No, I'm not learning new swearing words (as if I hadn't known enough). I just wanted to say a few words about Manneken Pis, the oh so famous Brussels attraction, as I've been wanting to for a long time. Some have an Eiffel Tower, others a Big Ben, not to mention the skylines if you leave the continent. Not to mention.
And Brussels has a statue of a little boy (believe me, he's very small) peeing. But why why why, you ask yourself. Why do so many tourists gather everyday and take photos of the little boy? Why? What's his secret?
Search google, wikipedia and here it is. Apparently there are more legends around the boy with an early prostate problem. The oldest is from 1142, where some troops hung the infant (so he was an infant) in a tree for encouragement (I have to make kids, apparently they bring good luck). And not only did the boy had good vibe, but he even started fighting in the battle. With his only weapon: his penis. Because he peed on the heads of enemy troops and made them lose the battle. His pee was acid or what?
The next legend goes in the 14th century where the boy saved the city from explosion. How? Of course, he peed on the explosive charges some evil men put around the city. He must have drunk a lot of beers.
The last one is my favorite cause it happens in modern times. Apparently a woman was shopping with her boy (and she was sales brainwashed). (While getting out of H&M loaded with cheap but useful clothes) she realized she lost something: her boy. Bla bla panic and the child was found. Of course, he was just peeing on the corner of a small street. Look what the shortage of public toilets in Brussels does (really, it's hard to find a peeing place).
I forgot, there are 2 others, one similar to the modern one, with a merchant losing his boy and finding him peeing in a garden (is it safe for a little boy to pee alone in a garden in Belgium?). And one in which the boy put out a fire saving an entire castle from burning down!! No further comment.
Anyway, I won't even start with Manneken Piss' costumes, as he wears all kind of costumes according to the occasion. He has 600 costumes!!
Well, if you come to Brussels, you know what not to miss.
p.s. there are 2 things I appreciate about the statue:
- he offers a great deal of opportunity for sarcasm
- it is a peeing proof that you can make your city interesting if you want to. even if you don't have much to show. there is no tourist who has been in Belgium who hasn't heard of Manneken Piss, there is no shop in the center not selling a souvenir with the boy.
- ok, 3 things. 258,000 search results on google (that is if you manage to spell it right)
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