Hannah and me
This past weekend Koen was away in Rotterdam for a boys’ weekend, so I invited Hannah to come to Antwerp for a girls’ weekend! We planned for a delicious Japanese dinner at Osaka (edit – Osaka has since closed its doors after 20 years), followed by drinks at Dogma. The next morning we had a delicious breakfast at Lints, coffee at Caffènation, and then a walk in the Botanical Gardens to see the cacti! A great weekend!
Happy to have my parents in Antwerp!
Yay! My parents are in Antwerp!
Before we head off to Italy, we made reservations at Het Gebaar to have an early birthday celebration for my mom. You may remember Het Gebaar from two other posts: 9 year anniversary and when I won the free brunch. Het Gebaar is the Michelin star restaurant from Roger Van Damme. Van Damme is most famous for his desserts, so we booked our reservation in the early afternoon for a sweet lunch!
Brunch at our place!
This year Koen and I volunteered to host Easter brunch at our apartment in Antwerp. It was a lot of fun coming up with a menu and plan for the afternoon. We knew we wanted to buy lots of different breads and spreads as well as pastries, both savory and sweet. Of course we placed our order at Lints, our favorite bakery. Because the weather was nice and sunny, we also were in the mood for fruit! So we served watermelon, mango, pineapple, raspberries, and passion fruit alongside homemade kiwi juice (we used the leftovers to make a delicious smoothie the next day). After our huge brunch we went for a walk around the city, walking along the Scheldt River and through the historic district, stopping for a drink in front of City Hall and the famous Brabo fountain.
Grayson and Tamar in Antwerp’s Central Station, fresh off of the train!
Before I can start posting my photos from New York City, I first want to make a post about Grayson and Tamar’s (my brother and sister-in-law’s) first trip to Antwerp! In early August they were traveling around Western Europe and made sure to stop over in Antwerp. Not only was it their first time visiting me in Antwerp, but also their first time in Belgium. We drank plenty of Belgian beer and ate a lot of Belgian chocolates and fries.
Located in downtown Antwerp is the beautiful Botanical Garden (De Plantentuin). It’s 2 minutes both from my apartment and work, so during the Spring and Summer, when the weather’s nice, I like to picnic in the garden or sit on one of the benches with a nice book.
Me visiting the Antwerp Botanical Garden in April 2012
An American in Antwerp 