Blue sky days on the weekend are a bit of a burden in Belgium. After our long cold grey spring, any glimpse of sunshine must be embraced wholeheartedly. The sun rose on Saturday full of warmth and promise, so we were out of the house by nine to explore a little bit more of Belgium. Everyone else in Brussels also seemed to be outdoors, soaking up the light.

We decided to visit Tournai, one of the oldest cities in Belgium. It has an excellent Belfry and is the only city here ever to be ruled by England. An hour on the train took us to the heart of this new city. As we walked towards the cathedral, we spotted a market with a great deal of activity.

Along with fresh produce, there were also birds and goats for sale. The vendors had arranged them according to cuteness. We began with old-looking geese, and as we walked along we finally reached the chicks and ducklings. Excited looking children were choosing their new pets, and the vendors popped them into cardboard boxes and tied them up with string. The children distractedly carried the boxes in one had, and we could see anxious-looking beaks poking out of the holes.

We discovered a little duckling sitting in a box by himself, occasionally bounding up to poke his beak over the edge. Adrian called him Jumpling and we were very tempted to take him home and keep him in the bath. However, we decided that Peppermint might not be so welcoming.

The belfry was constructed separately from the cathedral, and we slowly climbed up the winding staircase to the top of the tower. The top was decorated with a gilded dragon, and golden gargoyles looked over our shoulders out at the view.

We finished up with a lunch in the main square, underneath the ferris wheel and between the market stalls, and then meandered home again. A bright spring morning sucessfully celebrated.