Travelogue of Brussels on a cloudy day: the rhythm of the city in gray tones

We took the noon train to Brussels. This time we chose to stay in the Saint Catherine area, which is full of life and art. On the way, we passed the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste church, which looked particularly solemn under the dark clouds before the morning light. Without sunlight penetrating the stained glass, the golden decorations inside the church appear even more heavy and textured under the candlelight. On the way to the Grand Plaza, after turning three corners, I suddenly saw the peeing boy, who was unexpectedly "naked" today. The owner of a nearby chocolate shop explained with a smile: "His costume might have been borrowed by a collector last night." This 61-centimeter bronze boy is always surrounded by tourists holding their mobile phones, but few people notice the bronze plaque on the wall - which records the story of his first saving the city from a gunpowder explosion in 1619. I accidentally saw the "Pee Girl" on the map. Looking for Jeanneke-Pis was like a treasure hunt in the city. Hiding in the alley of Impasse de la Fidélité, she squatted behind the cast iron railing and smiled slyly. The owner of a nearby bar revealed: "It was established in 1987 to balance the masculine energy of the city." Today, her apron is stuffed with coins from various countries - Japanese tourists throw in coins to pray for marriage, and Belgian students throw in euro coins to pray for good luck in exams. At noon, the Grand Square lost its former splendor and revealed a more realistic appearance. The soft light of a cloudy day makes every carving on the Gothic architecture three-dimensional and distinct, and the gilded patterns on the exterior walls of the guild buildings are no longer dazzling, but instead reveal a warm luster that has gone through vicissitudes of life. Tourists in the square no longer squint to take pictures, but instead look up leisurely at the architectural details. The cloudy day in Brussels shows a side of the city that is different from what is shown in postcards - deeper and more real. Without the glaring sunlight, the lines of the buildings are clearer; without the strong contrast between light and shadow, the colors of the city are more delicate. In this gray poetry, I saw the most authentic appearance of Brussels.