First Birthday In Paris Since 1976

Mornin Pilgrims,

34 years ago I was in Paris visiting my friends Chris Madison and Christine Holtzbauer in the 10th arrondissement and it happened to be my birthday. I don't recall all of the details of that day but I DO remember them taking me to dinner at a large family style (not sure if this is the appropriate description for this particular restaurant but it'll have to do today) restaurant which was very crowded and some of their friends also came with us (both Chris and Christine were in college here at the time at the Sorbonne and Science Po respectively). I think I had some kind of baked chicken and heart of the palm salad which was quite a revelation to me at the time never having had anything like that before. Wine was imbibed and good cheer and conversation was everywhere. When my friends sang Happy Birthday to me (I was 23 that day) a large group of Irish folks were at a table nearby and they joined in the singing. Shortly after one of them came over to me and handed me a small cardboard match box that was filled with real Irish shamrocks.
What a special birthday!

We continued drinking and celebrating and on the way home got lost somewhere near the Church of the Trinity and just barely made it onto one of the last Metro trains to our destination (Republique) in the 10th. I was single, poor, happy, and truly feeling the magic of Paris as only a young man can.
To say that my visits there (I was there almost every other weekend for almost 3 years) changed me is an understatement.

To be back here with my family (I never dreamed I'd ever come back) is a dream come true and last year I actually reconnected with my old friends Chris and Christine who how have a daughter named Melody. More on them in another blog entry later.

Today I'll spend the day with my sons Kian and Niall (Cassie is in Geneva today) and we'll have an incredibly pleasant day together and go out to dinner somewhere this evening, maybe Brasserie 16 although I'd like to take them there for the first time with Cassie so we can get a photo of us all there.

I'm a happy man indeed and so fortunate to be here with my family.

Life truly IS good and I have the best friends and family a person could ever want.

A bientot

sid