We left Atlanta rather hastily on the first morning of our tour and it was a tad disappointing that we got to see so little of the place. However, we looked forward to Nashville, Tennessee.
Dinner that night was at The Wild Horse Saloon where live music and line dancing are accompaniments to dinner. And yes, Will contributed ungainliness and mistimed steps (and a bit of a giggle) to the already struggling front line.
 From there we went to the Grand Ole Opry which is also known as the Ryman Theatre.
 As we walked into the former Baptist church the ushers who were grey-haired ladies – Will described them as very experienced – directed us to our place on a hard wooden pew. We looked around and we swore we would have to be the youngest audience members by at least 10 years – a bit of a boost for our aging egos!
The format of the show pro
bably hadn’t changed for years. The announcer stood at the side of the stage and read advertisement scripts as well as the introductions to artists. And all of this was being broadcast as it happened. It is among the longest-running radio broadcasts in history, dedicated to honoring country music.
There was a variety of performers, including an 89 year old mandolin player and his guitarist grandson. The last act, a young male and female stole the show with their fast-paced guitar playing and singing (
in our opinion).
Despite the very uncomfortable seats and the quite loud audience surrounding me, I could not for the life of me keep my eyes open. I worked out that I had slept about 8 hours over the previous 2 ½ days so I could certainly forgive myself.
Will and I woke at almost exactly 10am the next morning, and mourned the free but now missed breakfast. To add to our late start, we departed the hotel and walked in the wrong direction for about 20 mins. (I take full responsibility and Will assures me he takes none, for this mistake.) When we finally arrived at our destination, the Country Music Hall of Fame we bought tickets to enter the museum but also to tour Studio B. We were told we were on the next tour that was leaving in the next 10 mins. I immediately feared suffering serious caffeine deficiency and became a force to be reckoned with at the small café counter within the museum. Those old ladies who had stepped out of another era with their teased and perfectly coiffed hair must have seen the urgency of my mission and stepped aside. I bought two coffees and two muffins and hurried over to the waiting line. Will was grateful but too adept at drinking boiling coffee to make me feel better. My burnt tongue deterred me from drinking any more than a drop before the guide for the tour arrived and announced that no food or drink was to be taken on the bus!
Thank heavens that Vanessa, the tour guide, was a delightful, entertaining, Afro-american lady (who was a public school teacher taking a break from teaching and maybe just working for tips). She passionately described the stories and history of the original recording studios in Nashville as we drove around the district.
Studio B was particularly important, if not for the many famous names mentioned and immortalised in the large photos in the foyer, but for the fact that Elvis recorded “Are you lonesome tonight†in the very studio where we stood and on the very piano we were looking at. She described Elvis as an insomniac, a man who liked to begin work in the early hours of the morning and who liked to record in the dark. 
This particular recording, if listened to closely actually includes a small percussive noise at the very end, which is, according to this guide, Elvis standing up and knocking his head on the overhead microphone. This error remained in the final recording.
Vanessa also told us about a lady who became very upset at this stage of the tour. She asked, and this visitor replied that she was a medium and had felt the presence of Elvis. Vanessa replied that she was a large and believed that the lady had nothing to complain about! Vanessa gave us such a vivid description infused with her own enthusiasm that I almost became a little teary too – or could this have been grief for my binned coffee? I will never know.
The Country Music Hall of Fame was quite wonderful and with the young and fearless tourist in mind (and the silly over-fifties), a pot full of fun. I collected my badges as I went to stations to complete quiz questions and tasks. Will and I created our own recording and produced it as well as making an album cover.
Another opportunity to laugh at us, for our children! Alas (or perhaps thankfully), the recording and images are no longer available. (I photographed the screen when my albums appeared! )
That evening we went to Broadway, the street of music venues, bars, shops and restaurants. We were in awe that so many places had so many excellent musicians and bands who all played for tips – yes, that’s right just for the measly sums that tourists were willing to part with. I don’t know how well they do but you have got to think that in the off-season it cannot be spectacularly good. My thinking is that the bars certainly seem to get a good deal out of this arrangement.
Between visiting a couple of places, I wanted to do a little shopping if I could. For anyone who knows me well, you probably know I don’t mind a bargain. 
I saw this sign and my heart began to race! Wow! And then I saw the boots.
Yep, I don’t think my wardrobe would be ready for 1 pair of these, let alone 3!
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