BELGIUM: Brussels: Spring has sprung (DAY 5) - One last stroll....

The best day to walk around is usually on the last day of the visit. Trust me....Last year, my friends and I spent 2 weeks in Europe and the last 2 days were phenomenal. Same thing happened in Brussels...it was either raining or just gloomy weather. But on the last day, the sun was out in its full glory.

The last day is usually the day to buy some grocery and souvenirs. The weather was nice, cool air and my sinuses well behaved....I went to a bookshop, not actually book shop but a 'Japanimation' store (click here) at Rue Saint-Catherine....the area looked like a mini China-town in Brussels, IMHO.

visitors and mourners at Belgian Stock Exchange

Tin Tin cartoon at the side
of a building

The place was full with manga, anime dvd, figurines, cards and my favorite item...T-shirts. I've misplaced my Dragon Ball t-shirt, hoping would find one, but no size. I found out that, Brussels is the capital of magazine. No wonder there's a lot of Tin Tin's magazine at the book shops, and quite a number of it along the main road, and Star Wars and Star Trek collectible shops if you trek further into the town. 

at a quite posh shopping area

Like I mentioned in the previous posting, Brussels are littered with chocolate shops...some have open kitchen for you to see them making the freshest produce of the day.

From the row of chocolate shops, passing some more souvenir outlets...voila! The icon of Brussels, Manneken Pis...pissing in full view of all visitors. In a city where French and Dutch names are side by side, Manneken Pis retains its Dutch name. It was put at the location (Incubator and Oak Street) since 1450's and replaced to a bronze sculpture in 1619 and the shape had been what it is till today.

Many stories revolved around the Mannekin (little man). One of many story was about a small boy who saved the city of Brussels in the 13th century from blowing up, by extinguishing the wick by peeing on it at that spot...that exact spot which he's located today.

The statue had been stolen, returned, stolen again...found...many times. The statue also has many clothes (927 still counting) since the first one given in May, 1st 1698! At the fountain, there's a list of costume the statue will be adorned on the specific date. e.g: April, 4th - Dracula. Among other outfit in his wardrobe are Cosmonaut, Elvis Presley and Nelson Mandela which you can see at the Brussels City Museum at Grand-Place.

The Manneken Pis

The size of the statue...quite small actually

I retraced my steps to the Grand Place. There's a Hard Rock Cafe at one corner of the plaza. I didn't shop for any T-shirt there. Somehow, have little or no interest of it. It's a place to eat, but somehow I miss Tony Romas and Sushi King more.

Hard Rock cafe, Brussels

Maison du Roi (King's house) or
Broodhuis (Bread house) houses the
Museum of the City of Brussels

a horse-drawn carriage at the square

florist selling potted plants

Took the lane to the Belgian Stock Exchange and see the crowd grow bigger this time. It was a Saturday, I think...and a few came to take away old flowers and replaced with new fresh ones. Amid the flowers and flag, I spotted one with the colors of the Friesland flag, a province in The Netherlands. We have a friend from that part of the country...a very DIY man and family of good swimmers. They speak strange too...not unlike the Dutch language you normally hear. 

colors of the Frisian flag

Anyway, I think I did pretty good strolling around Brussels. Went as far as the Palace on foot and witnessed some young street artist painting at a designated area by the local government. 

How I ended the stroll? As usual I walked towards my favorite cafe and ordered a few rounds of coffee until Madam and the children comes and join me. Oh yes, it was a good day....and I wish it would never end. But Lagos beckons, and yes....I do miss it.