Home of Country music, renowned for its vibrant music and entertainment scene and known on the map as a centre of the music industry, earning it the nickname "Music City", I immediately fell in love with the bright lights of Nashville. Although, it was a little on the touristy side for my taste, the gorgeous girls sauntering around in cowboy boots and floaty dresses singing Shania Twain in the bars had me hooked at “Hello sweetheart”. Every bar was buzzing with musicians performing at all hours of the day and night – guys wearing flat caps strumming country music on their guitars and girls in garish red cowboy boots jamming away on violins – there was never a dull moment. Of course the cuisine was just as I expected; deep fried and full fat. But after living in the South for an entire year I’ve come to love the ‘wholesome’ home Southern cooking. Although, upon my return to old blighty I’ll be strictly eating steamed vegetables to bring my cholesterol levels back down to normal. The hostel we stayed in was particularly fab, and despite the squeaky bunk beds I managed to pass out each night in a rather timely manner.
I visited Nashville with a few other British exchange students who had also been studying abroad at South Carolina. Whilst in Nashville we peered into the Ryman Auditorium (which was home to the Grand Ole Opry until 1974 when the show moved to the Grand Ole Opry House), we danced the night away in numerous music clubs and honky-tonk bars in downtown Nashville, ogling at the young, good looking musicians (side note: why is it that when a guy plays the guitar he becomes immediately more attractive?!) and we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Although the museum was mainly aimed at tourists it held a wide collection of crazy goofy costumes that country stars such as Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton had worn through the years and a range of props, shoes, and records. My favourite item was probably Taylor Swift’s incredibly sparkly guitar covered in silver sequins! There was even a hands on exhibit where you could record your own country song and design your own personal record cover – mine and Eveie’s version of “We are never ever getting back together” by Taylor Swift was particularly tuneful and I’m sure will be making its debut online in the near future!
Whilst in Tennessee, we decided to make the two hour trip over to Memphis – home of the blues! With only 24 hours to squeeze everything we wanted to see into a hectic schedule we somehow managed to cram all the touristy activities in. We spent the morning exploring Graceland – the home of Elvis Presley – which was as lavish as you would imagine! Fit with mirrored ceilings and shag carpets, this 70s style décor was as over the top as you’d expect. Numerous friends recommended dining at ‘Central BBQ’ in Memphis as the city prides itself on its delicious pulled pork sandwich – more mouth-wateringly healthy fried food for my ever growing belly – thank you America! After re-energising myself on BBQ we visited the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Hotel, the site where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. I was incredibly impressed with the museum and could have easily spent all day in there reading the wealth of information and sources that had been complied. After such a serious museum experience we lightened our moods with a trip down Beale street. Lined with bars and people casually sitting on the sidewalk drinking beer from plastic cups, live music spilled from each club, whilst the remains of smoky barbecue wafted in the breeze. Apparently Beale street is the most visited attraction in the State of Tennessee - alive with blues, jazz, rock 'n' roll, R&B, soul and gospel. The sunshine burnt our skin as we sat and watched the Beale Street Flippers acrobat down the street, flipping left, right and centre. After Memphis, we headed back for one last night in Nashville before parting separate ways for the rest of our summer travels. Oh what a life this is! Oh to be forever young, free and fun! I certainly could get used to this travelling malarkey, exploring new places and finding cherished treasures untold!
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