Paris

The Eiffel Tower was lit up in honor of the 50th anniversary of the European Union.

We chose the hottest day possible to climb the long hill up to the Sacre Coeur. One sign said 38 degrees Celsius. Of course, it was worth every step.

There are pony statues all over town giving Paris the nickname of "Pony Town" (I've never heard it called that until I said it out loud walking in the city, but it's an apt nickname) . The first night that we arrived we walked along the Seine River and kept walking. Every bridge is a little different. No matter how tired we were it seemed like we should keep walking because there was so much to see.
There are a couple of Courtyards outside of the Louvre. This is one in the evening with a classic view.

More in Paris

The Winged Victory. I actually cried when I saw her. She was everything I had dreamed she would be.

The Mona Lisa.
Spitting fountain.
The Musee d'Orsay. I lost my friends in this museum and took a picture while I was looking for them. I found them eventually, but not using the bird's eye method.

There were real ponies in Paris too.

Using my passport

I just returned from my European vacation. I wish to share, but where to begin? I have been back a full week (pert near).

This was my first ever trip across the Atlantic. I'm not sure that any trip can meet all of your expectations, but seeing as I had almost none, they were all met.

Truly, I did not know what to expect. My dear hosts were people that I had met through a mutual friend. I did not know them well before my visit and now I have lifelong friends. You can never expect such things. They are gifts.

So what I saw:
1. Strasbourg, France.
2. The Vosges
3. Munich, Germany
4. Paris, France