‘Sinterklaas’ (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas) is over, so it’s now the Christmas Market-period in Antwerpen. A huge part of the centre is occupied by lots of stalls and other attractions. This map shows what and where: Groenplaats, Handschoenmarkt, Grote Markt, Suikerrui and Steenplein are the places to go.

Overvieuw of the Grote Markt…

…where, for instance, ‘Neuzen’ (Noses, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuberdon) are for sale…

… here visible in detail. We are planning to try them in the future. Perhaps. Who knows. The idea of consuming noses is not that attractive yet.

Belgian waffles are for sale too, of course. With chocolate, cream or both. (Shouldn’t Liége be Liège???)

Truffles available, not just like that but in 25 variations – rum even represented twice. It would be our choice anyway, given the time of the year.

Obviously she could use her own winter-punch. ‘House-made warm winter punch’, € 4,00. One would pay anything to stay warm, isn’t it?

Our favourite, one could say: what else (George Clooney), was ‘Kibbeling’ – no doubt. We invested € 6,00. It was worth every penny, errr eurocent. Marvelous! See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbeling and try it when you have a chance. (Fish and chips is not bad at all, by the way.)

Some people find it normal to leave a table like this after use. (No ma’am, we do not think that you did that.)

Isn’t this lovely. Several fires like this one where to be found on the Grote Markt. One side of the firebox served as a door to put logs of wood inside of it. The logs were stored inside the lower part. A chimney of about three meters high created the necessary draught.

Walking along we reached the Suikerrui. We plan to come back on the meaning of the word ‘Rui’ on a later occasion. There are a lot of streets in Antwerpen ending with ‘rui’. For now, see: http://www.visitantwerpen.be/detail/ruien-antwerp-canals-171233.

You cannot eat them, they’re lights – in all colours. (Here spelled ‘colors’. Perhaps the owner is an American.) If one buys 35 of them each ball costs € 0,857. By buying 20 its € 0,85. Not a huge difference, admittedly, but someone has to stand up and utter some words of protest…

Everyone with a secret ambition to look like a Christmas-fan can fulfill his/her dreams here.

In our home country they are called ‘oliebollen’, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliebol. We had never heard of the word ‘Smoute(n)bollen’. Now we have. It’s the same; they’re visible just above the little boy’s hand. One word of advice though: there should be currants (raisins) mixed with the dough. Icing sugar on top of it and then… enjoy!

On the east-bank of the river Schelde (Escaut), next to the Steenplein, there’s the Antwerp-eye!

The last picture showed a sign, informing about the opportunity to play minigolf. It turned out to be named ‘Polar Golf’ and looks like this.

On the Steenplein, too, one could restore a normal body temperature by sitting close to a wood burning stove.

The Suikerrui, as seen from the position of the ‘Antwerp-eye’, with the cathedral (see last week) in the background.

When walking from Suikerrui towards the Groenplaats we encountered this street performer (busker?) on his single wheeled, high, bike. He did very well.

Surrounded by Chrismas stalls the Groenplaats has changed into an ice-skating venue, under the watching eyes of Peter Paul Rubens himself. It looks like great fun for the younger ones. We have to admit that we, not remembering how, lost our ice skates a considerable number of years ago.

Talking about ‘watching eyes’, we met those three protectors next to the ice-skating venue. It’s sad that we obviously need them nowadays in this way – so utterly visible. They did not object against being pictured. We thanked them and expressed our appreciation for the task they are executing. That was it for this week. Bye!