Antwerp-Antwerpen-Anvers... Oh! And a Halloween Party!

I just a little bit ago so I am gonna keep this one short. It is Sunday!! My day of rest and relaxation. I attended a Halloween party Friday in Nivelles, and spent all of Saturday wandering around Antwerp, so as usual I am very grateful for the respite provided by that magical day: SUNDAY!! 

Any how, Halloween in Nivelles. Yes I know it is a bit early to be celebrating Halloween but it seemed to work for these guys. A Rotary friend invited several of us to spend the night at her house in Nivelles and attend the soiree. 

We got to dress up, note the guy in the background in the picture, that isn't a photo effect, that guy bought these weird contact lens' and wore them, suuuuuper creepy, also really cool. There were a lot of cool costumes there. unfortunately the theme was "Horror" so the typically hilarious and inventive costumes were lacking. But there were a LOT of zombies! 

The next day was an interesting one, a couple of us decided to check out the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. 

Antwerpen, or Anvers (as it is called in french) is a beautiful city, very old fashioned, and unfortunately very touristy. The majority of the city looks like this: 

 It is a very magical atmosphere, I would say that at moments I felt transported back in time. not too far back mind, but far back enough that they would use horse and buggy:

The city just has this magical air about it. But like I said, it's rather touristy, especially around the central station. There, your daydreams of rustic slumbering villages are broken by the sightings of restaurants like this one:

Not that I don't like Subway! In fact I adore the establishment, it's just that it kinda spoils the magic, just a little. But worry not, because once you stray away from the main streets, just a little bit, you can find some truly beautiful spots!

I know it's beautiful, but I would just like to take a moment to discuss the strangeness of that statue. The man is in the process of throwing a hand, why? I feel that the scene requires just a teensy bit of context. And forgive me for this but it really gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Need a hand?" doesn't it?? :) Ha ha! I just crack myself up sometimes! But really, it's very strange, very strange indeed.

If I were to recommend places to visit in Belgium, this would definitely be at the top of the list. Not only is Antwerp a vibrant, beautiful, and strange city, it is also the most English friendly one I have come across. I was a little wary about entering a Dutch speaking city but as it turned out, practically everyone spoke English. Of course you come across that in Brussels and other French speaking cities too, but less.... 

All in all, it was a great day, I saw lots of cool stuff, and enjoyed myself quite a bit. That is my post for this week, see you again next Sunday!!! Thanks for reading.