While we had all expected to just have a quick scenic tour of Antwerp, within minutes of our arrival we found ourselves racking our brains, trying to figure out what the hell "Zot van A" was supposed to mean. What made things even more confusing was that all the locals we asked seemed to be giving different answers.
The day had started at Brussels Central Station at 10.20 with a 45-minute train ride to Antwerp. Upon arrival at Antwerp-Berchem, the outgoing Stage Committee, consisting of Anna, Milos and Christos, handed us quizzes with architectural and cultural questions on the Cogels-Osylei district. So our group of about 40 people split up into teams and the competition began.
The contest
The first task was to recognise the insect depicted within a piece of ornate metalwork on the top balcony of a building. Thanks to our eagle eyes and vast zoological knowledge, we were able to tell that it was a dragonfly. While we expected the following questions to be just as easy, unfortunately that darned Zot van A question came along…
Apart from the fun of looking for strange features of buildings and asking random people on the street the meaning of difficult Flemish expressions, the main aim of the contest was to put the spotlight on the Belle Époque architecture of Antwerp. This style peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century. Very soon we found ourselves marvelling at gorgeous marquises and balconies, detailed metalwork, little sculptured flowers and enchanted gardens amidst our hopeless attempts to solve the puzzles.
Finally, after two hours we met up at the cheerful 't Zeezicht for soup or a tasty feta sandwich while eagerly awaiting the Stage Committee's announcement of the winners. It turned out that the "Mediterraneans and the Monkey" were the only group who had managed to solve all 10 questions (including the Zot von A one) and were treated to a round of free De Konincks – a dark beer with a surprisingly light taste, brewed by the last remaining brewery in Antwerp. (Everyone else got a consolation prize as well).
The tour
After lunch, we met with a guide who took us on a city tour that lasted two long and chilly hours. We were whisked away in time to the mythical origins of Antwerp: Brabo defeated Antigoon – the giant who, by throwing his hand into the river, gave the city its name (in Dutch "hand werpen" = "hand thrown"). We also learned about the once forbidden love between a low-class blacksmith and the daughter of an upper-class artist. Just as the poor blacksmith had given up all hope, he decided to paint a small picture in one of the works that he had been commissioned to place upon a balcony – the firefly that we had identified for our contest. His painting was considered to be so perfectly done, that the artists' gild allowed him to marry the artist's daughter. (Unfortunately, she died quite soon afterwards, but since the blacksmith had become such a stud, he rather quickly found a replacement…)
The tour finished off with the tragic story of a poor father and son, who had jointly won an architectural competition held atop the cathedral. Yet because the son had presented the winning design (and not the father), the jury refused to pay out the prize money. This infuriated the father, but instead of lashing out at the jurors, he instead gave his son such a slap in the face that the kid fell off the cathedral and died. Twenty years later, remorse drove the father to jump from the same spot of the cathedral.
The city
After so much drama in the freezing cold, drinking a hot chocolate in a comfy bar was the perfect next step! We went to a small cafe with three cosy floors and comfortable red chairs. The hot chocolate was just chocolate and milk, not a real creamy and dense hot chocolate, but it served its purpose of warming us up!
There were plenty of options for the rest of the day: from a visit to the 'Knitwear in Fashion' exhibition at the Fashion Museum to a tour of the largest diamond museum in the world. Antwerp has been known as the diamond capital of the world for centuries; today this historical legacy is still present and can be seen in the numerous diamond shops scattered around the city.
Another important Antwerp attraction is the shopping district. In fact during the 16th century Antwerp was already known as "triomfelycke coopstad" – the city renowned for shopping. Nowadays all the best shops can be found in a compact area around Schoenmarkt, Meirburg Street and Meir Street, which makes it really easy to find anything you want.
A walk from the Cathedral of Our Lady to the 'Railway Cathedral' (Antwerp's main train station) is really pleasant, both for the shopping and the beauty of the buildings. The Central Station is one of the most beautiful and impressive train stations in the world, composed of a grand domed building, a huge iron and glass vaulted ceiling that covers the platforms, three railway levels and a shopping mall – of course we couldn't resist a group photo on the famous steps of the station!
And what does "Zot van A" mean? Well, it has several meanings - for one it is the name of a recent film set in Antwerp. More importantly, when pronounced in the dialect of Antwerp, it means "Crazy about you". But most importantly, its final meaning is simply: "Crazy about Antwerp". As indeed we all are now – and hopefully you are too!
Priscilla Serafini,
DG TRADE
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