News /Huge seat sale from Eurostar
came floating past our big picture windows, contributing to the nautical theme.
Our destination the following morning was the 17th century Chateau De Grand-Bigard and gardens, described as a showpiece of Belgium’s architectural heritage and with its picturesque five-arched bridge, floral garlanded moat, floral displays and ancient stone tower, few could disagree.
On a far larger scale, while based in Antwerp, was our visit to the country’s National Botanical Garden set in over 200 acres of English-style wooded parkland with the moated Bouchout Castle as its magnificent centrepiece.
An impressive highlight of the garden was its Plant Palace where we were transported instantly to the tropics.
Sailing out of Antwerp that evening, bound for Rotterdam and those famous Keukenhof Gardens, there was only one building dominating our harbour skyline.
That was the port HQ, a large old stone office block with a huge ‘futuristic’ structure ‘floating’ over the top, designed to reflect the sky in all its changing moods but looking for all the world like a giant crab that had just crawled out of the water and was about to devour the building.
Bloomin’ remarkable, really. If you fancy a new year city break for a fraction of the cost - Eurostar have just launched a huge sale on more than 75,000 seats just in time for Christmas.
The high-speed train line is offering customers the chance to whizz off to Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam for as little as £29 each way.
The sale ends on November 20 but it’s bad news if you were hoping to visit the cities festive markets as the offer is only valid for travel between January 8, 2019 and April 3, 2019.
There are 60,000 seats up for grabs to Paris, Lille and Brussels with an extra 3,000 to Amsterdam and Rotterdam with prices starting at £35 one-way.
The Eurostar website says: “The chilly weather might be on its way but we’ve got the perfect plan to lift your spirits.
“With our winter seat release, you can say au revoir to the winter woes and salut to new adventures on a well-deserved trip to the Continent.”
The direct route between the Eurostar terminal at London St Pancras and Amsterdam launched earlier this year.