Covered up

In the past, Brussels basements were used for storing coals that served as fuel to heat the house. The coals were dumped from the street through a hole into the basements. Now that houses are heated by other means, these coal chutes have become redundant. Often they are right underneath the front door. Without question, you will drop your keys in your basement sooner or later unless …
The streets around my house , in the quarter Molenbeek show simple DIY solutions to prevent this from happening. Each household has its own inventive way to cover the cast iron grids. Often seen stereotypes are: use a doormats, a punched through metal plate, an old wooden plank, plastic bags, or cement the whole thing up.

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