Most summers, the Paris Tourism Office tries to come up with ways to lure tourists and reassure folks that, yes indeed the Parisians do smile. No they are not rude, and yes they value you as a tourist.

This summer is no different. This time the gimmick du jour is a photo competition. Simply send in your five most beautiful photos of Paris and you could win a fabulous prize: a camera, a Seine dinner cruise (if you’re in Paris!), a stay at a 3 star hotel or a trip to Disneyland Paris. Photos must be received by August 31, 2009.

Not a bad idea, but I have a feeling they will have a heck of a time going through all those photos…hard to take a bad picture of Pareee….

For more information and to register, visit their Web site.