Arrival at the impressive central station for our day trip to Belgium's famous port city (and known for its chocolate), Antwerp. I found out that the World's Gymnastics Championships were happening in Antwerp, just an hour north of Brussels. I was over the moon and immediately bought tickets, obviously to see Simone Biles' legendary comeback. The train station was one of the most grand we've seen on our trip, especially on a gorgeous sunny day. The other side of the station - simply magical! The station is also situated in the center of town with a giant ferris wheel in front and a ton of shops. We've had our fair share of train stations dumping us in the less nice (I'll leave it there) parts of town, so this was a treat. With Antwerp being the chocolate capital, we had to go to the Chocolate museum. I would highly recommend it, the self-guided audio tour was interesting, informative, and we got to taste 10 chocolates! The key to my heart is dark chocolate (take notes Isaac). Antwerp's Grote Market is so beautiful! I truly wish I felt better (I was fighting a cold, the beet juice didn't cure me. Hoping the medicinal powers of chocolate will kick in..) to enjoy the city because it had so many cool museums, restaurants, viewpoints, and shops. Hoping my sunglasses hide my sick, watery eyes. On the other hand, perky Isaac (how the tables have turned), who probably actually needs sunglasses as he stares into the sun. But hey, check out the beautiful square! With our Belgium museum pass, we had access to a handful of museums in Antwerp and chose to visit the Plantin-Moretus Museum. It is a museum in a mansion that houses the world's oldest printing presses, along with books, antiques, and art. The building was gorgeous, with a lovely courtyard in the middle. Just one of the many libraries in the mansion. They also offered a free audioguide which I personally love because my brain gets fried after reading a hundred plus descriptions of art or history. An incredible collection of books and a great exhibit on history of book printing. We wandered over to Het Steen, Antwerp's oldest building and also a medieval fortress. It is located right on the water and you can walk to the top for awesome views of the river and city. It also houses a small museum, visitor center, gift shop, and a bar. Views! Don't be deceived - I was actually feeling absolutely terrible in this photo and desperate for some meds. Also, please acknowledge Isaac's major dad move with his big ol' finger in the frame. Attempting to rally for the gymnastics events! I opted for a tonic water and Isaac went for the beer (seriously you can't miss with a Belgian beer, I was having regrets sipping my water). We found this park with a cafe and bar and relaxed before we headed to the stadium. The real purpose of our trip - seeing the gymnastics championships and Simon Biles! She performed her new vault, the Yurchenko double pike vault, which has now been renamed as the Biles II, and the crowd went wild. It was an absolute blast seeing the whole team compete and being at a live gymnastics event. Even Isaac was impressed with the production, pace, and fanfare of the competition. This closed out our day and we headed back to Brussels for some much needed sleep.
