's-Gravenwezel Castle

[Julie-Ann]

I wanted show you this beautiful place instead of a product today.

Belgian Pearls (http://belgianpearls.blogspot.com/) is a blog I stumbled across and they featured 's-Gravenwezel Castle this week. This Belgian castle is in a suburb of Antwerp that by coincidence many of our friends lived in. We lived in the old town of Antwerp for 4 years and were lucky enough to visit the castle one day.
The castle is owned by famous Belgian antiques dealer and decorator Axel Vervoordt.
To be honest the photos, as beautiful as they are, don't do the castle justice.
It is funny to think of your neighbours in your small suburb could live in a castle:)
I will give a prize, a little piece of something famous in Belgium, to the first person to be able to spell phonetically the name of the castle. Condition of entry you are not of dutch origin because that would be cheating:D

[Julie-Ann]

Well I see I will have to entice you a little more. So the treat for the winner is something the Belgian's are very famous for making- Chocolate. You have never tasted good chocolate like Belgian chocolate. And as luck would have it our favourite Belgian Chocolatier has 1 store in Australia- & it's in Perth. So take a guess at how you pronounce the castle's name.:D

[Lorraine]

Is it Gravenwezel??????????????????? :D

Locally known as kasteel. :D

[Julie-Ann]

Rofl-ummm no. It took mr ages to learn to pronounce this. You have to work for the chocies:)

[Lorraine]

ROFLMAO Okay I didn't want the choccies anyway.

[Lorraine]

G. GOLF. R. ROMEO. Am I getting close. NAH didn't think so. BYE!!!!

[Elements]

Isn't a golfer romeo a car Lorraine?;):D:D:D
Is it Swavenwayzel........actually I think he was in Dirty Dancing.....I am actually LMAO right now....

[Milena]

Elements you are too funny:D I love it:D
I have been searching for this but can't find anywhere how to pronounce it. You have definitely given us a challenge;)

[Lorraine]

I was going to write more, decided not too, choccies are not for me anyway. :D

[Elements]

But if you win Lorraine you could use them as a prize for your own game...;)
You could re-prize them;):D
You are very good simply saying no, I would use them as a reason to eat chocolate.....

[Lorraine]

I'm not good at games anyway.....;)

Haven't had chocolate for???????????????? :D

[Julie-Ann]

I don't eat chocolate normally either but this chocolate is different.
Ok so a hint- Scr.........

[tryhardhousewife]

I have no idea.

Scrarven Harsel?????

[Julie-Ann]

Rofl - actually you are closer than the others so far:D

[Milena]

I am having a stab:)

Is it Scravenvizl?

[Julie-Ann]

So, so, so close Milena. I can taste the chocolate almost:D

[Milena]

Ok how about Scravenvezl?:D

[Julie-Ann]

You are out by 1 letter only- rofl:D:D
Try a little Austrian accent in there.

[Milena]

Do I have to add a letter or change a letter?:)
I am bored on a Sat night:D

[Julie-Ann]

Lol- an exciting life we lead. Just change 1 letter:D

[Elements]

Is it scravenvazl??
Look at what I do for chocolate, I am just about to go get ready for dinner and I am here guessing name that place games:D;)

[Milena]

If this one doesn't work then I think I will have to give up:D

Changed a instead of e. So how about Screvenvezl?

[Julie-Ann]

No don't change any a or e from Scravenvezl.
I am making this way too easy for you lol:D

[Milena]

What if I try this Scravenwezl? This is my final lifeline:D

[Julie-Ann]

Yay- we have a winner:D
Most appropriate that it is you Milena- as you know how hard it is to move to a foreign country and learn their language. It took me several visits to that suburb to learn how to pronounce the name.
So are you a white, milk or dark chocolate girl? Are you allergic to nuts or dairy?

[rachel]

Oh, were you talking about Leonidas chocolates, Julie-Ann? They're my favourite...

[Julie-Ann]

Yes- yes Leonidas. Aren't they the best? When we lived in Belgium we had so many chocolatiers around us and this chain was our favourite. Try the white chocolate with the large nut in the centre- that is my absolute favourite. When DH buys Milena's he might have to get 1 of those for Mr17 & I too:D

[Milena]

That's unbelievable! Thank you so much:)
I am a milk chocolate girl and not allergic to anything.
Maybe now I should learn Dutch:D
That helped me not be bored on a Saturday night:D

[Julie-Ann]

Do you like white chocolate as well? They do a lovely pack of 3 chocies.

So another really hard word to learn was how to say please. The dutch word is Alstublieft. Any ideas on how you pronounce it?

By the way what did you think of the castle? This is in a suburb of Antwerp- so not in the middle of nowhere. I always found that amazing. We don't have any castles around here:D

[Milena]

Yes I don't mind white chocolates either:) Thanks again.

Now that is a really hard word but maybe Astublif? I have no idea:)

The castle looks amazing. Was it near where you were living and have you ever been inside it? Something I liked about Europe is all the old buildings and castles. I am dying to go to Europe sometime soon.

[Julie-Ann]

Great - your taste in chocies sounds similar to mine. I will get DH to pick up my favourite 3 for you.
Yes I have been inside the castle once - it is a family home and beautiful. The owner is an famous Interior Designer. It is 20 mins from the city of Antwerp and in a very lovely suburb. Several of our friends lived in this suburb so we often drove past it.
You are actually very close with your translation. It is (A(w)l-stew-bleeft). But most people in Antwerp spoke perfect english so usually I only had to say please:D

[Julie-Ann]

A little photo here of Milena accepting her prize of Belgian Chocolates by Leonidas.:)