The Pagadder Tower

The narrow turret perched on top of that house in front of you is called a pagadder tower, and in the 16th and 17th centuries, buildings like this one were the Antwerp equivalent of arriving somewhere in a very expensive car. Wealthy merchants had them built on top of their homes purely to signal their prosperity. From the top, you could just catch a glimpse of the river Scheldt, but the real view was the one from the street below, where everyone could admire how much you had spent on something entirely unnecessary.

The name came later, borrowed from a very particular Antwerp word. In this city, you were only considered a true local if both your parents were born here. Anyone who fell short of that standard was called a pagadder. The label wasn't exactly cruel, but it carried a clear message: you belong here, just not quite all the way.

The tower earned that nickname for the same reason. It stands on the building like a pagadder stands in the city, present, proud, and slightly apart from the rest. It is part of the skyline without being quite of it.

Which, when you think about it, is also a fairly accurate description of anyone who has ever moved to Antwerp and tried to fit in.