So, what have I learned so far from my trip? Quite a bit, actually.
1) I could, actually, eat barbecue everyday.
2) If Austin and Nashville are any indication, hipsters are the same everywhere, only in Nashville, and to a lesser extent in Austin, some also wear cowboy hats: facial hair, clothes, tattoos, etc.
3) Rule #2 also applies to frat boys.
I've become obsessed with the AT&T Building, aka the Batman Building. I look at it, photograph it, and generally contemplate it. Here's a shot, making apparent its full Batman-ness. (Remember to click on pics to enlarge).
 |
| I'm Batman... and not the crappy Christian Bale one, but the cool Adam West one. |
I don't understand the weather here. Walking around early in the city, it was literally freezing, around 0 degrees. It warmed up to about 15 by noon or so, feeling like a nice Toronto fall day and at 11 PM tonight, I was walking around in just a light spring jacket and a hoodie and t-shirt.
I'm getting into the habit of saying hi to people on the street, since it seems people do that here. A woman working for the city cleaning the streets, early in the morning, asked if I was visiting. I thought maybe she was trying to mug me because she stepped closer to me and started giving me sightseeing advice. She suggested a nice place I could take some photos from, and when I walked there, it ended up being the exact same pedestrian bridge I went to last night.
I didn't want to disappoint this woman for some reason, this woman whom I will never see or talk to again, so I took this shot from the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge.
 |
| Even in full light of day, I, Batman, watch over this city.... |
Nashville also has a full-scale (I think) duplicate of the Parthenon, except Nashville's isn't in ruins. I had a free ticket and went. It's an art museum. Isn't duplicating other cities' landmarks more of a Vegas thing? I was ready to scoff but the art was actually not bad.
 |
| Parthenon, modelled after the one in Athens. Apparently, Nashville is the Athens of the south, but you would think Athens, Georgia is, more literally, the Athens of the south. Hm. |
Then, the second floor of the Parthenon surprised me, because it had this:
 |
Statue of Athena, 2nd floor of the Parthenon.
|
I'm sure the statue of Athena was mentioned in my research somewhere, but I had never seen a picture or really remember hearing about it. It took my breath away. It's 42 feet tall (see the people standing there for comparison).
 |
| Statue of Athena from the back. |
I was ready to mock that Parthenon, but I ended up being pretty impressed.
 |
| Even in midday, I guard the city from its dark impulses. I am the Batman..... |
I was told to check out the bathroom at the Hermitage. Was it worth a two minute trip? Sure, since I needed to use the facilities anyway....
 |
| Sign on the men's restroom at the Hermitage Hotel, Nashville. |
 |
| Men's restroom, Hermitage Hotel. Reminds me of "The Shining." I might need to start being able to refer to more than one movie.... |
I went to Broadway for the Golden Hour today--probably last time I'll intentionally try to get photos at that hour in the city, just due to things I've scheduled. Lots of shots; here are samples:
 |
| As night begins to fall, I sense the city's sprit growing restless, for I am Batman. |
 |
| Broadway. The tower is Bridgestone Arena. |
 |
| Jack's Bar-b-que sign. Those pigs are flying...right into my tummy. |
In case you're wondering what I had for dinner, it was the combo at Jack's, a selection of three meats and two sides. I chose ribs, brisket and turkey; coleslaw and baked apples for the sides. I was asked in Texas if I wanted water or "sweet tea" to drink. So, I finally ordered "sweet tea" just to see what it was tonight. It's iced tea, maybe sweeter. A bit of a disappointment.
Went to three or four honky tonks after attending the Opry tonight. What's a honky tonk? Evidently, a bar that looks really dive-y and has live music. The kids here actually dance to the band. And not what passes for dancing back home but his hand around her waist and twirling her type dancing. A spontaneous line dance was also attempted, but it was just two women. The bands also play for tips along the bars on Broadway--they say that's how they get paid. So they take requests, especially if you tip well.
Musicians I've heard so far are pretty incredible. Walking along Broadway, I could hear all the different musicians playing in the different bars and it's like flipping through radio stations. At Layla's tonight, the band had a female lead singer, 30-ish, bottle blonde--you know, very country. But her Mom was the lead guitarist and in at least her 50s or 60s! When I was there the kids went wild when the band did some Patsy Cline ("Walking After Midnight") and Kenny and Dolly ("Islands in the Stream") but the band also did a mean Guns n' Roses ("Sweet Child O' Mine"). The singer's mother didn't exactly duplicate Slash's solo, but it was way past decent.
I think someone tipped them to play the Heart song, "All I Wanna Do." (I only assume it was a lot of money and that specific song because why would you play *that* *particular* song by Heart otherwise?). The singer didn't really know the song, but I was standing close enough to the stage that I could hear their discussion before playing it, the guitarist talking chord progressions and the basic structure of the song (she called it "a Nashville rehearsal") and the drummer telling the singer that he, the guitarist/Mom and the bass player would help her through it.
Hearing the process of them putting it together was fascinating, as was being able to hear the musicians yell out things to each other as they performed the song, like the drummer yelling out the break in the song was coming up and all of them watching him as they took their cue. Cool.
 |
| Stage at Layla's....just to get an idea of what it looks like. |
 |
| Night has returned to the city. And I, its faithful guardian, am in my element once more. I'm Batman. |
