The band Within Temptation began its European tour with a concert in Antwerp, Belgium. The first concert sold out quickly, so they added another the day before. Arriving in Amsterdam, we hopped the train to Antwerp.
The crowded metro brought us to the concert venue on the edge of the city. They put on a good show, and the singer's voice was very fresh at the beginning of the tour. The band had recently travelled to Ukraine to record a video with a Ukrainian singer, who joined them on stage in Antwerp.
Saturday was a bright sunny day, and there was a nice buzz in the city center as we walked about. The Antwerp Cathedral was our main stop. Built in the 1400s, the church houses paintings by the Renaissance master Rubens. After training in Florence, he returned home to visit his dying mother. Knowing of his reputation in Italy, the Antwerp city leaders offered him commissions to remain in the city. Taken to the Louvre during the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800s the painting were repatriation and reinstalled in the Cathedral after Waterloo.
The band had the same setlist the second night (1) but it sounded even better (or perhaps we were just not as jet lagged).
(1) The opening act, Annisokay, asked how many people had attended the night before. Surprisingly few hands (besides ours) went up.
The official photo at concert end
To Brussels Airport and home
Antwerpen Centraal Station
At the concert
They really don't want you to take the reusable cups from the concert venue
At the mall
Fashion weekend in Antwerp
Floral ball
In the cathedral, the tomb of a woman who liked dogs.
Assumption of Mary in vibrant blue dress painted with lapis lazuli
Ruben's Jesus Down from the Cross
The Cathedral Nave
Flemish Architecture
Statue of Rubens with Cathedral in background
Poking about the city
Tribute to Ukraine at concert opening
Our Solemn Hour song opens with a quote from Churchill
View out the window.
No comments:
Post a Comment