Brussels' Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula

So our Saturday art nouveau bus tour met by the statue of Cardinal Mercier, on the south side of the cathedral. We arrived early, as we generally do, so early in fact we thought why not a tour of the cathedral too?

Beneath the statue of Cardinal Mercier, a tour
bus will appear...

The Ecclesiastical Office Building across from the cathedral;
Brussels is often criticized for having destroyed much Flemish
and other such historically significant architecture to make
way for the glass and steel buildings of the EU's capital; the
EOB, I thought, is a good example of glass and steel and
concrete nodding to the older styles, tastefully (we have seen
similar things in, for example, San Francisco, with its (Art) Deco
Echo)

West facade of the late Brabantine Gothic
Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula

Nave view; the statues on the columns are 17th
century replacements for those knocked down by
iconoclasts in the 15th; the 12 apostles...

Thus, and a bit of the elevation

Ditto

Beautifully carved pulpit

Altar, etc.

The big glass is 15th century, very attractive and
readable

Thus

And thus

Contemporary "bird's nest" organ

Buttresses flying outside

Backside of pulpit

Beautifully carved confessionals

And, where else but Brussels? ecclesiastical cartoons!