We were so close to Nashville that we just had to go.
I know we don’t generally venture into city centres….but this was Nashville. The bourbon search was uninspiring as, again, most of the distilleries were moonshine…..or just not that appealing. Yes, I know….Jack Daniels is there…..but we had already decided that we were not there to do any of the big name brands.
Instead we opted to find a cute little breakfast spot…and wander around Music Square….
….wandering past Sony Publishing…
….Carnival music…
..and across the street from it……the original RCA Studio…..
….and just some interesting buildings and architecture…
On Sunday evening we took a trip in to check out Broadway in Nashville anticipating it being a little less crazy on a Sunday.
This town is craaaaazy….and loud….every bar on the strip (and pretty much every building is a bar) all windows and doors open and live music playing from every single one.
We stopped at Roberts...based on a recommendation from a friend…..had a beer, some snacks ….and listened to some pretty good music…
On the walk back to the car (wishing I’d put on my cowboy boots …. absolutely everyone on the street was wearing cowboy boots…!!!) we passed the Johnny Cash Museum…..
….and detoured off across the Shelby street footbridge…..
…..just at the right time to catch some filming for Nashville 911…a scene where an Airstream trailer had been lodged on a road bridge by a tornado……seemed oddly appropriate….!!!( not the tornado part…!!)
The Hermitage.
We found a little special ‘off the beaten track’ thing in the form of Andrew Jacksons Hermitage. Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States…and by all accounts a very interesting man.
” I was born for a storm and a calm does not suit me.’
He was a complicated man…the first self made (common man) to rise to the office of president….he was the only US president to pay off the national debt. He was also credited with creating the foundation of what would become the Democratic party………but he was also a slave owner….and the president responsible for the ‘Trail of Tears’ and displacing thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral land. He also believed the only way to avoid the inevitable slide into corruption of politicians was term limits.
Its always difficult to truly judge the character of historical figures…there are so many factors involved in their actions which are so different to the values we hold in present times. So perhaps best to describe him as fierce…and influential.
The Hermitage itself is another facility run by a group of ‘friends’. They protect its architecture and history for good, for bad and the future.
The original floor coverings, fancy wallpaper and furniture all intact.
The tour we booked allowed us onto the balcony.
…and also afforded us the privilege of taking pictures inside the house.
Alfred’s house is a real window into a life being ‘owned’.
Alfred was born a slave on Jacksons estate…..and was one of the few who stayed after becoming officially freed by emancipation. He led tours of the property once it was opened to the public, living his life in this very small cottage…and was buried in the gardens after his death.
The gardens were created by Jacksons wife , Rachel. (hers is a tragic story). The mausoleum Jackson built for her, and eventually himself, is central in the garden…the place she loved most.
The tour guide we had, Brian…..was excellent….knowledgeable, and patient. The group had many questions and he had a wealth of information to give.
The answer he gave us to the question ‘Was Andrew Jackson a good slave owner?”…was really the only answer possible…..”There is no such thing as a good slave owner”
The Hermitage is a lovely, but sobering place to visit. But it is important to acknowledge the reality of history….whether we like it….or not.
Extra Pix
OsteoPraxis on the road 