa plantations at the equator to the world’s largest cocoa storage port in Antwerp. The real highlight, of course, was the opportunity to sample several flavors of chocolate, including “ruby” the newest variety developed a few years ago.
After leaving Chocolate Nation, we walked across the street to the Central Train Station, considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
We walked through downtown to Grote Markt, the medieval central square in Antwerp. We followed the sound of the church bells and ended up at a religious themed bar, filled with religious icons. It was a funky spot to grab a pint of beer.
We’d spent several hours wandering Antwerp when we decided to head back to the ship for dinner. Antwerp was a happening place, even in the middle of the day, mid-week.
We’d made advance reservations at the SENA Grill. Although the buffet food was great, it was nice to splurge on something a little different. Steaks are aged for weeks before landing on the dinner table. We went with the prix fixe three-course menu which included an appetizer, entree, and dessert. It cost about $50 per person.
Because we still had a few hours before sunset, my daughter and I headed out for a walk along the waterfront. We took the world’s oldest wooden escalators down to the Sint-Annatunnel, a pedestrian tunnel under the river. Escaping into the cool tunnel on a hot summer night was a great choice. We exited the tunnel on the Left Bank. From that side of the river, we had great views of Antwerp (and the A-ROSA SENA!). It was a really fun walk, so much so that my daughter wanted to repeat it the next day.
Keep reading: click the #7 button below for details about our day in Brussels.
