Are you taking the Manneken Pis?

The highlight of my visit to Brussels was probably the City museum. There are plenty of museums out there that cram as many objects into one place as possible. This can be a good thing, or it can be over the top, particularly if as a visitor you don't have an interest, or you don't have knowledge or context to understand what is being presented . The Bowes Museum in Yorkshire is a case in point - lots of crockery and not much else, other than a fantastic, musical, mechanical swan. The Brussels City Museum isn't quite as bad, but it does have lots of random lumps of  masonry and even a ceramic cabbage (or a giant Brussels Sprout), but has some impressive pieces. However, the real prize faces you as you walk past the secure umbrella storage facilities (no, really), and ascend the stairs.

Your reward? The Manneken Pis' walk in wardrobe. An entire room devoted to drawers and display cabinets of some of his many outfits. My favourites were Elvis, Obelix from the Asterix comic books and Nelson Mandela - with accompanying furry grey wig.

For those that aren't in the know, the Manneken Pis is the symbol of Brussels - literally the pissing boy fountain. Every day the fountain is dressed an undressed, so that tourists are treated to seeing the boy in a selection of costumes. When we visited, it was Pride, and the little boy was dressed in Orange PVC trench coat, top hat and standing atop the rainbow flag.

Beekeeper, fire fighter, cosmonaut

John Bull

Elvis

British Soldier

Blind man, cane and guidedog

Firefighter

Obelix from Asterix

Nelson Mandela

Christmas baubles

Ajuinboer - Onion farmer from the Alost Festival

Ajuinboer - Onion farmer from the Alost Festival