Brussels is ugly but we loved it !

I  was in Brussels for the weekend with my friend who is in Charleroi as a language assistant and we absolutely loved it. the journey was about two and a half hours from Leiden Centraal to Brussels Centraal and it costs 41 euros for weekend return. the weather was the only downside of the weekend. on friday, it was so sunny that we used our sunglasses but the next two days was so rainy and windy. nonetheless, this did not stop us from discovering the city. first of all, we started with all the touristic places such as gothic St. Goedele- St. Mıchels Cathedral, Grand Place which is the touristic heart of the Brussels with the town hall, the Bourse (this is the wall street of the Brussels and the meeting point of the local people, there are always people sitting on the always dirty stairs chatting, eating or drinking),  the oldest Galleria in Europe and of course, the peeing boy. Reine Koninginne Galleria was built in 1845 by Jean- Pierre Cluysenaer. He was inspired by the rainy weather and the muddy streets of the Belgium as the ladies did not want to stuck in the mud and get wet while shopping. In the Grand Place, there is a statute of a lying man who sacrificed his life for Brussuls and regarded as a hero. Some parts of the statute are gold. touch it, it is believed that it brings luck. There is something with Brussels and peeing people. there are peeing statutes everywhere, a peeing boy, a peeing girl and a peeing dog. In addition, the bande dessinees on the walls of the buildings were thought by the the night mayor of the Brussels as a way to prevent people from peeing on the walls. The next day, the Parliament, Palais de Justice and the royal palace were among the list of what to see. moreover, for people who like to go to museums, there is a museum area. Museums there will take up all of your time, so it would be wise to decide which one/ones to see before going to Brussels.
when you get hungry, you can grab a sandwich or frites on the way. they are good and quiet cheap. waffles are another choice. Brussels waffle is the one with powder sugar on it and the proper eating way is by a fork and a knife.my personal preference is street waffle (plain with sugar in it) whereas my friend loves waffles with nutella and bananas. and chocolate! Brussels is the home of Godiva and Neuhaus. The Neuhaue family was a pharmacist family. all individuals of the family had interested in pharmacy until a son who was not. He then began to make cough sweets, liquirice for stomach, chocolates for broken hearts and depressed ladies which were sold in small boxes. Now, the first Neuhaus shop is found in the oldest gallery of the Europe.
Mussels are another must. We had a delicious pot of mussels at a restaurant called Chez-Leon which is found in the street where all the fish restaurants are (http://www.chezleon.be/index.asp?intro).
If you would like to try different types of beer, Belgium is the place. they have fascinatingly wide range of beers. from chocolate beer to citrus beer.

Accomodation:
we stayed at a hostel called Bruegel which is quiet close to centraal station. the price is very reasonable for students below the age of 26 and it is little bit more expensive for people over 26. the rooms were clean, warm. the showers and the toilets are outside the room. you may choose to stay alone or in a double room. there are also rooms for 4 or 6 people.