Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts

Antwerp - The City Of Diamonds - Part 1

There are a lot of diamonds in Antwerp. In fact, I could probably say it’s the diamond capital of the world. So when I was invited to visit Antwerp to celebrate the city as being part of the diamond trade worldwide for more than 500 years, I could hardly say no, could I?

This year there are a number of initiatives to celebrate the history of diamonds in Antwerp since 1447. So I flew over to Antwerp as part of a press trip with the tourist board Visit Antwerp to find out more.  Those of you who have been readers for a while may know that I used to own a third-generation family jeweller and that is how The Diary Of A Jewellery Lover blog came about. So with my love of diamonds and also travel I was in the lucky position to be chosen for this trip. 

So a quick 55-minute flight to Amsterdam from Cardiff and then a two-hour journey on the train to Antwerp meant it was almost quicker to get to Antwerp than to go to London by car for me from South Wales. There are flights direct to Antwerp from London City Airport so if you live in this part of the world it is even easier to get there, and of course, you can also get there from London on Eurostar.

Did you know Lonely Planet's Best In Travel 2018 named Antwerp as one of northern Europe's best-kept secrets? So I was excited when I arrived for my two-night stay.

I got to Antwerp late on a Saturday night and walked the short 15-minute journey to my hotel. I felt totally safe walking to the hotel, but I obviously kept my wits about me in an unfamiliar place.


My stay for the trip would be at Hotel Franq. This boutique luxury hotel really has the wow factor when you enter. A gorgeous lobby with beautiful flowers, comfortable sofas and chic decor greets you. Check-in was quick and efficient and before long I was in my room.



 The rooms at Hotel Franq are well-appointed and exceptionally comfortable. A large king-sized bed graced the room, which also had a desk and chair, as well as a comfortable armchair. The bathroom had double sinks, a rainfall shower and luxury toiletries as well as a large flat-screen TV. Little touches in the room such as complimentary water, an espresso coffee machine and a Marshall Bluetooth-enabled radio set the room apart from other boutique hotels I have stayed in recently. 

The decor was simple but very well done, and the quality of the furnishings appeared to be exceptional. A dash of colour added some vibrancy to the room which was in muted shades of cream and beige.

That night I slept well and in the morning went down to breakfast.


Hotel Franq prides itself on using high-quality and local ingredients in its restaurant. Continental breakfast was included and involved a variety of bread, homemade jam and homemade granola, whole yoghurt, meat and cheese, boiled eggs, and fresh orange juice with tea or coffee. If you wanted something more substantial then you could choose from avocado on toast, smoked salmon and other delights at an additional charge. If you want to read more about my review of Hotel Franq be sure to check it out.



The morning was at leisure so I decided to just wander the city and to take in some of the sights. When people in the UK think of Belgium we often think of Bruges with its magnificent architecture or Brussels being the centre of the EU, well I know I do, but Antwerp appears to have some great sights too and gorgeous architecture. One of my first stops was at the Grote Markt in the heart of the old city. This large public square is lined with picturesque traditional buildings including the City Hall. The City Hall is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. In front of the City Hall is a statue of Silvias Brabo. 

Legend has it that Silvius Brabo put an end to a giant that was terrorising Antwerp by vanquishing the giant and casting his hand into the river by way of revenge. According to the legend, this is where Antwerp got his name ‘hand werpen’ literally meaning “to throw a hand”. A fountain and statue in front of the City hallmark the importance of this story in the founding of the city of Antwerp.

As I strolled around Antwerp, I came to the main shopping street called Meir. As it was early on a Sunday most shops were closed. However, the shopping area looked great and contained a number of household names such as Zara, and H & M.


Just behind the main shopping street, I came across a large open-air market selling all manner of items, from fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables to stalls selling delicious smelling waffles and distinctive smelly cheese, as well as clothes, bags and other items.

Belgium is known for its waffles so I was keen to try these out later in my trip. 

Close to this area was the world-renowned Rubens House, a museum of the artwork of Peter Paul Rubens, known for his Baroque style of art. Admission costs 8 euros to get in for adults 25-65, concessions are 6 Euros and free for certain groups. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to visit but I thought the cost was reasonable.



Time to return to the hotel before meeting everyone for lunch, but on my way back I saw the most wonderful chocolate shop called The Chocolate Line. It certainly looked like THE place to go for artisan chocolates. I mean look at the cake above and the chocolate frog below!

A leisurely stroll back to the hotel and before I knew it I was back. Sylvia and Anja from Visit Antwerp had arranged to meet the press here and had arranged lunch for us all. 
Lunch was seafood bisque that was full of flavour followed by poached salmon in a light hollandaise sauce, which was utterly delicious and beautifully presented.


All finished with a selection of petit fours, all utterly delectable in their own way.

After our lunch, we took a short 15-minute walk to the MAS Museum. 

 The MAS Museum otherwise known as the Museum aan de Stroom is a museum located along the river Scheldt in the Eilandje district of Antwerp, Belgium. It opened in May 2011 and is the largest museum in Antwerp. We were here to visit the newly open Dazzling Desire exhibition, which looks at how diamonds are linked to our emotions. 
 Diamond boots are believed to be the world's most expensive valued at 3.2 million dollars in 2014
Designed by Belgian fashion label AF Vandevorst

Themes of status, power, love, eternal life and wealth are woven throughout the exhibition. Stand-out pieces include Mary of Burgundy’s engagement ring, the impressive Our Lady’s Jubilee crown, and the Cartier tiara worn by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Some beautiful original pieces also included these diamond boots above believed to be the most expensive in the world.


C.B. II by Subodh Gupta, 2009. Materials: Stainless steel, stainless steel utensils, neon, lightbox, fibreglass
Private Collection Switzerland

With a mix of original precious diamonds as well as models of diamond jewellery, showing incredible detail, this exhibition is well worth visiting if you have an interest in fashion, jewellery or diamonds. The admission price of between 8 and 10 euros is affordable too. Catch it when you can until 14th January 2018.



Crown of the Infant Jesus, Antwerp, 1899 Gold, Emerald, pearls, Ruby and diamond
Cathedral-Chapel of our Lady of Praise Antwerp

While you are here you can also see the other permanent exhibitions, and don't forget to go to the top floor and take a panoramic photo if the weather is good, which unfortunately wasn't when I visited. 

A quick stop next to the Brilliant Foodies festival with stalls of street food, then back to Hotel Franq.

That evening we ate at the restaurant RAS. This modern chic restaurant is perfectly positioned overlooking the water and was designed by leading architect Bon Van Reeth. 





My starter was croquettes which are a speciality of the restaurant, made with tiny brown shrimps, onto a prawn linguine in a tomato sauce and then Creme Brulee.

 The food was delicious, tasty and well presented and I have to say I really enjoyed my meal. The ambience of the restaurant was lovely too. Upscale but relaxed. It was busy but service was efficient and the staff were welcoming, helpful, and explained any queries we had with smiles all around.

As I was in Belgium I had to try the local beer too! Considering I am not a beer drinker it went down well and was a great end to the meal.
pin for later

 So it was with full stomachs, that our party returned to our hotel to rest before day two tomorrow, where we would visit a high-end jeweller and the Antwerp Diamond Centre as well as hear about the new Diva diamond exhibition. 

 There was so much to see in Antwerp in one day, so be sure to catch my day two very soon on my blog. Speaking of which, if you are interested in finding out more about diamonds, Beyond4Cs.com is a fantastic resource to check out. 

 *I was a guest of Visit Antwerp. Silvius Brabo statue CC Wikimedia 

MummyTravels

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Hotel Franq Luxury Boutique Hotel Review Antwerp

Recently I was invited on a press trip with Visit Antwerp and was lucky to stay at the Hotel Franq. Hotel Franq is a new boutique hotel in the heart of the city, less than 10 mins walk from the Meir shopping street.

 The hotel used to be a bank and that adds extra charm and quirkiness to the building. You can see the vaults where money used to be kept, and this is why the hotel gets the name Franq, from keeping Belgian Francs in its vault.


As you enter the hotel you go straight into the lobby area above. This area is really gorgeous and has the wow factor for sure.


 I also liked the entrance, which is quite discreet except for the chic sign.

Check in was simple and straightforward, the staff very helpful, and before long I was in my room. 

My bedroom was a good size with a king size bed, a desk and chair complete with table lamp for working or writing,  plus comfy chair for relaxing in, two bedside tables with lamps, and a large flat screen TV. 


Complimentary water was a nice touch and you could use the fridge for other things as it wasn't a mini bar. Always useful to have that option.

The bathroom was sleek and modern with a rainfall shower and two sinks with power points and mirrors. If like me you have a partner that takes longer in the bathroom than you, then you will probably welcome the double sinks!



The toiletries provided smelt great and were from the Elemental Herbology range. These consisted of soap, hand and body wash, shampoo and conditioner as well as well as hand cream. 

Amenities were provided including a shower cap, sewing kit, cotton wool pads and a shoe mitt (I'm not sure exactly was that last item is but if you know dear readers please enlighten me). Large fluffy robes, as well as well as slippers were also included for use, and it had that hotel essential these days, a good quality hairdryer. A separate toilet was opposite the bathroom.

Occasionally I despair of hotel rooms that do not have the functionality for modern living but I needn't have worried here.  The room was well designed with both USB ports by the side of the bed as well as reading lights and normal table lamps too. A magnifying mirror in the bathroom was extremely useful, if like me you need to put in contact lenses and you are very short-sighted, or again is useful for putting on makeup or shaving. A full-length mirror which I feel is essential but not always provided in a hotel room was very welcome too. 




 Chic touches included black and white prints on the wall, and a Marshall radio in a retro style with Bluetooth capabilities was a stylish addition. A Nespresso pod coffee machine meant you could wake up to freshly brewed coffee before you went down to breakfast.  Free Wi-Fi was available in the room and throughout the hotel.

 If you wanted to order room service, a small menu was available which included chicken Ceasar salad, Galloway beefburger and homemade pasta.

Breakfast in the morning was included in the rate and was of the continental breakfast variety. A selection of breads, croissants, meats, cheeses and a soft boiled egg were included as well as a delicious homemade buckwheat granola, and a very smooth and creamy locally produced yoghurt. Fresh orange juice, tea and coffee were also available.


With your breakfast you get a breakfast paper, like a newspaper, explaining about the restaurant, its ethos and where the food comes from. It was interesting to read that almost everything was locally produced and the quality of the produce was of the utmost importance to the hotel.

 I found the breakfast was big enough for me but if you wanted something more substantial you could order from a range of additional choices at an extra cost, including avocado toast, smoked salmon and fresh fruit salad. If you wanted to, you could even order a glass of Bollinger champagne with your breakfast too. How fabulous darling! One small point, I would have liked fresh fruit included in the standard option for breakfast considering it's a boutique hotel, however, I was very impressed that they made their own jam and nut spread (think Nutella but sooo much nicer).

 After breakfast, I explored the rest of the hotel.


 Next, to the breakfast room, there was a small bar area which looked smart and inviting, although I didn't get the chance to use it.
On the first floor, there was a quiet lounge area from which you could look down onto the lobby.


A small gym with running machines as well as a fitness ball and weights were in the basement.


There are a number of spaces for informal meetings and a decent size meeting room.


While I was staying at the Hotel Franq I was treated to lunch one afternoon, seafood bisque and poached salmon. 




The seafood bisque was well seasoned and packed full of flavour and the poached salmon in a delicate hollandaise sauce was very well executed. 


My salmon almost looked like a work of art and was delicious.


The petit fours were totally scrumptious and a highlight for me, the little chocolates even had the FQ letters for Hotel Franq!

As Hotel Franq used to be a bank, it was interesting to see the old bank vaults in the basement. You could really imagine diamonds and other precious items being kept here when it was a bank. If you do stay, I recommend you go and have a look.


You may wonder if I had any issues during my stay considering it had newly opened. The only issue I had was minor and due to a faulty keycard.  The pleasant reception staff attended to this issue quickly and with smiles. Nothing appeared too much trouble for them, this is the mark of well-trained staff.



The hotel is aimed at the luxury market, and a night at Hotel Franq starts at 174 Euros per night, with suites from 299 Euros per night. 

Hotel Franq is a beautiful well-designed boutique hotel in the heart of Antwerp. I felt like I was enveloped in luxury during my stay and this modern boutique hotel certainly has a touch of class. I think if you are looking for an upmarket hotel in Antwerp you cannot go wrong with staying here. I would certainly stay again in a heartbeat.  Highly recommended.

Hotel FRANQ
Kipdorp 10-12
BE - 2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
0032 3 555 31 80

* I was a guest of Visit Antwerp on a press trip
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