***Here’s the GOOGLE MAP featuring all the locations for this weekend***
Thursday
If you are still mourning the loss of the summer bars, you will want to keep an eye out for the Winter bars. Little Brewers Winter Garden (Smokey Jo’s in its summer incarnation) reopens at 6pm on Thursday and will be in operation until February 2017, open on Wednesdays -Sundays. Bar Gloed (winter edition) at the Antwerp Tower on Keyserlei is also open on Wednesdays -Sundays. There’s still a bit of a wait until the city’s ‘Winter In A’ program starts though: that will kick off on December 10th, in the old town .
Saturday
Regular readers will know how much I and my son enjoyed the Street Art tour of Antwerp. This is a must for street art and graffiti fans, or anyone who simply would like to see the city through a different lens. A lack of Dutch is no barrier: Tim is now provided tours in English, including one this Saturday starting at the Mechelseplein at 11am. Recommended!
Perhaps along a similar vein is the evening event Exposed Music: a guided tour through Antwerp city, with musical experiences and performances in unexpected locations on the way. The tour concludes at midnight in Het Bos with a finale.
Lovely Hand Gemaakt is at Plein Publiek from 11 -5pm. If you need to start your Christmas shopping and can’t face busy shopping streets, this will be a lot more relaxed, and there is the added advantage of supporting the work of local creatives. I picked up quite a few gifts (such as soaps, jewellery) from Hand Gemaakt last year, and they were very well received.
Sunday
At FOMU and Cinema Zuid (which is in FOMU) there is a program of activities and workshops (yoga; light & photography workshop; family tree workshop; guided tours for kids) for children today, with activities for smalls aged 3+, some are more expensive than others, with the kids’ movies at only 3 euros. For most events, reserve via the links, except for the Smartbox activity, which is only 2 euros and is ongoing throughout the day.
Elsewhere, at various locations, it’s Children’ Art Day in and around Antwerp. Search the site for an activity or workshop for your child(ren) suited to their age(s) and location – these are free.
For Sinterklaas and other children’s gifts, go to The Roma theater for a second hand market devoted entirely to kids’ toys, books and clothes (1 euro in for adults; 50 cents for kids).
Bargains also to be had in front of the Permeke Library at the monthly boekenplein -graphic novels, second hand books and collectors’ books for sale, from 10am -4pm.
The weather looks not too bad, with a good chance of a dry -and even partly sunny – Saturday, but Sunday likely to be a bit windy, and with some rain.
Miscellaneous
If you are looking ahead to the winter season and have kids to entertain, I recommend that you book Antwerp’s only traditional, old -school panto in English, for January in the Arendberg Theatre, by BATS theatre group. Another recommended from me -this time it’s Jack and the Beanstalk.
I was asked by a reader to include more random suggestions and recommendations, so here is one which I think is just right for this time of year: Filmhuis Klappei, a little gem of a cinema not far from de Coninckplein. Half the price of mainstream cinemas, and always with an interesting and eclectic program, I haven’t been for a while but am planning to go again soon. Last time I went I saw a Hitchcock film (Marnie) complete with an interesting intro from a movie buff. And the venue was just right for a movie of this type. The bar is also very attractive with old cinema posters and images, so go for a drink beforehand. It’s perfect for an old-fashioned movie date …
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Nessascityblog Brexit posts are here (part 1) and here (part 2).
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*** NEXT POST ON THURSDAY 24TH NOVEMBER -SEE YOU THEN. THANKS FOR READING! ***
