Nashville, TN - 22-27th June

So, Nashville, Tennessee. The home of real country music. It is yeehaaaww and dangnabbit and hot diggedy to boot. We have been staying in ‘Music City Hostel’ which is like a bit community, full of musicians and late night sing-a-longs. We have explored downtown and broadway, especially music row, where every bar and restaurant along the strip has live country music playing all day every day! Tootsies, The Stage and Legends Corner were among the places where we watched INCREDIBLE musicians play for free! (Especially one amazing bluegrass fiddler…Immie was so transfixed watching her solos that she spilt her coke all over Ellie’s lap. Not cool.) We also had a browse around the country shops, selling cowboy boots, hats and garish shirts galore! On one of the first days a film ‘The Blind Side’ was shown in the park for free at sunset, and so a group of us went with blankets and pillows to watch it. There were popcorn and hot dog stands all around and hundreds of people turned up to watch, just like in the films! We attended an open mic night to watch our friends at the hostel play a few of their songs each. (Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to play as you had to have signed up the week before. But it was great to hear their songs, everyone is so talented around here!). While walking around Centennial Park in the dark one night and viewing the impressive Parthenon lit up over the lake, Immie and I met our guardian angel, who goes by the name of John Michael, a young Nashville guy who plays guitar. He came to our rescue twice, once where we were lost trying to find the park, and the other when we were lost in the park, and gave us a lift home. He also said that if we ever needed a lift anywhere, to give him a call. NICEST. PERSON. EVER. As it was roasting outside on some days, we tried to find other indoor activities, for example catching the bus to see Toy Story 3 at a nearby mall. Amazing film. We cried and laughed, laughed and cried. On our last night in Nashville a group of us went bowling….it took us 2 hours to drive there, and 10 minutes to drive back…..hmmmm…Didn’t really help that it was raining buckets all the way there. Thanks for the lift Dan! That evening we all sat in the usual circle outside, playing songs and talking about life, the universe and everything. Sunday morning was spent packing, full of dread for the 22 hour Greyhound bus journey up to New York City in the evening…