BELGIUM - Via Brabantica (2) - Zandvliet border / Antwerpen

update 24/06/2021: video posted.
This is the first real walk on the Camino Brabantica.
Please check Via Brabantica (1) for an introduction. Start walking from the border to the south. After a few hundred meters, you need to take left on a dirt path. On a small plate is written EIGEN WEG which means Own Way, so this is a 'possible' private section. I walked on it and had no problems.
After the private section, you will walk again on the border on an asphalt path. In Holland, at the left side is a wood. I took an alternative through the wood. As you can see on the map, there are plenty of possibilities in this wood. I followed my nose. Goal was to reach waypoint 5. If you want to stay in Belgium, follow the asphalt road by passing waypoints 2, 3 and 4.
The long road to Kapellen goes through meadows (picture 2). Sometimes a cycler who will ignore you will pass. You will see intact shelters from WWII. Also a small canal that was digged between the stream Schelde and the Canal Albert to stop incoming tanks from Germany.
Just before the centre of Kapellen, you will enter in a nice piece of wood (picture 3) with ancient trees.
The commune of Kapellen is an ancient place for pilgrims. The commune has St Jacob on its logo and you will see it on all street panels. The church has a secretary which is normally open during office hours. There is a list with telephone numbers on the door in case no one opens. I called Pascale and after 5 minutes, she opened the church and I got a sello. There is also a nice chapel for pilgrims which is open all day. At the main entrance of the church, there is a panel which says Santiago de Compostela is 2140km away.
Between the church and the parking lot is a modern statue made in September 2012. It represents the pilgrim heading to Santiago.
After Kapellen, it's walking on streets and you will enter the commune of Ekeren. Ekeren is part of Antwerpen and you think from now on it's all walking between houses. Wrong, because after the district house (sello), you enter the park Hof Van Veltwyck that contains a castle. This park is connected with the reserve Oude Landen (picture 4). I was surprised that there is an intact piece of nature so close to Antwerpen.
The first sign of concentrate living is a few hundred meters after the reserve. Huge tower buildings are appearing suddenly. Those social towers are constructed in the fifties-sixties. Around 6000 people are living here in the site that is called Luchtbal (picture 5).
After Luchtbal, you will walk a while in the busy harbour of Antwerpen. Have a stop at the building MAS (waypoint 8). The MAS is an exposition centre. You can admire Antwerpen for free on the roof. Escalators will bring you almost till the 10th floor. There is a "but". You have to follow a circular way till the top of the building. Quite a difficult exercise after walking around 30km.
You can continue walking along the Schelde till the centre. Or you can improvise like I did. At waypoint 9 is the tourism office situated where a sello can be obtained.
I walked till the St Jacobskerk at Lange Nieuwstraat but it is closed for long term for reconstruction works.
Waypoint 10 is Antwerpen Centraal Station, also the start of Via Brabantica (3) till Lier (coming soon).
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Buen Camino