On our tour of the city we got to see beautiful Central Station which was undergoing restoration.

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They have built a modern Justice Building which you can see here reflected in the windows of the building across the street.

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The old jail which resembles a castle today houses a museum.

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In front of town hall on the main square stands a statue of an intrepid young man by the name of Brabo. According to legend, there was an evil ogre that would cut off the hand of any sailor unwilling to pay the toll to pass the Scheldt River. Brabo saved the town when he slew the ogre, cut off his hand and threw it in the river. This act gave the city its name since Antwerp comes from Handwerpen which means hand throwing.

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The buildings on the main square which years ago were homes of the very rich have all been well preserved and restored. We were amazed by the amount of gold which decorated these buildings.

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Here in Antwerp we saw our first Belgian Chocolate shops and there were many!

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Antwerp's cathedral is one of the largest Gothic buildings in Europe.

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This city has been home to many artists. Pieter Paul Rubens, Belgian's most famous painter of all time was one of these. Many of his works are kept in the museum but Our Lady Cathedral is home to three of his noted works. This one is entitled "Descent from the Cross".

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Al poses with a serving wench!

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