Day 17 – Darwin to Nashville

Monday 8th. July 2013 Memphis to Nashville I get up craving fruit which I have not spotted for days and days, so walk over the road to a deli in the Peabody – just sweet cakes and coffee… wander in to the posh restaurant across the hall and enjoy some fresh fruit, berries and yoghurt,…

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Day 16 – Darwin to Nashville

Sunday 7th. July 2013 I get up at 5 to catch the Greyhound to Memphis. The ATM is broken and I’m out of cash, so no breakfast. Boarding the bus involves confirming that my internet purchased ticket is hunky-dory then, as I have arrived an hour before departure as requested, I need to just sit…

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Day 15 – Darwin to Nashville

Saturday 6th. July 2013 Breakfast at Frothy Monkey with Ray. We then head out to his studio aptly named Room & Board. I’m given a look at the facilities, play him some rough versions of songs I can almost remember and try a couple of his guitars. I’ve only been back on the horse for…

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Day 14 – Darwin to Nashville

Friday 5th. July 2013 Actually managed to get a decent sleep in and went to breakfast at Nashville Biscuit House. There was a queue. Had a regular B&E with the biscuits and gravy on the side. The gravy is like creamy potato-mush with pepper, and the biscuit is what Australians call a scone. Didn’t go…

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Day 13 – Darwin to Nashville

Thursday 4th. July 2013 Paul dropped me off at East Park for the Hot Chicken Festival. On the way we checked out the house were Jesse James hid for months. Caught the Shelby Bottom String Band who were whippin’ up a bluegrass sound to my delight. It was raining mildly but the attendance was good…

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Day 12 – Darwin to Nashville

Wednesday 3rd. July 2013 Breakfast at a coffee house just around the corner. Plane to Nashville. Feeling like I’m not ready to leave this great town. Fluked the extra leg room plus my guitar as carry on! Back in Gartland Street, Nashville I caught up with hosts Paul – and Janet who is looking well…

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Day 11 – Darwin to Nashville

Tuesday 2nd. July 2013 Breakfast at Envie again. Did some playing and French Market souvenir shopping. Mikey & Gretta did the Air Boat swamp tour and looked at alligators. Gretta crook. Met Mikey for a cab ride uptown to the Maple Leaf for more second line stuff. Met Australian girls Alanna and Talya. Had a…

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Day 10 – Darwin to Nashville

Monday 1st. July 2013 Breakfast at Envie with hangy. Met Mikey and Gretta at the French Markets for extensive but lazy wandering and shopping. Absinthe Bar for beer and heard a student brass band rehearsing up the lane. Home for a shower and cat nap which didn’t happen. Chatted with Brandon and played his $300…

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Day 9 – Darwin to Nashville

Sunday 30th. June 2013 This could possibly be the peak day in the arc of gigs and drinking on this trip. Brunch at Buffa’s. Brandon (my host) plays upright in Some Like It Hot. Great trad with a Bloody Mary and a standard B&E. The Bloody Mary has the usual plus olives, beans, pickled ochra…

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Day 8 – Darwin to Nashville

Saturday 29th. June 2013 I used the word “burnout” in the last blog and some of you expressed concern. I’m grateful for your words of encouragement and have decided that a more accurate description is “inspirational sabbatical”, although that verges on tautology. Taut spotting is one of my favourite past-times. The most common one I…

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