That Magical Time of the Year

For many of us Christmas is a season of complicated expectations. What we want to do, versus, what is expected of us.  As an adult, I have grown to enjoy the holiday, home with my sweet bear and no pressures.  For decades I bowed to the family and social pressures and traveled here and there, especially complicated when there is his family and his family both competing for attention. For a couple of years we did Christmas with my family and New Years with Jay's.  After his mother passed, we stopped doing that. There were still expectations and for me a lot of stress.  After one particularly stressful travel season a decade ago, I decided that the next year I was going to do what I wanted to do, so we did, we went to Paris for a week for Christmas.  We stayed in a comfy hotel on the left bank about 4 blocks east of the Eiffel Tower.  We wandered the museums, ate in some nice restaurants.  We had Christmas Dinner on the middle level of the Eiffel Tower at was then known as Altitude 95 (95 meters above ground level.)  I hadn't made reservations, and succeeded at out pouting the  Maitre d'. It was a major triumph, my French was at it's peak for that trip.  We had a delightful week, stress free and refreshing.  

Paris has always had a special place in my heart. I have been there a couple of times, it is a magical city, great architecture, art, shopping an incredible subway system and wonderful food.  Give me a billion dollars and I'd live there for the rest of my life.  

One of my favorite songs, is a little known recording by Don Potter, titled Paris Without You, 
Enjoy! http://www.potterhausmusic.net/resources/mp3/Don-Potter-1976-1980-Paris_Without_You.mp3