Paris.

Nick, what did you think of Paris?

Nick: It was windy.

Mom, what did you think of Paris?

Mom: It was beautiful, in many different ways... The Seine flowing through the heart of the city. One day in particular the river, the sky, and the buildings were all varying shades of grey, which made me realize how the city has been so inspirational to so many artists. Even on cloudy days it has an effect on you that no other city does. Every neighbourhood we were in had something special about it. Montmartre was quaint with its steep streets and view over the city. The Louvre and the jardin Tulieries were very grand. Just seeing so many monuments that are world renowned was exciting.

Jake: I liked the old style of the buildings, especially the Louvre. Everything was big. It seemed like there were a lot more people than cars as well. We saw some kids playing soccer in the square.

Sander: What struck me most when we were first coming into the city on the train ( from the airport), was how narrow the streets were and the way the buildings looked and how they kind of hung over the street. The mix between dirty industrial type of buildings and the old "French" buildings crammed close together in the suburbs was something I wasn't expecting. This was especially the outer areas where some of the riots were. Paris was a lot different. I loved almost everything about it, the things like accordion players by the Sacre-Coeur and the kids playing soccer in the street and the cafes were just as much what you wanted out of it as walking through Montmartre and the less well-known or travelled parts. The only thing that seemed hollow was on the last day as we were walking back through some of the more tourist and fashion districts. They didn't seem like they had anything to do with the people there like the other things we saw.

Nick: The churches were impressive, especially Notre dame.
The streets were tiny and the cars were small too, which made walking a lot easier than in other big cities like New York.