Antwerp, Belgium

We took a bus from Paris to Belgium, and arrived in Antwerp; a darling and charming little city. Our wonderful hosts for the next few days, Frederike and Lore, picked us up from the station. We'll give our big shout out to Graeme right here and now for hooking us up with these wonderful gals! If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been able to spend our time in Belgium with such nice company. The girls brought us back to their apartment, which is super cool by the way! Exposed brick, nice big rooms and a lovely little garden terrace. These sneaky girls knew it was my birthday the next day, so they were gracious enough to cut me a piece of cake complete with candles. They sang me Happy Birthday, but in their language, which trust me; sounds so much nicer than in English! It was the perfect little welcoming. 
There's just something about waking up on your day of birth, that makes the air feel so fresh and new. I hope that isn't just me, because it's such a divine feeling. We had a lovely breakfast, then went with the girls down to a little market to look for Christmas gifts for our nearest and dearest. We hopped on the back of their bicycles and peddled our way through town. The market was full of handmade jewelry, baby and children's clothing, hats, jams, and everything in between. After that we went to the most lovely little cafe for beers. We tried the famous Belgian "Duvel". And a side note: not many things beat birthday cheers while in a city as great as Antwerp. Pizza for supper and cupcakes for dessert is fabulous as well. 
The next day, Lore took it upon herself to be our own personal tour guide and show us around the city. We went to an Oxfam shop, and we were able to purchase lots of cool little gifts for our family and friends, all while partaking in fair trade! She showed us around a Christmas Market and some second hand clothing shops. We popped into a bookstore called Copyright, and shuffled through the pages of some beautiful art, fashion, and photography books. We of course couldn't be in Belgium without eating Belgian chocolate, so Lore took us to a little shop that had row upon row of top-notch deliciousness. We ate some, then ate some more. It was heavenly. We went home and enjoyed a delicious dinner made for us by our fabulous hosts. That evening, us three girls along with another lovely person from the Belgian household, Klausse, went down to the local cinema to see The Hobbit! The cinematography of this film is unreal! 
The following day, everyone either worked or had class at Uni, so me and B were set free on the streets! Ha, only kidding. We mostly just wandered around, did a bit of gift shopping and then made our way to the Fashion Museum to see the Madame Gres collection. It was beyond amazing! I have dreamed of seeing her dresses and designs, and they blew me out of the water. This woman sure knows her stuff. Every dress and article of clothing is so intricate and perfected, it's hard to believe a person actually handmade it. She is an amazing designer, and it is so unbelievably evident. There was everything in the exhibit from her day dresses, to cocktail dresses, beach wear and evening gowns. Remember that these are all from the 40's-80's primarily, so they are remarkable! Then to see real Lanvin and Jean Paul Gaultier is nothing short of sensational. Cherry on top of it all though was walking into a tiny little room that housed a collection of Madame Gres's sketches. We loved it!
Our time in Belgium had sadly come to an end. We said goodbye to everyone at the house, and told them just how much we'd miss them all. Lore walked us to the bus stop and we said our goodbyes. Not before having to wait an extra long time for the bus, and having a miniature dance party on the sidewalk. Thank you once again for taking us into your home and showing us a wonderful time. All of you in that house are such kind, genuine people. We will for surely be back to Belgium one day! 

M & B