Antwerp

The original estimate was ninety minutes. It only took thirty. It took more time to find a parking space. Distances as depicted on road maps can be misleading, I say. Hubby says we made good time because he blatantly disregards speed limits.

Antwerp is cool. Trendy fashionable shops catering to trendy fashionable people. It has a laid-back but studied quality about it. The locals are wealthy without being ostentatious. No skinny jeans fashion victims among the boho-chic knits and leather boots.

We stopped, hesitantly at first, for lunch at Frituure 1. As the name, implies, everything is deep-fried. Your choice of cheese, meats, and vegetables kebobs are dunked into hot oil fryers until golden crispy. Not the healthiest of meals. But as it turns out, the tastiest. Poutine-lovers will appreciate the local variation consisting of Flemish meat stew on fries.

I dragged Hubby to Diamondland - the biggest diamond show room in Antwerp. Edouard showed his father a gaudy bauble and made him promise to come back and get one for his preschool girlfriend and one for his Mom.