The western facade of Notre Dame de Paris.

Sunday. I got up early, ate breakfast, and left for Mass at Notre Dame. The line to get in was so long! Like a rock concert! It was a beautiful Mass, but the schedule I have says it was supposed to be in English; it wasn’t. It felt good to be in God’s House. There were a lot of people there from all over the world. People were turning around as if they wanted to watch the organ playing. I sat as close to the front as I could. Just before the service started, someone came and told me to pick up my bag so it wouldn’t be in the way. (I wanted to ask, In the way of what?) I took some pictures outside of Notre Dame and milled about for a while. It was so peaceful I hated to leave. At the back of Notre Dame there were a couple of machines to buy souvenir coins of the church. I believe I know two people who might like one so I bought a couple.

I then went to the Latin Quarter where there was a lot of activity. Especially on a Sunday, many people had the same idea. There are so many interesting shops and restaurants and bistros and bakeries….you can’t see them all during one trip. A few restaurateurs beckoned me to try their restaurant as I walked by. I just smiled and said, “Bonjour!” After walking a lot, I went to Shakespeare and Company……what a place!  It was so cozy; one could read for hours there, there are so many nooks and crannies and old chairs to sit in. I found a pocket book on French for English speakers. I chatted with the cashier who said she was originally from England. I told her how much I love Paris and would like to stay. She said that since she lives in the EU it is easier to get a Visa to stay in Paris.

It was very cold today – too cold to wear just a cape. (I forgot to pick up my coat at the dry cleaner’s.) I hurriedly went to a café and had French Onion soup and 2 espressos; the French Onion soup was the best I’ve ever had (she says, nonchalantly). There, I met an American ex-pat who was having lunch with a friend; she told me she would probably never return to the States, she loves being in Paris that much. We talked about current political situations in France and the States. She said she doesn’t miss all of the drama of the U.S. press, which we both agreed loves to rehash a story over and over and over again, which France decidedly does not do, much to our delight.

Since it was so cold and I didn’t have my heavy coat, I decided to go back to the hostel. I found out I could move back to my favorite room (!), so I did. I reorganized yet again. I read more of Elvis: My Best Man. I’m so glad I decided to read it, because I’m learning the truth of what Elvis was really like. In addition, it has been brought home to me even more how the press can ruin a person’s character, which I believe now often happens because it makes for a good story. How horrible. I worked out for a short while. I’ll read for a few more minutes and call it a night.

Salut !

The King, Elvis Presley. May he rest in peace.

Image of Latin Quarter, Shakespeare and Company, and coffee signs by Can Stock Photo. Image of Elvis Presley by Luiz Fernando Reis, courtesy of Flickr, CCBY 2.0. All other images by Elsa L. Fridl.

Monday. I had a tough time waking and getting up. Walking really takes a lot out of me…but it’s not like I don’t walk at home. It took me forever to get out of the hostel. I didn’t do all that much. But I did work out again. Felt good.

I am really enjoying this book on Elvis by George Klein (which I found in the hostel. Really says something about Elvis’s popularity in Europe, which many Americans forget). George was a friend of Elvis and a member of his entourage, as well as a radio personality in his own right. I’ve learned a lot about Elvis. He wasn’t as weird as I was led to believe. The media slanted stories and made him out to be odd. One example was his interest in karate. He learned karate while he was in the Army and it was merely a form of exercise he enjoyed: the media made it sound like he was obsessed with martial arts – I remember those stories well from when I was growing up. George told his story with class. One reason I studied public relations instead of journalistic reporting when I studied journalism at the University of Maryland is because I don’t have the stomach to go after people and report everything about them; I believe that every person has a right to some privacy. I also believe in the truth. If someone has done 2 wrong things, that is no reason to blame them for a third if they had nothing to do with it.

Elvis will always be the king of Rock-n-roll.

There’s no class in slanting stories just to ruin someone’s reputation – or for any reason, for that matter. I have more respect for Elvis than I did prior to reading George Klein’s book. But I have even more respect for George Klein. He was a true friend to Elvis.

Salut !

Lazy day image by Can Stock Photo. “Elvis knew the score,” by Anonymous9000, taken on October 5, 2008, courtesy of Flickr, CCBY 2.0

The western facade of Notre Dame de Paris.

Sunday. I got up early, ate breakfast, and left for Mass at Notre Dame. The line to get in was so long! Like a rock concert! It was a beautiful Mass, but the schedule I have says it was supposed to be in English; it wasn’t. It felt good to be in God’s House. There were a lot of people there from all over the world. People were turning around as if they wanted to watch the organ playing. I sat as close to the front as I could. Just before the service started, someone came and told me to pick up my bag so it wouldn’t be in the way. (I wanted to ask, In the way of what?) I took some pictures outside of Notre Dame and milled about for a while. It was so peaceful I hated to leave. At the back of Notre Dame there were a couple of machines to buy souvenir coins of the church. I believe I know two people who might like one so I bought a couple.

I then went to the Latin Quarter where there was a lot of activity. Especially on a Sunday, many people had the same idea. There are so many interesting shops and restaurants and bistros and bakeries….you can’t see them all during one trip. A few restaurateurs beckoned me to try their restaurant as I walked by. I just smiled and said, “Bonjour!” After walking a lot, I went to Shakespeare and Company……what a place!  It was so cozy; one could read for hours there, there are so many nooks and crannies and old chairs to sit in. I found a pocket book on French for English speakers. I chatted with the cashier who said she was originally from England. I told her how much I love Paris and would like to stay. She said that since she lives in the EU it is easier to get a Visa to stay in Paris.

It was very cold today – too cold to wear just a cape. (I forgot to pick up my coat at the dry cleaner’s.) I hurriedly went to a café and had French Onion soup and 2 espressos; the French Onion soup was the best I’ve ever had (she says nonchalantly). There, I met an American ex-pat who was having lunch with a friend; she told me she would probably never return to the States, she loves being in Paris that much. We talked about current political situations in France and the States. She said she doesn’t miss all of the drama of the U.S. press, which we both agreed loves to rehash a story over and over and over again, which France decidedly does not do, much to our delight.

Since it was so cold and I didn’t have my heavy coat, I decided to go back to the hostel. I found out I could move back to my favorite room (!), so I did. I reorganized yet again. I read more of Elvis: My Best Man. I’m so glad I decided to read it, because I’m learning the truth of what Elvis was really like. In addition, it has been brought home to me even more how the press can ruin a person’s character, which I believe now often happens because it makes for a good story. How horrible. I worked out for a short while. I’ll read for a few more minutes and call it a night.

Salut !

The King, Elvis Presley. May he rest in peace.

Image of Elvis Presley by Luiz Fernando Reis, courtesy of Flickr, CCBY 2.0.

Monday. I had a tough time waking and getting up. Walking really takes a lot out of me…but it’s not like I don’t walk at home. It took me forever to get out of the hostel. I didn’t do all that much. But I did work out again. Felt good.

I am really enjoying this book on Elvis by George Klein (which I found in the hostel. Really says something about Elvis’s popularity in Europe, which many Americans forget). George was a friend of Elvis and a member of his entourage, as well as a radio personality in his own right. I’ve learned a lot about Elvis. He wasn’t as weird as I was led to believe. The media slanted stories and made him out to be odd. One example was his interest in karate. He learned karate while he was in the Army and it was merely a form of exercise he enjoyed: the media made it sound like he was obsessed with martial arts – I remember those stories well from when I was growing up. George told his story with class. One reason I studied public relations instead of journalistic reporting when I studied journalism at the University of Maryland is because I don’t have the stomach to go after people and report everything about them; I believe that every person has a right to some privacy. I also believe in the truth. If someone has done 2 wrong things, that is no reason to blame them for a third if they had nothing to do with it.

Elvis will always be the king of Rock-n-roll.

There’s no class in slanting stories just to ruin someone’s reputation – or for any reason, for that matter. I have more respect for Elvis than I did prior to reading George Klein’s book. But I have even more respect for George Klein. He was a true friend to Elvis.

Salut.

“Elvis knew the score,” by Anonymous9000, taken on October 5, 2008, courtesy of Flickr, CCBY 2.0