A trip to Paris

I've been in Paris since Tuesday afternoon with my grandfather. We just decided on the spur of the moment to go. We'll be here a week. I'm so glad because I needed time out, away from the castle and all that's been happening there. So many things have happened and I don't know what to make of it all. It feels like I'm in the middle of a story written by someone else and that I'm helpless and don't know how it's all going to end. I hate feeling like that..

Anyway here in Paris though it's raining just like it was down south(and it's even colder) there are just so many things to do and see, you forget about the weather. We've visited the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Tour Eiffel, the Champs Elysees, Notre Dame and lots and lots of other places. I've done heaps of shopping, went to all the really fashionable streets where designers like Dior and Chanel and stuff are(not that I bought anything there!) and also went to the big department stores, like my favourite, Galeries Lafayette(where I did get quite a lot of things!) You can sort of 'window-shop' there by taking a peek at their website on www.galerieslafayette.com, if you like!

Paris is so cool. And the food is fantastic. The people are nice too, mostly, though we've met one or two really rude people. But not too many as my grandfather is pretty well-known and they sort of bend over backwards for him. The hotel where we're staying is absolutely gorgeous. That's it up there on the left (the picture's a postcard from the hotel, the weather's too yucky to take a really nice photo of it).

It's called Hotel Pavillon de la Reine (which means Hotel of the Queen's Pavilion) and it's in a really lovely old building that was used by the royal family in the past. It's set in a gorgeous square called Place des Vosges, which is very quiet and green and so, so romantic! Inside the hotel it's gorgeous too. I was a bit shy there at first, I thought I would stick out like a sore thumb and wouldn't know how to behave. But it's worked out much better than I thought. The staff are just so nice and no-one makes you feel awkward.
if you want to have an even closer look at it, here's their website: http://www.pavillon-de-la-reine.com

It's really good to feel normal, or as normal as my situation lets me be, after all my life's been turned upside down and inside out and all that. I've been given my three wishes but at least here I feel like I can really enjoy them, and not have to look over my shoulder all the time, watching for something I don't understand.. And when I go back, it might be sorted out. That's what I hope, anyway.