Antwerp, August 2000 - Between picking the entrance and actually entering the subway there's a moment of hesitation.

Saturday, just after noon, we're standing at a would-be entrance of a subway station.

Physically, entering the subway station is no big deal. The gate's about eight foot, but has no pins or glass on top. Within seconds you're through the gate and off you go, into the underground.

It's the mental step that makes the knees shaky.

Plenty of traffic is driving by. Cyclists notice us. Every nitwit with a cell phone can call the Rijkswacht. Every bus driver will call the Rijkswacht. Are we asking for trouble?

Probably, but in a party of five, fear reduces as quickly as the daring rises. Moreover, Yarn1 had walked the subway before so we could skip unforeseen drawbacks, such as a locked gate or the risk of getting lost.

Also, we have a map. So we climb the gate.

The descent is dark, but the subway itself is perfectly lighted. Why does the city of Antwerp keep the lights on when it's out of order for at least ten years?

It must have been an idea from the Tourist Office. The fluorescent lights really show up the tunnel. It reminds me of Discovery, the circular spaceship in 2001: A Space Odyssey. When looking sideways in de curves, the impression is even stronger.

At some places water drips. But mostly it's utterly silent.

We pass metro stations. We exit them and dive back again. We walk several levels. We take a look in cellars, in seemingly indefinable hallways. We have lunch (sort of) at the branching near Carnot. In all, we're grateful to the city of Antwerp for providing such a beautifully illuminated path.

Final destination is approaching. This is where the unused track merges with the actual track. Only 150 feet to go.

But not before we see a train go by. We hide behind pillars and stairs. Every few minutes a train goes by. First, the cables start to sing. Then the rails start squeaking. With a terrible noise the train rages past us. The squeaking dims and the cables singing fades away. It all happens in a few seconds.

Off we run; the last 150 feet over the railway on to the platform of Schijnpoort subway station. Nobody here. We run up the escalator. Nobody here either. Upstairs: Nobody in the guard's booth. What kind of metro station is this? And why is there no graffiti on the tiles? Where's the tagging? Looks like the city cleaners won the battle against the sprayers. Oh well, what counts is an unexposed exit from the station. We succeed.

Once we are in the street, things turn back to normal again. People on the sidewalk! Heavy traffic! Welcome back in Antwerp.

We walk into the industrial zone and rest on top of a deserted silo at a quay. After almost three hours of underground coolness, the sun stings annoyingly.

More snapshots of the expedition: photos.yahoo.com/tgviguurs (look under 'antwerp')