Dearest pigeon friends,
It has been quite some time since I’ve written and I am more than glad to have come back. Today we have arrived in Brussels, where we will be visiting one of the most famous sculptures in Belgium-if not the most-Manneken Pis. Although this is A.D.’s first time seeing this sculpture, I have faint memories of visiting Manneken Pis from when I was younger. Located near Brussels Town Hall, the small bronze statue depicts a naked little boy urinating into a pool of water. The statue was a unique and refreshing attraction to see after visiting so many other monuments. It is dressed up in various costumes a few times a week, with designs varying from the mayor of Brussels to a judo wrestler. The locals told us that on occasions, the statue is hooked up to a keg of beer, and cups of beer were filled and available for those passing by!
I told A.D. one of the many legends of this statue: In around the 14th century, Brussels was under the power of a foreign power attackers conceived of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A young boy named Julianske happened to be spying on them as they were preparing the explosives. In order to save the city, he urinated on the burning fuse. A.D.’s jaw dropped at the story, I guess she didn’t really expect such a simple statue to have such a heroic backstory. Overall, we both found this experience very different and fresh, and we wish to see more attractions similar to this one.
-H.D the rusty writer :P
Photo Credits: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manneken_Pis#/media/File:Bruxelles_Manneken_Pis.jpg
