Tall Ships’ Race 2006 Antwerp: thank you for staying at home
As you may or may not know, Antwerp is hosting the 50th Tall Ships’ Race 2006. The city has put up huge billboards, just in case someone should forget about it:
[my billboard shot: Tall Ships' Race, Antwerp August 19-22, 2006]
There’s obviously a website: http://www.tallships2006antwerp.be/ – which includes a VIDEO from the 2004 edition http://www.tallships2006antwerp.be/Pictures/ts_trailer.wmvwhich unfortunately looks like a bad infomercial combined with amateur shots from YouTube. Actually Antwerp did manage to mess up the 2004 riverbank animation: who cares for free bungee-jumps or 2 miles of riverside funfair when there are so many superb ships visiting?
Anyway, these 100 huge sailing ships will be visiting Antwerp soon (plan in pdf: http://www.tallships2006antwerp.be/Docs/TSR2006_sitemap.pdf), along with about *one million visitors*, who will unfortunately turn my daily life into a living nightmare.
Yes, I do love all these unique, superb wooden giants ( http://www.tallshipstock.com/favorite.htm), but I hate having 1 million people right in front of my front door for 4 days.. Wouldn’t you? I live right in front of all the riverbank hot-spots, making Monday 21- Tuesday 22 an absolute nightmare: I’m not having an extended weekend just because someone decided to “start the world’s largest sailing race” in front of my door” 
So, in case you love sailing and really would like to watch these unique boats: please visit their websites. Really, Antwerp will be crowded like it has never been, you will not find 1 single available parking space or hotel room anywhere, while getting on-board the vessels will take hours.
I just had to watch the Tall Ships’ Race in 2004 and I will be here this year, but it looks much better on TV 
[update August 19: I just visited the MIR, a great Russian vessel - the riverbanks are packed, in blazing sunshine - weather prediction for Antwerp for tomorrow: 20°C/70°F, rain with thunderstorms. August 20: I got soaking wet and decided that I saw more than enough Tall Ships You can watch the smaller ships passing a harbour bridge through the 24/24 webcam of local radio station O-radio: http://www.oradio.be/detail.php?record=3393 - online until August 22. There is no webcam available showing the large vessels.]
I didn’t realise there would be such a huge associated influx of visitors … I was looking forward to the ships.
Lol, perhaps living in the ’suburbs’ will see that I have some peace … there has to be something good about living out here
Good luck!