h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, it seems like no-one around here knows any more about Antwerp than I do. Best submit, then.

You only know everything about Antwerp if you've drunk beer at Cafe Hoegaarden - it's a pretty good place. I have a photo of it, and a couple of other places in Antwerp at http://public.logica.com/~hiltonp/photos_antwerp.phtml

Any idea what the 'Lange Wapper' statue (in two of the photos) is all about?

Hi Peter, thanks for the feedback.

I'm afraid I don't know anything about this statue - I go to Antwerp mostly for the shopping . From my limited Dutch (which provides me with an even more limited Flemish), "wapen" is to arm yourself or prepare to fight (presumably the root of "weapon"), so a "Lange Wapper" might be a tall armed man or soldier.

Are there any particular beers to be drunk in this bar of yours? I've tried a few of the local brews. My favourite looked like a fairly normal bitter, but had the most amazing sensation on the tongue - tingling with tiny bubbles almost like champagne. I wish I could remember the name of it.

Well, my favourite beers are the white beers, such as Hoegaarden. I prefer the Dutch ones like Wickse Witte, Witte Raaf and Corenwolf.

As for the Belgian beers, I would go for one of the stronger ones, such as Verboden Frucht.

Lange Wapper means something like "Big Guy" or "Tall Dude" in the local Flemish dialect.

He is a figure that was used in medeaval times to scare off children, so that they'd behave ("You better listen, or Lange Wapper will come and get you" kind of stuff). Sort of like the Boogieman in the US.

The word Wapper has the same base as the dutch word "Wapperen", which means "flapping" (like a flag on a flagpole). The base word ("wap") sounds like the sound a flag makes when there is strong wind.

So Lange Wapper got his name because he was very tall, as tall as a flag flapping on a high pole.

Thanks for the explanation. I've added a link to here from http://hilton.org.uk/photos_antwerp.phtml