Flexing my Mussels in Antwerp

Advantages: If you want mussels there's plenty of choice at Bacino
Disadvantages: Think twice about trying 5 different types

...I have an on-going debate with my Belgian colleague Joep about who and what Belgium is famous for. We've done the 'Name 10 'famous' Belgians' challenge a dozen times and even tracked down the 'www.famousbelgians.net website to substantiate some of the names were weren't too sure about. But one thing we both agree on is that it's easier to think of famous foodstuffs for which Belgian is renowned. There's the chocolate, the zillions of different beers, the outstanding national skills with chips and my favourite - mussels. Everyone has probably heard of Jean-Claude van Damme - the man nicknamed the muscles from Brussels. This review is an account of my hunt for the mussels of Antwerp. I go to the lovely old city of Antwerp every couple of months and I usually call my friends Alex and Katya to arrange to see them and to go out for dinner...

koshkha 27.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Bacino Restaurant, Antwerp

Whipped Cream & Watery Messes - Antwerp style

Advantages: Great food
Disadvantages: No mussels

...I'm lucky to have friends, Alex and Katya, who live in Antwerp and when I visit the city for work, I try to meet up with them to play with their very fine Persian cat and go out for dinner. They have been living there for a couple of years so by now they know where's worth a visit and I've not been disappointed with any of their choices. Just before Christmas we set out to find some dinner and Katya and I decided we wanted mussels. Our craving drove us to stroll around the town centre until we found Het Vermoeide Model where we checked the menu boards outside to confirm the presence of mussels and headed in. First Impressions Entering the restaurant was like stepping back in time. The ground floor had a small room with bare brick walls, a complicated looking sink and beer tap to one side and a staircase heading to the first...

koshkha 06.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Het Vermoeide Model, Antwerp

Only A(n)Twerp would choose this hotel

Advantages: Nice bright conference room
Disadvantages: Desperately in need of refurb and NEW reception staff

...The Ramada in Antwerp is based in a rather striking mirrored building but delivers rather less than the sparkling exterior would suggest. I've stayed there several times and always come away thinking that just a little more effort could make this into a pretty nice hotel but I can't imagine that happening, mostly due to the rather dour attitude of the staff. Customer Service? What's that? On my most recent visit, I arrived by taxi from Brussels airport, squeezed myself and my wheelie-bag through the rotating door, was as always impressed by the nice looking lobby and then brought quickly back down to earth by the utter indifference of the reception staff. I waited for a ridiculously long time whilst the receptionist held a convoluted conversation with an elderly lady in front of me. Despite leaving the desk and popping into...

koshkha 18.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of Ramada Plaza Antwerp

Diamond are for life, Antwerp can be for a weekend

Advantages: beer
Disadvantages: sad in winter

...Until the 15th century Antwerp was a minor city in Belgium. It was only when its port begun to take more and more of the market share of its competitor Bruges, that Antwerp became a rich city. Some of the merchant based here soon became very rich and did not hesitate in spending money on their residences. The Baroque buildings, together with the tapestries and paintings, which can be seen today, remind us of this glorious past. I only visited one art museum, while there, the “Royal Museum of Fine Arts” in Leopold de Waelplaats 1-9, bang in the middle of the town. I would recommend a visit to it, as a way of getting a good overview on the heritage of Antwerp. However, everyone seems to agree that the finest monument in Antwerp is the Gothic cathedral of Our Lady. Do not miss the “Flemish Renaissance...

CICLISTALOCO 22.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Antwerp (Belgium)

Top of the shops.............

Advantages: see above
Disadvantages: see above

...Advantages: Loads of stuff available, good prices Disadvantages: can get busy at christmas time so much so people abandon their shopping I am a huge Asda fan, it's where I do most of my shopping and I know where everything is which makes it easier when dragging 3 kiddies along with you! In my local Asda we have a photo centre, cafe, George, electricals, homewear, toys, bakery, pizzaria, rottisary (chicken place lol), fresh meats counter and all the usual foody aisles plus we have a petrol station, cash machines and bus stop. It's the largest shopping store we have although we do have a Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Co-Op, Farm Foods and Iceland. I have never had a bad experience with Asda and the stock is usually replenished quite quickly! They have such a huge range that I know I can do my weekly shop and more there. Everything...

jadiep890 26.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Asda (Shop)

shopping heaven

Advantages: great bargains
Disadvantages: queues

...Primark is one of the greatest shops that i find that every time i go in there you can guarantee that i will come out having brought something. When you go into Primark you are guaranteed that you will always find a bargain and at the fraction of the cost of any other shops. Primark has come on in leaps and bounds over the years it stocks a greater range of items that are more in line with the fashions of today and at a great price. A few years ago i would never have even thought to go to Primark, but as they finally put one in my local town centre i always have a look for a bargain. Primark stocks everything from ladies, mens , childrens and homeware. In the ladies section you will find shoes, bags, jewellery, t shirts, lingerie, jeans, trousers, skirts, jumpers, jackets and night wear. In the mens sections you have jeans...

jo_field26 17.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Primark (Shop)

Lets shop

Advantages: Earn extra cash
Disadvantages: You never know when an assignment will come to you

...Grass Roots Mystery Shopping. I have been a mystery shopper for about two years now and not only is it fun but it's easy money. Your never going to get rich working for grass roots but you will receive a steady flow of assignments which usually pay £10 at a time. HOW TO JOIN ------------------- If you type mystery shoppimg into your browser, you will find grass roots mystery shopping. This is free to join and you have to click on the New panellists link, which will take you to another page where you have to agree not to disclose any details of the assignments you are sent on, then you can register your details. These are name and address, bank details and phone numbers. YOUR ASSIGNMENTS ---------------------------- Without going into very much details about any one assignment, I can tell you that you will be first...

Sunnysmiles 06.11.2006 (07.09.2009) · Read review
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Review of Mystery Shopping

Shopping with Teenagers

Advantages: Sells every item of clothing possible
Disadvantages: Busy at peak times

...Clothes shopping is never an easy task when you have kids in tow. It doesn?t matter if they?re toddlers, young or teenagers, they are still a pain in the proverbial backside when you?re trying to look round the shops and I can guarantee that my teenage son will be moaning and groaning within half an hour when we go shopping. Back in the Summer we decided to brave the busy Ipswich shopping centre, the prime motive to get the kids kitted out for the new school term. After we?d paid the perfunctory visit to the school clothing department in Debenhams we set off down the street to have a wander round the shops. I was absolutely amazed then my son stopped outside Primark and suggested we had a look inside. Teenagers are renowned for wanting designer labels aren?t they? I propelled him inside quick as a flash, before he could see...

Lizard_Lover 15.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Primark (Shop)

Farting Sheep, Bacon Houses and Severed Hands

Advantages: Some interesting, unique and very unsual places to see and venture into
Disadvantages: Not a major city for things to see and do

...towards the cathedral there was an interesting bar/club which was not only at street level and with big windows letting anyone look in but was also pumping with people grooving away, with many others lineing the streets queuing to get in. Not much wrong with that picture until I add that this was at 9.30am on a Saturday. I still can't figure it out unless Antwerp is the secret home of the party people of Europe. Back in the centre the rain was still coming down so we headed for the useless tourist information office to see what shelter they could suggest. Most of the leaflets were for tourist attractions across the country or even in France and Holland, useful only if you're a local looking for vacation inspiration and not a visitor to the city. What we did find though was a handy guide to shopping in Antwerp and having read through...

zoe_page 08.04.2006 (26.06.2006) · Read review
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Review of Antwerp (Belgium)

Guilt free shopping

Advantages: Affordable clothes and accessories
Disadvantages: Very busy, occasionally poor quality, random sizing!

...this anywhere else. I tend to buy all my plain t-shirts from Primark. At £3 a pop, it's not such a great concern if they don't last very long, nor is it a worry for fashion followers who want to keep up with the latest trends. Primark is so affordable that entire outfits can be bought for less than half the price of highstreet stores. It has challenged other places to justify their prices and, I imagine, has posed quite a threat to a number of more expensive places. THE DISADVANTAGES This may be a big shop with plenty of variety, but it has got a little too big for its boots. There are too many customers and too few staff. Queues are a massive issue in this busy department store and, whilst some things are cheap enough for people to risk them not fitting, you can be waiting for up to an hour in busy periods at the Customer Service...

Tadders 25.07.2005 · Read review
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Review of Primark (Shop)