Antwerp, Belgium, my friends, is a city where possibly 80% of the world's diamonds pass through. Alas, I bought not a single souvenir from that place--sad, right? But the old city is lovely as you have seen from the blog of May 1. Part of the city was heavily bombed during WWII, but much of the old city was spared. That is what you see in this blog--elaborate old buildings with elaborate architectural details standing alongside buildings of similar but different styles--a stunning sight! I think perhaps the buildings with all the flags is Town Hall. Around this plaza and on nearby narrow streets as well, were cafes selling foods of many nationalities--Argentinian steak, sushi, naan, etc., plus chocolates and frites. The fries are fried twice and the Belgian favorite topping is mayonnaise--not my favorite--but I did try Andalusian sauce, a spicy, mayo-based sauce. Not bad, but my low-class ways prefer ketchup. The pastries in the window looked magnificent, but dinner on the ship is always huge, so we passed.

Then the cruising began. I'd chosen this trip because I wanted to see the Low Countries of Belgium and Netherlands, so I'd forgotten about the cruising! Following dinner I was in the lounge for the talk about tomorrow's destination, and we began moving as the sun set. Such a smooth ride, and while no scenery of nature, the lines and shapes of these industrial buildings were lovely. Cruising is a pleasant way to spend and evening--relaxing and glorious.