About The Antwerp British & International Women
The ABIW is a friendly group of English-speaking women of various nationalities. We try to help
expatriates who have recently arrived to find their feet and to learn something about life Antwerp and Belgium.
Many of our members are here permanently, either because they decided to make their lives here or they
are married to Belgian men. This means that the friends you make will not all be disappearing after a year or so!
See our membership page for more information.
Upcoming Activities
Non-members are welcome to many of our events.
You do not need to be an expatriate to join us. Just speak English!
There is a 5 euro fee for first-time and "out-of-town" guests at our
General Meeting and some other activities.
The fee is reimbursed if you join. The fee for other guests is 10 euros.
Use our Contact Form to let us know if you
would like to come.
For non-ABIW activities, see our What's On
page.
May
May 8th (A week later than usual)
General Meeting - Immigration and Integration
Our speaker in May will be Abdes El-Ajjouri, a researcher in language
development and problems among young immigrants in Belgium and an expert in
Moroccan and Berber culture. He worked for ten years in the centre for youth
work, and co-founded a translation bureau for the language of the Riff people in
Morocco. He also works as a teacher at the Lessius school.
Mr El-Ajjouri will talk to us about the challenges faced by immigrants,
especially Moroccan immigrants, in integrating in Belgium.
Venue: Theater Hotel, Arenbergstraat, Antwerp.
Time: 10 am for coffee; meeting starts at 10:30.
Please note: This meeting is one week later than
usual, because of the public holiday on May 1st.
May 10th - Outing
Play the tourist! Join us for a trip on the horse tram, leaving from the
Grote Markt at 11 am. (Note: if you are late, we cannot wait for you.) Those who
wish can have lunch afterwards, place still to be decided.
To register
contact us. Cost €6.
May 19th - Saturday Special: Atlantic Wall Open-Air Museum
In the dunes of the former estate of Prince Karel in Ostend,
a unique site of modern fortification has been preserved – sixty
constructions, dating from both world wars, interconnected by two
kilometres of trenches and galleries. This remarkable site has been
extremely well preserved, as Prince Karel systematically prevented every
demolition attempt.
The site is one of the best preserved remnants of the Atlantic Wall in
Europe. Many constructions have been refurbished with authentic objects
and furniture. Light and heavy artillery can be seen in their original
locations, but also the everyday life of the soldiers is evoked in
true-life dioramas.
Meet: entrance hall of the museum, Nieuwpoortsesteenweg 636, Ostend (Raversijde).
Time: 1.45 for a 2 pm start.
Cost: €12 for both members and guests, to cover the cost of the guide,
plus entrance to the museum.
To register:
contact us then transfer the
appropriate amount to the ABIW
account marking your
transfer “Atlantic wall for your
name”.
Wednesday 23rd May - The Book Group
Venue: The lobby of
the Theatre Hotel (where we have our monthly meeting).
Time: 10.00 am.
Please contact
us if you are planning to attend.
Note: Non-members are welcome to attend one meeting of the
club, after which they will be expected to join the club if they wish to
continue coming.
May 24th - Culture Club - The Life and Work of the Hospital-Nuns
In 2010, the Museum Hospital Notre Dame à la Rose won the museum
prize in Wallonie in recognition of its extensive collection depicting
the life and work of the hospital-nuns in the Middle Ages. Part of this
collection is at this moment on show in the Maagdenhuis museum in
Antwerp.
The collection focuses on the work of the nuns. Did they have a
calling or did they enter a convent to get a better education? How was
the discipline in the convent? And how did they practise medicine? This
collection gives us an inside view in the history of this culture.
Meet: at the entrance of Het Maagdenhuis, Lange Gasthuisstraat
33, Antwerp.
Time: 10.45 for an 11 am start.
Cost: €7 for the guide. Entrance to the museum: €5 (€3 for
over-65s). To register
contact us, then transfer €7 to the ABIW account, marking your
transfer “Maagdenhuis for your name”.
Tuesday 29th May - Coffee Morning
Venue: Hof Van Eden, Groenplaats 11, Antwerp.
Meet: outside at 11 a.m. No need to register—just turn up. Everyone welcome.
Twice monthly - Friday mornings - Dutch Conversation Group
Our little group meets twice a month in a member’s home where we
converse in Dutch for two hours with varying degrees of proficiency.
There is a tea/coffee break. A pleasant morning is spent chatting in
congenial company.
For more information
contact us.
June
June 12th Summer Lunch and Van Mieghem Museum
We have arranged a special lunch for our 40th anniversary!
There will be a visit to the
Van Mieghem museum followed by a celebration lunch at the nearby
Zuiderterras restaurant. You may choose to come to both the museum and
lunch, or just the lunch.
Van Mieghem Museum
Eugeen Van Mieghem (1895-1930) was an artist of Antwerp port who drew
and painted typical harbour workers, emigrants, bargees and dockers. In
1901, he exhibited in Brussels alongside Monet, Cézanne, and Renoir. His
drawing skills were widely praised and he taught at the Academy in
Antwerp.
Meet: at the museum, Ernest Van Dijckkaai 9, 2000 Antwerp (near the
Steen).
Time: 9.45 for a 10 am start. The tour is expected to take around 2
hours.
Lunch
After the museum visit, we shall walk along the Schelde to the
Zuiderterras restaurant. We have reserved their fourth floor, from where
there is a fantastic view over the river. If the weather is fine, we can
also use the roof terrace for the aperitif and coffee. The lunch is
being specially subsidized for members, to mark our fortieth
anniversary.
For those who come only to the lunch, please be at the Zuiderterras,
Ernest Van Dijkkaai 37, by 12.30.
Cost: €20 for members; €50 for non-members.
Click here to see the menu.
Registration: Lunch reservations are required. Please
contact us before 30th May, indicating your choice of main course; then
transfer the appropriate amount to the ABIW account marking
your transfer “Summer lunch for your name”.
Disclaimer
Antwerp British and
International Women, its officers and its members cannot be held responsible for
the correctness of information given on this web site. Neither does it
specifically endorse any of the services, organisations or companies mentioned.
The contents of the web site do not necessarily reflect the view of ABIW members.
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