Saturday, we decided, was going to be our 'Brussels' day, in which we'd go and see all the main attractions in the city.
After consulting our very handy map, we started walking in the the direction of the cathedral. Wedged in between contemporary glass buildings, the grandiose stone church was really something. The dark wooden carvings were fabulous, and the interior was filled with lovely artworks.
The Coudenberg, the ruins of a palace which are now underground, was our next stop. It was quiet and empty when we descended into the gloom, not entirely sure what to expect. We were greeted by stone walls and floors, dimly lit by yellow spotlights, occasionally punctuated with ornate stone pillars and staircases which were clearly once impressive architectural features. Information panels described to us the original rooms, and explained where we were standing. We worked our way though chapels, banquet halls, reception rooms and passageways. It was really unusual, and unlike anything we'd visited before. The corresponding museum was filled with artefacts uncovered in the excavation of the site, and although less interesting, it was still nice to see.
When we emerged back into the light of day, it began to rain, and we walked in the direction of Manekin Pis and a restaurant we'd picked out for lunch. By the time we reached Manekis Pis, the weather, like the famed statuette, was p*ssing it down. Thus, we looked at the minute statue for - well, about a minute, then hurried to shelter in Fritesland for more fries. Mitch tried a Belgian delicacy, a mitraillette, which is a baguette containing burgers, chips, salad and sauce. He loved it.
Once fed and watered, we scouted out a golden spire we'd noticed on the horizon, and followed it to a large cobble-stoned square. We're still not entirely sure what all the buildings were, but the grand, golden-façaded building loomed over us and was altogether very impressive. Opposite this was the gothic structure of the Brussels Museum. Nearby, we popped into a chocolate shop and had a little sample (legally, I swear).
Our final destination was the Halle Gate (Dan and Lucy in sync: HALLA), which used to be on the wall surrounding the city, but with urban expansion, is now in a metropolitan area. The walls are no longer standing, but the gate is a watchtower which offers up several exhibits detailing the history of the city. For 1€50, we got lots of time to colour in pictures in the kids' activity area, a spiral-staircased walk up to the various galleries and a walk out on these battlements to other littler towers. Siân, displaying her incredible common sense, managed to close a wooden door covering a window on her head, bruising it. The tower offered up some nice views, particularly straight to the ground through glass panels in the floor.
From Halle Gate, we got a metro back to the hostel, and bought yet more bread and cheese for tea. We spent another evening in the hostel bar, packed and went to bed.
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