Saturday 14th September

We are in Nashville, so it is Country Music time ! This helps round out the music pilgrimage we didn't consciously set out to do ! Nashville city is set in rolling hills, the first time during our travels where we have noticed anything other than flat or gently undulating ! So a pleasant change of scenery ! First impressions were also that it was a buzzing Downtown, there was plenty of action as we made it into Downtown today. It may have been because it was Saturday, but we think it is more than that ... this is a town where people come to party !

This morning we drove into town parking in a lot at the end of Broadway. A short 10 minute walk and we were right in the centre of Downtown at the visitor centre checking out the attractions and deciding which ones to do. Today we opted to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, with an addon tour of the RCA Victor Studio B. The girl at the visitor centre was so helpful, she even looked up hairdresser options for Tania close to where we are staying (1 1/2 weeks past a normal cut and she could join the circus as a clown).

We entered the Hall of Fame, purchased our tickets and was offered entry to a live performance featuring songwriters from North Carolina in the theatrette just near the entrance to the museum. Why not - we went along and it was a really enjoyable hour of 3 different songwriters sharing with us their songs.

We entered the museum at 12.00 and looked around for about 40 mins before we had to be back ready for the RCA Victor Studio B tour to begin. It was in this studio that Elvis recorded most of his hit songs from 1959 - 1971. We played on the piano he played on, stood on the spot he stood to record, and listened to clips of some of his songs while the lights were changed to show the mood lighting he insisted upon for his recordings. The lighting were vary depending on the mood of the song, to help get him in the mood, Apparently for the song "Are You Lonesome Tonight", he did with all the lights out in pitch black ! .. and only a single take !

Of course lots of other artists recorded hits in this studio, including Roy orbison, Dolly Parton, Wilson Pickett, Everley Brothers, Charley Pride, Jim Reeves and so on. They call it the home of 1000 hits ! IT is still used as a recording studio to this day, but only by application and with a historical context for the need to record in this studio.

The tour dropped us back at the Hall of Fame Museum, so we could continue our time there exploring the 1000's of exhibits, artifacts, cars, gold records, video presentations and written information.

We finished around 4.30pm and headed toward Broadway looking for something to eat and found Sun Diner ! Great food and probably our best meal so far - big call I know ! We had to be reasonably quick as we had booked tickets for the Grand Ole Opry tonight at 7pm.

It was the Saturday live radio broadcast that is the longest running radio show in the world. It was a great 2 hours of a variety of country music stars and square dancers. The show finished off our first day in Nashville nicely.

Sunday 15th September

Today we ventured back into Nashville Downtown, there was a local game on and a number of football fans making there way to the stadium at 10.00 am. We were making our way to the Johnny Cash museum ! Great collection of memorabilia of his life, what a tough life, but also what a successful life. He was very religious and also quite talented... besides singing and songwrtiting, for which he achieved probably more awards than anyone else in the industry, he was also an accomplished artist, photographer, and philanthropist. Johnny Cash stood up for the minority groups , particularly indigenous American Indians. He was the only person who was simultaneously admitted to the Country, Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame.

While looking at the exhibits, we noticed that Adelaide got a mention twice in the museum, once in his personal journal which just happened to be opened at the page during his 1981 tour of Australia when he played at Apollo Stadium, and second on a poster which featured his Highwaymen tour in 1995 when they played at the Entertainment Centre.

We then had a look at the riverfront area, walking over the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, which took us over the Tennesee River and towards the Titans Stadium where the football match was being played. We were amazed at the number of Titan fans leaving the stadium, and upon enquiring, we were told that it was only half time. Reasons given why they were leaving... it was too hot (it was 35 degrees), they were down (apparently they are not having a good season). Some fans only watch the first half (What the ????) They were 13- 7 down, but no much later, they had scored a touchdown, evidenced by the fireworks and crowd noise.

We wandered around Broadway, checking shops and bars, and stayed for a few songs at Tooties, a well known historic hangout. We can't believe most of the bars on Broadway, and there are lots of them, have multiple floors, each with a different group playing on them. It is hard to describe, but there is a constant battle of the sounds as we walked along the main drag.

We finished off the afternoon with Tania seeking a massage at the Opry Mills mall.