Our second day in Antwerp.  We had nothing better to do than to wander about the town and see the sights.

After breakfast, we headed out to walk from our hotel to the main canal on the west side of town, stopping for window shopping along the way.

After lunch we walked from store to store to store in the diamond district. Antwerp is the diamond capital of the world, largely controlled by the Hasidic Jews here. There are whole blocks in this area that are filled with nothing but one jewelry store after another – selling almost nothing but diamonds and the various gold and platinum settings to hold them.

We ate lunch at an Irish restaurant and dinner at a Lebanese restaurant – since there really isn’t anything like a “Belgian” restaurant. We have, however, found the time for Belgian chocolates and “warme chocolademelk” drinks. Waffles tomorrow for sure before we head out.

Holden at his happiest. My parents will surely remember seeing a lot of this.

This is a new jacket for Isabella. The girls visited a second hand store (thrift shop) and found a cheap jacket in her size. It was one of the few things she decided was worth spending her own money on. The red purse was a new purchase for Josie.

One of the jewelry stores.

Store after store. Each of the white signs represented a different diamond shop down one lane.

Antwerp railway station.

Street shots.