We didn’t have the best night’s sleep as Karen was in some discomfort overnight with what we are still hoping is residual pains in both legs following her surgery. However, we still made it down to breakfast just before 8am.
Today’s breakfast room was being overseen by an elderly Chinese lady who was fastidious with her cleaning and helping people. My plate was almost taken whilst I was still eating.
By 8.45am we were heading into downtown Nashville. I had booked a parking spot online but as there was so little traffic heading downtown, we arrived before our spot commenced causing me to quickly pay online for an extra 30 minutes which cost almost as much as the rest of the day.
We walked past a protest against the recent deportation of some immigrants. All the TV networks were there filming them. I am all for free speech and not being away of all the background to this protest, but I wondered how many people there are ‘professional protestors’ and go along to any protest going for any cause.
I had booked us a walking tour of the city (paid as there were no free ones) covering its history and highlights which had great reviews. We were slightly early so found a wall to sit upon to wait.
Our tour guide was Paul – who was the possibly walking guide we have ever had. There were just 7 of on the tour and he was engaging, entertaining and informative. We both loved it although the times where we standing still listening proved challenging for both of us.
The role of Nashville in music history was fascinating and we were taken into a couple of Honky Tonk bars where at 10.15am there were already bands playing loudly on each floor. Some of the bars like the first one called Toostie’s had so much music history associated with it.
Karen liked the story about why country singers wear rhinestones which dates to the original site for the Opry being in a converted chapel where all clothing had to meet a set standard. To get round that performers started to augment their jackets and dresses and that tradition contuse today.
There is so much more to Nashville than just music. Just one block on one street (Church Street) played a significant role in 3 amendments to the American constitution.
We stopped outside the Maxwell House Hotel which involved in at least one of them, as well as being where the famous brand of coffee came, it was also a confederate prison and also the headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan when it was formed.
We liked the tour and what we had seen and learnt. As the tour ended the main street was starting to get very busy and there were already ‘hen’ parties everywhere. We both were unsure how ‘safe’ though it would feel once it got dark.
The forecast was for rain this afternoon and we could feel it in the air already. We walked back to a Starbucks we had passed earlier but bizarrely you could not go into it. Orders had to be placed online and collected through a hatch. Our UK app would not allow us to do that and so it was with a very grumpy Karen that we headed back to the car just before the rain started.
We set off to Opry Mill Mall which was next to the Grand Ole Opry which is now situated several miles away from downtown. We stopped when we saw a Starbucks sign and had a couple of snacks inside with our hot drinks. The rain by now was heavy and I was sent to get the car for Karen.
At the Mall we located the section of the car park that was next to the Grand Ole Opry for which we had tickets later. As it was still raining and we had couple of hours to kill we wandered around the inside of the mall.
Eventually we located The Cheesecake Factory and Karen almost skipped inside. We were seated immediately and took our time ordering and eating our food. I had the Chicken Parmesan Sandwich which was really good. As Happy Hour kicked in whilst we were there Karen wilfully ordered herself a cocktail that I swear she nearly downed in one.
Then the main event for Karen and she ordered an Oreo Cheesecake. Which when it came was big enough for a family of four. I tried a sliver, and it was yummy.
We then put our things back in the car and walked over the Grand Ole Opry and collected our tickets.
Neither of us knew what to expect and knew nothing about the history of the place before arriving in Nashville. It is celebrating its 100th year and every show is broadcast on the radio across the nation and now wider on the internet.
The term Grand Ole Opry does not refer to the ‘theatre’ as such which is what I always thought. Instead refers to the radio broadcast where Opera was being played before the first show and the presenterr said ‘instead of grand Opera we will now be listening to Grand Ole Opry’ and the just name stuck.
It has been in various locations over the years, the most famous being the Rymans that we had seen this morning. It moved to its current location in 1974.
The artists are given a short slot to play up to 3 songs each. They are paid just $140 each as it is considered more about the privilege than the money.
Many people attending were dressed in country gear with their long boots on. It was all very well organised. We found our cheap seats on the balcony. It was clear the theatre was only 2/3 full and when the show started, we slide along our empty row as far as we dared to get a more central view.
Some of the acts we saw had won Grammys and were already in the country hall of fame. We enjoyed Gary Burr and Phil Vasser who both had had a few number ones. We were less impressed with Connie Smith although at 85 was a game old thing but sang with a twangy steel guitar in the old country style from the 70’s.
There was also a comedian called Gary Mule Deer who was also 85. He was very funny with no crudeness or profanities. His best joke was about 2 Jehovah witnesses knocking on his door asking they could talk to him. He said Yes and invited them in. They sat down and he asked what they wanted to talk about. They said they didn’t know as they had never got this far before. Well, it made us laugh at the time.
We both enjoyed the show and with the whole unique experience.
The drive back was as nerve racking as every other drive so far around Nashville had been, but we made it without incident. It was a late night out for us and so after grabbing a cuppa from the machine in the lobby we headed back to our room and for me almost straight to bed. Karen being now addicted to Shark Tank had to watch an episode before retiring herself.
