The storytellers of Antwerp Ghostwalk will be launching a new walk from Sunday April 7: ‘Weird Birds’. They tell anecdotes about the comedians of the Vogelmarkt, just think of Pooske Soep, and the comedians on stage in the bustling theater district.
“The theater district in Antwerp is not the only place where comedy is performed. People are also animated by passionate market vendors at the nearby Bird Market. That used to be even more the case than now,” says storyteller Ludo Weyckmans of Antwerp Ghostwalk.
The market was a place of amusement and entertainment, with figures such as Pooske Soep. That was the nickname of Charles Breys who had a boxing stall there. Every Sunday morning he lined up long tables and presented his boxers and wrestlers there. Someone from the audience was then invited to compete against one of those athletes. The winner received 5 francs. He also fought himself and then said to his opponent: “I will give you some soup.” But he also literally did that. During the winter months he handed out free soup to spectators. For those who are not familiar with Antwerp: ‘pooske’ stands for portion, or also: a meal.
Paljaskes walk
The original name for the tour was the Paljaskes walk, Paljas, in the sense of joker. But in Antwerp that is more of a swear word, which is why ‘Weird Birds’ was chosen. The narrative walk is mainly about remarkable figures, but also a bit about lost heritage. You will find out that the former depot for ATM taxis in Henri Van Heurckstraat was the famous Palais de Glace, an indoor ice rink where Olympic ice hockey matches were organized in 1920.
Antwerp Ghostwalk offers 25 walks in different areas of the city. It started in 2007 with the Antwerp Ghost Walk, a journey through the dark history of Antwerp. Now there are walks from the Eilandje to Zuid, but also outside the canal, with Under the spell of the Wattman: in the tram and bus museum on Groenenhoek.
The Rare Birds storytelling walk is organized every Sunday at 2:30 PM until the end of June. Departure and arrival are at the statue of Victor Driessens on the Graanmarkt. Participation fee is 15 euros. As a group you choose the date and time in consultation with Antwerp Ghostwalk
www.ghostwalk.be
© Antwerp Ghostwalk
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