Zoupi in Belgium

Zoupi arrives in Belgium after 4 days in transit. He looks a little jetlagged.

Zoupi alights from his carriage with help from his new friend, Unamuno, then meets Niko.

Zoupi brought one of his new (big) friends to passport and customs control. No problem at all...

Omiyage time! Zoupi doesn't quite remember what Kristen told him about the omiyage. Unamuno suggests that he trades everything for peanuts with Niko.

Zoupi is looking at the garden from inside. He wants to play in the rain, but weather is a little too windy

So Zoupi stays inside to write a postcard home.

Zoupi counts his Euros. He likes the shiny coins.

"Peanuts!! We found 20 different kinds of peanuts!"

"What did they do to these peanuts? They look unhappy."

Zoupi blisses out on his purchases.

Zoupi checks out his webpage. "I am really the cutest Zou in the world!"

"Oh, poor Sama. I'd better write to him."

Zoupi plays Where's Zousama?

"I found the toilet!!! Oh no, wrong game, I have to look for Zousama..."

"MJ wa tsukareta yo!"

" I did it. What did I win???"

Zoupi meets Tux and they play on Niko's Dell server.

Tux discovers that Zoupi is an OS X user.

Fugu and Tux pose, but Zoupi's distracted by the view.

"Belgium is so beautiful."

Niko's testing a Zope server installation but Zoupi is sure that's a typo.

Traditional snacks after a long day's work. (Where's the beer??)

Before we went sightseeing, Niko taught me how to use this camera so I can take pictures, too.

I see you, Niko. Say "peanuts!"

   

I am posed for photos at the 15th century City Hall and with Fonske, who is pouring water over his head as he reads. Someone caught me looking at the water in the Great Beguinage, a city-within-a city where widows from the Crusades used to live.

   

These are my photos of Fonske, the Great Beguinage, and Old Market Square, also known as the "greatest bar in Europe." Stella Artois beer comes from Leuven.

Hey everyone, get up! Let's go sightseeing!

It's 366 steps to the top of the bell tower, but I'm a strong Zou.

The Belfry Tower and Halles were built in the 13th-15th century. Isn't the view pretty?

There are 42 very loud bells in this belfry. They are all bigger and noisier than me!

I love taking pictures. I made a photo album of this trip.

I'm feel fine but it's so hot today; I need a rest!

My friends made sure that I enjoyed my ice cream.

We enjoyed a medieval banquet!

Bruges is sparkly at night.

Look at me, I'm driving a fast car!

It's a Ferrari. Vroooom!

We're going to Brussels and I'm taking care of the train tickets. We're going to see the Gothic cathedral of Saint Michael, the city's patron saint. I took lots of my own pictures of this trip.

Underneath the cathedral there are crypts. I am looking for ghosts.

The Grand Place (the Medieval Market Square) and the big tower Zoupi admires, is the Brussels Town Hall.

The market has a beautiful town hall in the middle and there are two famous statues of children peeing--Manneken Pis & Jeanneken Pis. I would like to have a statue like this.

It's my last night in Belgium. Niko's taking me out for one final look around.

I'm going to teach Zousan how to pose like Fonske. San can use his trunk instead of a cup.

It's Old Market Square. Let's have a beer!

I may be just a little Zou, but Niko says I can share his cherry beer because I'm going home tomorrow.

The beer was very good!

Niko's brother is driving us home safely.

Tux & Unamuno say goodbye before Niko takes me to the transit station. Tux is trying to make my hangover go away.

Zousan & Zoukun welcome Zoupi home on 8/19.