As the retail giant GUS, which owns household names such as Argos and Homebase, was reporting miserable sales figures, the FTSE 100 index was up to 5,380 points - 11 per cent higher than at the start of the year. A soldier, Silvius Brabo, slew him and threw his hand into the river and the city was called "hand werpen", or hand-throwing. More plausibly, though also more prosaically, the name may come from "aan de werpen", meaning "on the wharf".. As the local saying goes: "Antwerp has God to thank for the Scheldt, and the Scheldt to thank for everything else." The river runs through the romantic, if utterly bogus, story behind the city's name.
In Roman times, the tale tells, a giant, named Druon Antigon, ruled this stretch of the Scheldt, exacting a toll from all that passed, and cutting off the hands of captains courageous enough to stand up to him Like all tyrants, he met a sticky end. Marilyn Monroe once hinted that girls were more enchanted by a particular kind of precious stone, the kind that - as Shirley Bassey pointed out - would last forever. But where should you go to combine a romantic break with the chance to find perhaps the most important stone of your life? The answer: Belgium's second largest city, Antwerp. Within 40 minutes of alighting from the Eurostar in Brussels, you can be arriving at Antwerp's recently renovated Central Station, built over a century ago and dubbed the "Railway Cathedral", which makes for a special way to enter the city.. For most Antwerpenaars, Peter Paul Rubens is the city's most significant citizen: no mean feat, given that they consider Antwerp to be the centre of the universe He's certainly worthy of the accolade. Not content with being one of the 17th century's greatest painters, he lived his life on the scale of his vast, vibrant canvases, an astute businessman, skilful diplomat and vivacious bon viveur. Rubens is back in the frame this autumn, with the National Gallery in London hosting a huge retrospective, "A Master in the Making" (from 26 October to 15 January 2006), devoted to his formative years in Italy and, of course, Antwerp.
The Flemish city was the making of him; and in return, he led Antwerp through a cultural Golden Age whose legacy can still be seen today.. For over a millennium, Antwerp has owed its fortunes, and misfortunes, to water. Air France (0870 142 4343; www.airfrance /uk) flies from several UK cities to airports in Corsica via Paris.STAYING THEREThere are hotels and gites d'etape at convenient points throughout the Mare a Mare Nord trek.For good value accommodation and horse-riding near Palombaggia, try Ranch Campo (00 33 4 95 70 13 27; www.ranch campo ) Double rooms start at €60 (£43) including breakfast. Horseriding from €37 (£26) an hour.MORE INFORMATIONTrekking in Corsica by David Abram (Trailblazer; £11.99) is an indispensable guide.Corsica Tourism (00 33 4 95 51 00 00; www.visit-corsica ). Maison de la France (09068 244123; www.franceguide ).. It's true that a kiss on the hand is quite Continental, but when romance is in the air and cupid is drawing back the bowstring your amour will most likely want more.
