This is my favorite picture from Paris. It's small here, but I hope you can see the lights twinkling. I guess this is how most people imagine Paris - the glamorous city of lights. I wish I could say that my visit there was as glitzy or romantic as this picture hints at. But actually, it was just hot and sweaty. Lying in my hotel bed that night - I've never been more miserable. 4,000 people died during that heat spell. I felt like I was going to be one of them!

My mom and I got on a train to escape the Amsterdam night life as I said. The train was going to Paris. We shared a car with 4 guys from Berlin. They were really cool. They gave us a map of Paris, suggested a hotel a little bit outside of the city, and told us the good places to shop. They also offered us some sandwiches. It's so funny to see people pull bread and cheese out of their backpacks. But we did that a few times too.

The leaves in this picture remind me of autumn. This is Notre Dame. I didn't see anything like a hunchback, but there was an enormously tall priest in a red cloak and sneakers.

The Louvre was closed - it's closed on Tuesdays.

You know as I'm writing this I realize that it's really not my own trip to Paris that is so special to me, but more the idea of France. I know so many French people or people that have been there or live there. My trip just feels like a small part of all the experiences I've had with them.

Cherio!