Mon 14th: Time for some exploration of Cape Cod today, and I have to report it will be the first and last visit. The scenic highway down from Hyannis to Provincetown, could not have been more different than imagined. It was claustrophobic and monotonous, tall trees and vegetation virtually all the way. Until you reach the tip of Cape Cod there is virtually no view of beaches or sea, and the chances of finding somewhere to park if you did find a beach were very limited. You could take a cynical view and say that this is what the locals intend. Parking, where you could find some, was a fixed fee of up to $15.

We did manage to find the downtown part of Provincetown, and even managed to park for $6, which was good as we stayed less than an hour. The season is ending, many places were shut, but as the weather was so good there were still quite a few tourists about. What we hadn't realised is that Provincetown is the gay capital of Mass, maybe even the US for all I know. I haven't experienced anywhere, where there have been so many GLBTs, or where the GLBTs have so openly paraded themselves, I've obviously led a very sheltered life. We probably didn't do the place justice, but it didn't leave a pull to return any time soon.

So after the call of "I'm Straight, Get Me Outta Here", we meandered on, tried to find Dennis, and failed, or at least imagined it completely differently from what it turned out to be. Our last shot at finding somewhere decent to have a last lunch, was to return to Plymouth, where we had visited yesterday.

Our great friend SATNAV guided us faultlessly to Logan International, and I'm here typing the last page of our travelogue. It has been an amazing trip, so many highlights and memories to cherish, as well as friendships cemented for the future. Things that stand out aside the hospitality we have been shown, were being guests of honour at the Simon Family party, our first game of American football in Miami, seeing Wicked on Broadway, visiting Sun & Stax studios in Memphis, waking up to the view over Central Park in New York, eating lobster, mussels and clam chowder at the same lunch in Boston, having just wanted a snack, and taking the COG railway to the top of Mount Washington. My best meal was at the Bistro Cassis in New York, and the most comfortable bed was, well I'll keep that one to myself!

One or two errors of judgement were our hotel location in Memphis, eating at the pretentious Ruth & Chris's, and our expectations of Cape Cod. The Constitution Inn in Boston was unexpectedly a YMCA hostel, and one big disappointment was the Shutdown of the US Government. 

Time to digest an amazing trip, and just what we have done:-

- driven down through the keys to Key West
- visited the Little White House
- visited Ernest Hemingway's house
- sunset cruise off Key West
- air boat ride at Sawgrass
- grand tour of Bud & Dava's retirement estate
- visited Worth Avenue, Palm Beach
- morning stroll around Wakodahatchee wetland
- visited Loxahatchee wild life park
- visited Atlantic Boulevard, Del Ray Beach
- invited to The Simon family party
- tailgating BBQ lunch
- watch Dolphins v Atlanta Falcons
- visit to Kissimmee & Give Kids the World
- tour round Daytona Speedway
- visit St. Augustine
- town & boat tour of Savannah
- drive 500 miles to Nashville
- visit Gaylord Opryland (new Grand Old Opry)
- visit Broadway bars & honky tonks
- visit Ryman Auditorium (original Grand Old Opry)
- visit Country Music Hall of Fame
- dine with strangers, Fritz & Karen (David Soul)
- Lionel Ritchie concert
- cheapest & most expensive meals today, Dairy Maid ($10) & Ruth & Chris's ($160)
- visit Sun Studios
- visit Rock 'n' Soul museum
- lunch on Beale Street (Pig on Beale)
- only visit to gym
- visit Graceland
- visit Stax Soulsville museum
- Duchess sings to us on tour bus
- visit Civil Rights museum
- fly to New York
- New York hot-dogs at Greys Papaya
- Ground Zero tour
- best meal of trip at Bistro Cassis
- visit Lincoln centre
- boat tour round Manhattan
- pre-show meal at Sardi's
- see Wicked on Broadway
- fly to Boston (Ken & Devin)
- tour of Cambridge
- visit Lexington & Concord
- lobster, mussels & clams plus at Legal Seafood luncheon
- treat Ted & Marilyn at Acquitaine
- Ted signs up for Ride London 2014
- visit Harvard Natural History museum
- town tour of Boston
- stay at YMCA
- Boston harbour cruise
- breakfast at MGH (hospital canteen)
- walk most of Freedom Trail
- only jog of the trip
- visit Salem Witch museum
- meet Dave & Jackie, Salem Lions
- Portland harbour cruise
- drive through White Mountains
- lost credit card
- rode Mount Washington COG railway
- first (& last) Subway food
- meet Chris & Sally, Honda Gold Wing riders
- meet with Kate & David Wynton for a meal in Northampton
- visit Rutland, Vermont
- visit Plymouth & Pilgrims museum

Sun 13th: This is the last full day of our fantastic US & Them trip, and boy were we glad to get away from last night's accommodation, very noisy neighbours, with very loud voices, amplified by very thin walls. Our plan is to visit Plymouth and so we meander down the scenic by-ways, stop for a coffee and blueberry muffin in Woodstock, no not that Woodstock, but like a lot of wheat based food lately it repeats regularly for the next few hours.

Now, point of philosophy, I have been suffering this trip with heart burn and dyspepsia,  or top end wind, an unfortunate bodily function, but nonetheless involuntary. A sneeze is also involuntary, and also a noisy bodily function, and is responded to with "Bless You" by friends and strangers alike. A belch however, is frowned upon as rude and distasteful, unless you are in Turkey. Now I am beginning to find this a paradox, can anyone explain it to me please; why are my unfortunate loud(ish) belches received with such displeasure, after all no germs are being propelled toward anyone, as they would be with a sneeze, a plague upon your houses!

Our meander continues through to Plymouth, and down to the beach front. We spy the replica Mayflower, or Mayflower II, built in England in 1955 and sailed over to Plymouth Ma as a museum. We also spy Plymouth Rock, reputedly the rock upon which the Pilgrims trod as they stepped ashore in December 1620. It was not recognised as such until 1741, and has been dropped twice since due to attempts to move it to a more appropriate locations for the influx of tourists. The front is slightly tacky, but we find the Pilgrims Hall Museum and spend a very informative hour learning about the birth of a nation, well worth the $15 for both of us.

The experience of the Pilgrims and the native Wampanoags should serve as a lesson for all time about intolerance, mistrust and war. King Philip's War occurred some 60/70 years after 1620, and after William Bradford, the leader of the Pilgrims and Samoset, the leader of the Wampanoags both died. They had cooperated successfully for 50 years, sharing resources and land, but after they died the Pilgrims got possessive over land sharing, and treated Samoset's son very badly, and he died in custody. King Philip, a brother of badly treated son took issue and the ensuing year's war destroyed most of what both the colonists and the Indians had built up over the previous half century, the biggest casualty being the trust between the colonists and the native Indians...........
........and it goes on. Examples of the trust and tolerance shown by different cultures and different leaders are too few and far between, here endeth today's lesson, amen.

Meander continues, and we look in on Barnstaple, as we are considering a 4 hour whale watching cruise leaving at 8am tomorrow morning!! Either we missed the centre of Barnstaple or it very small, but we do pass the Whale Watcher, and decide we must be losing it a bit, 8am, last day, could be cold, and we've seen whales up close before in Alaska, perhaps we'll just drive to the very tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown, it's only 80 miles round trip, and paddle in the sea at the very tip, or more likely have an ice cream instead. We need to be back at Logan by 4.30pm, so we have plenty of time.

Dinner at The Olive Branch, an Italian restaurant next to our hotel is unexpectedly good, and we have fun with the waitress, she's going straight home to watch Lorna's Leap. Dinner is also fun as we conject about a black couple sitting close by, she has a face on that says, "I don't believe a word you say, you lying bastard". Now matter how hard he he tries to weasle his way back into her good books, her face says, only time will heal, and in the mean time you're going to suffer, mark my words.

We speak the same language, well nearly, but visit a restaurant and we are poles apart. The way we use our knife & fork is different,

Navigation has been quite surreal, after Middlesborough is just down the road from Swansea, Barnstaple's just over the road from Chatham, it's as if someone, a Pilgrim maybe, took all the place names in England, threw them up in the air, and this is where they all landed.

Spend today: Pilgrims Museum (card); dinner (card)

Sat 12th: Well we're nearing the end of our travels, which feels strange as we still have friends to meet today, Kate & David, from the same cruise we met Judy on. We are meeting them in Northampton and have a good way to drive, and we will even have to forego a visit to the famous Ben & Jerry's ice-cream factory in Montpelier, the capital of Vermont, just up the road, shame!

Only an hour into the day and we've discussed guinea pigs and gay marriage, and with the same ladies. A guinea pig is a guest at breakfast, a travelling pet of three Asian young people. An inquisitive American lady comments and wishes it "Bon Appetit", what's that about. Returning to our room we find they are staying in the room next to us; within a couple of minutes of polite conversation they reveal that they have come to Vermont to get married, having been partners for 25 years, but live in Michigan, one of the 37 unenlightened states. It appears Vermont is a pretty liberal place, confirmed later during conversation over lunch in Rutland. Next door New Hampshire, however, is just the opposite, albeit still a little bit to the left of Texas. Not one eyelid is batted by either of us, and Lorna congratulates them and we get on with our day, hey ho!

We say goodbye to Chris, and get a snap of him on his Gold Wing, Sally doesn't make an appearance, and we ask Chris to pass on our felicitations. We're on the road by 9.40, and headed for Rutland. It is a gorgeous day, sunny and warm, but we heading into the sun, and so do not get the full benefit of the stunning scenery as we head south through Vermont. We pass through some picture postcard little towns, Rochester is but one, but we do stop on the green and snap a few pictures. We are now in the Green Mountains, and the scenery continues to wow, even if the deep reds of the maple trees has passed. There are still many shades of yellow, and green of course, and this continues right into Rutland, where we stop to announce our arrival!

We lunch at a largish art fayre, and chat to the locals, Rutland is famous for chocolate, and when asked what else, the response is drugs and crime, a little unexpected. The lady explains that Vermont is too soft on the African American gangs that have moved in over the last five years or so. The area feels very white, and it is, around 95%, but it is changing fast with both black and Hispanic people moving away from the cities. Not many of those we mention we are from Rutland UK, have heard of Rutland UK, and are somewhat underwhelmed that we have come so far to attend their art fayre. Well we are underwhelmed with Rutland Vermont, so there! Lorna had hoped it would be a pretty little town like Rochester, but it is much larger, and more sprawling, although we didn't really do it justice, some other time, maybe!

We outthink the SATNAV lady, and arrive in Northampton a minute early for our dinner date with Kate & David. Their company is good, but the restaurant is very noisy, and the food is forgettable, however it is always good to catch up with travelling companions. David has battled through some difficult health problems in the four years since we met, but he is positive and seems to have weathered the undoubted fear very well. They are off to their winter home in Florida, just south of Tampa, in a couple of weeks time. With his Scottish heritage, David is ambivalent about Scottish independence; I tell him that my head says no, but my heart says "on yer bike". We split the bill and we're on our way, a short hop down to West Springfield, and a Hampton Inn.

Spend today: hotel (card); dinner (card)

Fri 11th: The least comfortable night's sleep of the trip, I mean we have to share the same bed, and it's small and the mattress creaks every time one of us moves, and it sinks in toward the middle, but we survive the night.

A wholesome breakfast over the road and we're on our way, but not before a visit to the local "drive-through" ATM. I feel sort of strange as I'm without car, and after my request for $500 is rejected I try again and get out $400. After that we're on our way, and it's not until we try to pay for our tickets on the Mount Washington COG railway that I realise I no longer have my credit card. I don't recall putting it back in my wallet at the ATM, I remember being  more pre-occupied about the wad of $20 bills.

Someone will have handed it in, it's an honest sort of place, we hope. The people at the bank are extremely helpful, but no card has been handed in. Cheryl, a bank official, explains that it is unlikely that anyone has taken the card, more likely that the card has been captured by the machine, and it is not under their control and will not be emptied until next Tuesday. They are unable to offer us an outside line to contact Post Office; we leave our contact details if any news is forthcoming. So, next port of call is the hotel we stayed at last night, and the lady receptionist who was so helpful last night lets us call for free and then decides we need a big hug, and very nearly takes the breath out of both of us. We managed to cancel my card, but leave Lorna's operational, so we can still get the benefit. Lorna is glad it wasn't her that lost the card.

In between we pick a perfect weather day to ride to the top of Mount Washington, it's warm in the sun, and the wind is light. When I realise I've lost my credit card, I've already been asked if we are ready to go in three minutes, which sort of focussed the mind, go back or get on with the day. So we get on with the day. The trip to the top takes 45 minutes at 6mph max, and at angles of up to 30 degrees, a serious gradient.

A stroll round the top, snap Lorna's amazing climb, she borrows a walking pole off a young couple who really have walked the five miles to the top for her picture, and everyone has a good laugh. It's 6,288 feet high, so a good walk from the base at 2,300. Our brakeman says he can't remember a better day this late in the year, and it makes up for the fact that we've missed peak leaf-peeping. I think to do justice to this beautiful area, and beautiful time of year at least two weeks is needed, and at least two nights in certain locations.

After a crap Subway bite for lunch we travel west to Stowe and dine with a couple from Northampton, the one down in Massachusetts, not our arch-rivals from home. They are travelling up to see his folks in Canada on their brand new Honda Silver Wing. Chris gets more garrulous as the evening wears on, and is regularly admonished by Sally, "you're not going to have another one are you?", and of course we already know the answer to that.

We check and find that Tigers have lost 22-16, away to Ulster, but a losing bonus point away in the HC is valuable and so we hope for better things come next weekend.

Spend today: cash withdrawal (card); COG railway (card)

Thurs 10th: Our first chilly morning, but Lorna is dressed as usual, sleeveless blouse, she gets some looks from the tour party ladies at our hotel, a bit like a December day around the Forbidden City in Beijing.

We amble (in the car) down to downtown Portland, and it seems like an OK sort of place on a morning that is warming nicely, however what it would be like with a howling gale and horizontal rain/snow I hate to think. The boat tour of five lighthouses is booked and we stroll off to find............Starbucks, and laze in the warm sunshine until it's time to board. I watch amused as Lorna tries to refit the plastic lid to her now empty coffee cup; the round plastic top just won't seem to fit on the squeezed cup, and after several minutes I refit the top in seconds, laughing. It's entirely logical, the top is round, so the cup, which started round, needs not to be squeezed. Before rage sets in I explain it's not about right and wrong, just left and right, brains that is. We agree that we are wired differently; Lorna says that she has all the addresses, and I reply that, that may be so, but left to her own devices she'd never find any of them, and she'd drive round in circles all day.......that is of course before SATNAV, and then I'm redundant. We have a real laugh, didn't even need to get Critt out.

A friendly group assemble, and the family from Dallas have three/four layers, scarves & gloves, Lorna thinks a thin cardigan, open-neck of course, will be just fine. I do like these large harbours with their many islands, and this harbour reminds us of The Bay of Islands in NZ, albeit somewhat cooler. One island in particular takes our interest, Peak's Island, it has one store, with the motto "If we ain't got it, you don't need it!", I like that! We snap away at the famous Portland Head Lighthouse, and as ever only an opportunistic photographer you wonder what you could achieve with a beautiful sunset. Portland has a cruise ship in today, from the up-market Regent fleet. Maybe we should consider a New England cruise, there's certainly some beautiful ports of call we haven't been to yet.

We pay an exorbitant $20 for the parking, but are bouyed by the fact that I have just got the iPod working through the car radio, and we can listen to some decent music as we drive. We skip lunch and head inland; the first port of call is Naples, on a large lake. Underwhelmed we move on and there's nothing much to stop at until we get onto the Kamcamagus Highway. The drive up was very colourful, but things start improving even more when we get onto the scenic highway. We pull over several times at scenic viewpoints, and take some shots, but by now the sun is a little hazy and beginning to lower, should have been here 90 minutes earlier I think, it's always in the timing.

Tonight's accommodation is for all intents a timeshare, The Lodge at Lincoln. Lincoln is up in the White Mountains, and is a largish number of condominiums on three floors. Dinner is at Gordi's, or Gordon Eaton, an Olympic skier back in the 1960s

Spend today: hotel bill extras (card); lighthouse tour (card); petrol (card); dinner (card)

Wed 9th: Quite a night, babies screaming, shouting, doors banging, television on loudly until nearly 5am, I will have to have a word with Lorna, or Critt, perhaps he can sort these things out. We had seen a lady enter the room next door to us last night, and almost certainly not a tourist, Lorna thinks maybe a short term respite case, we're not sure. We believed that a lower floor was where women sheltering were roomed, but maybe our floor was also used last night. It's not a big problem, but it would have been good if our New England tour company had explained what The Constitution Inn was all about beforehand, where might we be staying tonight?

Well we need not have worried, it's a Best Western, and we arrive after dark, having had a slow start, and an off-the-I-95 journey up to South Portland, Maine. It's a beautiful morning to walk downtown and pick up the car, it takes me 30 minutes and that was the easy part. The Alamo office is packed and each client takes at least 5 minutes to service, some even more, and it's a further 30 minutes before a find a Toyota Camry waiting for me; the car rental people would do well to learn from the airlines with on-line check-ins, and bag drops. Anyway we should have taken this the offered car in Miami because both big cases fit the trunk, perfick, and we would have avoided a $240 upgrade!!!

In the mean time Lorna has googled Dennis McLaughlin, benefactor of the Constitution Inn, and it explains that the hotel provides help for people with substance abuse; we think that many of the people working at the hotel are people recovering and getting back into working life.

Our initial destination is Salem, seemingly the Witch capital of the world. October is halloween month, and everywhere is decorated with all manner of ghouls and pumpkins. One fantastic display of ghostly gore is set up by the Salem Lions, and they invite the public to make a donation; only pictures can do justice to the truly gory scenes arranged in their front yard. Overall they will make several hundred dollars. Turns out the florist next door is home to Dave & Jackie, formerly (35 years) of Hong Kong. They have both kept Salem Lions going over the years and I leave details and our web address.

After lunch we find our way to the Salem Witch Museum, which is well done with various scenes set up accompanied by a scary narrative. It's amazing, the witch hysteria and subsequent trials lasted less than a year between 1692 & 1693, over 300 years ago, but they define Salem, and Salem is known widely for no other reason. As they point out the witch hunts in Europe went on for much longer, and hundreds of thousands of people were drowned, or burnt at the stake, but to no avail. Salem's witches, 19 of them, were hanged, and one man was crushed to death under heavy stones. We just need to find something from the past of Oakham, and we can redefine the place.

90 minutes very pleasant driving takes us through a progression of well know places, Ipswich, Gloucester, Salisbury, Malden, and then finally onto the Turnpike before a 7pm arrival.

Spend today: petrol (card); Salem Witch Museum (card)

Tues 8th: A beautiful sunny day, but much fresher, and we're not sure we've got enough layers, Lorna one with no sleeves, me two, and the outer one is fleecy! Back onto the tour bus and another trip round town and off for our included 45 minute harbour cruise, but not before Lorna trips and goes headlong; just a few grazes and we carry on, but she can so easily trip.

Breakfast this morning was next door at an MGH building, or Massachusetts General Hospital, in their canteen. his is a difference in America it seems, if you want to pay for something, then it doesn't matter what the organisation is they are quite happy to take your money. It would be a bit like the canteen at Pedigree being quite happy to feed the good citizens of Melton Mowbray at subsidised rates, but then maybe MGH's canteen is not subsidised.

I think we've got the idea now, Boston was the first British colony in the US, and they loved their freedom from the oppressive crown very much, so much that they objected to paying taxes so that England could service its debts. Well nothing much has changed has it, only we have a vote, and they didn't, and that's what upset them so much; No Taxes without Representation became the battle cry.

There were a few key players, Paul Revere, a bell maker and model citizen, and his famous midnight ride to Lexington & Concord, Samuel Adams, a rebel rouser, and brewer, the famous local brew is a Sam Adams. George Washington of course was the general of the colonial troops, and after independence on 4th July 1776, became the first President of the America. Boston also became home to many Irish after they were driven out of Ireland between 1840 & 1845 due to the potato famine; a large proportion of the politicians in Boston today have Irish ancestry. Other famous residents have been JFK, who proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier at the Omni Parker hotel in town, and more recently John Kerry had a simple little property in the Beacon Hill district. 

An excellent lunch, and Critt embarrasses himself on his first outing. Marilyn asked that we adopt Critt to help during those critical moments when words are exchanged; Critt helps to de-personalise the situation, and lower the tension. Today unfortunately Critt discovers beer and the vapour is enough for him to fall headlong into my glass of Kentucky Bourbon beer (8.25%) so more whiskey than beer it seems, and so I'm not sure Critt is really up to it. After lunch we pick up The Freedom Trail and follow it to it's beginning/end on Boston Common. Well enough of the history.

I see so many people out running, and enjoying the area around Charlestown that I don my gym gear and trainers and get amongst them. Twenty minutes later I'm back, they just make it look so easy and comfortable, maybe they're properly hydrated because I'm certainly not.

Now a little about the hotel we're staying at. As mentioned before it is connected to the YMCA, well it seems the YMCA 

Spend today: lunch (card); dinner at Bistro (card)

Mon 7th: Our last day with friends, and it feels like we've known Ted & Marilyn for a long time, especially as they will now be planning their trip to the UK next summer. I call Alamo and delay collection of our rental car, as it will be of no use in downtown Boston, and will in fact cost us money to park it.

Our touring with Ted & Marilyn is not complete however without the planned trip to Harvard, which we do for the morning. A visit to the Harvard National History Museum is an unexpected WOW, as we see an archive of "glass flowers" created in the late 1800s by a German family.......... They signed a contract to provide Harvard with an archive of 400 flowers and completed most of the work in five years, it is astounding. The quality of the work belies the simplicity of the tools that were at their disposal in Dresden in 18..., it is impossible to tell between these glass flowers and the real thing that might have been picked this morning, they have to be seen to be believed.

So just where will the people end up that graduate from Harvard Law School end up, I ask Ted; well Barack Obama was here in the 1980s, and look where he got to was the reply. We also see the statue of John Harvard, or so we think, until it is explained that the famous statue is also known as the Statue of Three Lies. John Harvard was not the founder of Harvard, he was in fact a benefactor, the statue is not of him, but a student that posed as him with the sculptor, and the year is incorrect. So just how many tourists will pick that out without a prompt from their guide.

A further stroll takes us through Harvard Yard, pronounced as if you were a Scouser, to the square containing the Harvard library, the second largest library in the US, and also where the famous graduation ceremony takes place every year; apparently it is always in the open air as it never rains on Graduation Day. A final coffee at Peets Coffee Shop and we say our farewells after which Ted transfers us down to The Constitution Inn, and we are not sure whether it is a YMCA hostel, or just a hotel, time will tell.

It turns out that the hotel is run by the YMCA as a non-profit-making organisation to help young men and women get back on their feet, especially those returning from the military after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. It later transpires that it is also shelter for women in trouble. Lorna meets a lady in the laundry, now there's something new Dava, and she explains that she is staying here in respite and that they are allowed to stay here for two years, sometimes longer. They also run a gym which is the busiest I have seen, there must haver been in excess of 40 people last night, very popular.

We hop on a town tour with tickets for today and tomorrow; this includes a harbour tour, so we'll develop our knowledge of the former British colony before moving on. I leave Lorna to return to the hotel whilst I follow the Freedom Trail up to Breed's Hill where the bloodiest of the Independence War battles, was fought; perversely it was called the Battle of Bunker Hill. The small museum adjacent to the large monument is closed due to the Government Shutdown. After an hour of watching CNN on my return, my ears start to bleed as presenters, pundits and politicians from both sides bicker constantly, talk one another down, and generally behave like unsupervised children in a playground; there is  no end in sight, and it's affecting the little people, tourists included.

Dinner at Bistro, just down the road from the hotel is average, but saves a trip downtown.

Spend today: Coffee (card); town tour (card); dinner (card)

Sun 6th: Foul weather day in Cambridge and Boston; Ted and Marilyn run us out to Lexington & Concord and we both have to admit to being ashamed at our lack of historical knowledge, and in particular the American War of Independence. It is alleged that the first shot of the eight year war was fired on the common at Lexington, or it may have been on the North Bridge in Concord on April 19th 1775; the British Redcoats were faced down by 3,500 Minutemen, or colonial Patriots before the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.

We are disappointed that quite a few of the federal locations of interest are closed or unmanned due to the government shutdown; Marilyn thinks that all the congressmen and senators should at least forfeit their pay for the duration of the shutdown, we concur.

We can see that the colours are well into their autumnal turn and although the light is very flat a few reasonable shots are taken. We return to downtown Boston for lunch at an excellent but crowded seafood restaurant. Our "snack" comprises clam chowder, moules mariniere, lobster claws and some oysters. Remembering Dublin I avoid the oysters, but the rest slides down  agreeably, and OMG we've still to take Ted & Marilyn out this evening, will an appetite return in time.

Well shouldn't have worried, and after significant research we settle on a French restaurant, Acquitaine. The menu is excellent, and after some discussion about the pros and cons of the menu, I am reminded just how knowledgeable most of the waiters we have come across are. We have a bit of fun with him, complaining that the dessert menu appears to be missing "Spotted Dick". He hasn't heard of it, but keeps his response very professional, enquiring exactly what spotted dick might be, and whether is it a seasonal delicacy!!

It seems Ted really is up for the 2014 Prudential Ride London, and we start to talk about a visit to England, Rutland and London for the ride. Ted shows me his bike, just a few ounces of carbon fibre machinery, a snip at $4,500, so I know what I want for Christmas, Lorna. Ted seems OK with registering for a Make-a-Wish place, to ensure we ride with matching cycle gear.

Earlier in the day we had called into The Constitution Inn to pick up our New England itinerary, and I now have a picture in my head of the route we will take onward from Boston. Once again we have been royally looked after by our American hosts, and feel very privileged to have made such good friends.

Spend today: Lorna's watch (card); dinner (card)

Sat 5th: Breakfast with Judy and we say a sad farewell after a very busy few days in New York, thank you Judy for your wonderful hospitality, we really enjoyed it.

We chat with Mekhail, our Egyptian driver on the way back to La Guardia, explaining that it's better to calculate cost per mile rather than cost of gas, and he says that's the first time anyone had explained, he'd always thought it was so much cheaper to drive in the US.

The flight to Boston is memorable in that there are only eleven passengers and we get personal service from Ken & Devin the flight attendants, we have a good laugh. Ted is waiting to meet us at Boston, and we drive out to Cambridge, a charming town adjacent to Boston. It's great to meet up again and we sit for most of the afternoon swapping anecdotes and stories about our respective travels, and the state of our governments.

Ted and Marilyn comment that they have been waiting to repay us for the meal in Victoria Falls, and we don't comprehend, but remember that we had tried to hook up with them for a dinner cruise when we were there last year, but it didn't happen. We'd ended up with a boring Australian couple on a completely forgettable cruise on a dark Zambesi river. We have a quick tour round Cambridge which is famous for many things, but primarily that it hosts MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Harvard.

The evening ends with a review of our respective photography exploits, and they are very complementary about our restoration and montage showcase.

Spend today: car to La Guardia (cash)

Fri 4th: It's 24/7 in NYC, and that's just us, or so it seems, not a minute to spare. A full island boat tour this morning, which is most enjoyable, and takes just under three hours. We take the metro down to 42nd Street and walk down to the Circle Line port on 11th & the Hudson River. It's a big boat and full of camera toting tourists, everything from the first digital camera, to a Chinese guy with a Canon 5D Mk. III, but the commentator continues to encourage people to sit down, and stand only to take their shots, and it works well I have to say, there's no visible camera rage.

The most photogenic spots are the Statue of Liberty, and across the water, the new Liberty tower, which now commands the southern end of Manhattan Island. I hadn't appreciated just how many bridges there are between Manhattan and the mainland. The obvious ones, the BMW, Brooklyn, Manhattan & Williamsburg, but many smaller, lower ones at the northern end of the island, and then the George Washington bridge across to New Jersey.

I ask Judy if there is still a paranoia in Manhattan regarding terrorism...most definitely yes is the response. Judy along with many other citizens of Manhattan have a bag packed ready to evacuate at a minutes notice. The bag containing all necessary items including passport, social security papers etc. Judy is very pleased there are so  many smaller bridges over the northern end of the island, as they are mostly deemed not to be terrorist targets.

Lunch and then an afternoon relaxing before setting off for our pre-show meal at Sardis, close to Broadway. Sardi's restaurant started in 1927, moving to its current location in 1947. It is famous for the many caricatures of actors and actresses around the walls, as well as a few Mayors of NYC; it's also the place where the Tony (theatre) Awards were first conceived. The place is packed and the food is good, but not quite as good as last night's. The Broadway area is heaving as we make our way to the Gershwin Theatre to see Wicked.

Not sure this was intended to be one of my highlights, but I am blown away. The story/musical is loosely based on The Wizard of Oz, but it's pretty current, very witty, highly professional and the stage production is absolutely magnificent, I enjoy it very much. The theatre is fairly new and enormous, perhaps holding between 1,500 & 2,000 people, and it's full. We're five rows from the front, a little different from Lionel Ritchie, great seats. The black spot are toilets, just three for the ladies means it takes the queue over half an hour to complete, leaving many to find their way back to their seats after the start of the second half, disturbing others, ditto the mens', three toilets for maybe 700-1,000 unbelievable!

The day ends with wine and good chat back on the 29th floor, a fitting end to our whistle stop visit to New York, very in keeping with the city itself.

Spend today: checked luggage to Boston (card); 

Thurs 3rd: "It's OK, I'm here but I'm undercover, don't mention it to anyone else; this is the conversation I have with the lady in the ticket booth at the Metro as we buy a ticket to go down to a Ground Zero walking tour. She is so well hidden, with the sun shining on the window, I can only just see her with my hands shielding my eyes and face pressed against the re-inforced glass, and speaking through a special amplifier. At least she has a sense of humour which we both enjoy, as I purchase an "eight ride" ticket.

It's been a while since we rode a Metro anywhere, including the tube in London, and a couple of beggars remind us that "you never know whatcha gonna get". The first, to my European eyes is possibly Romanian, maybe Asian, but most likely Latino, and carrying a small baby. She carries a sign saying she is homeless, starving and needs money for food, but given that she is not far short of obese, and pregnant suggests she may be being economical with the truth. Next a shifty looking young black guy looks to see if he's got the right train, or so I think, but before you can say "Hold On, I'm Coming" he's in the carriage and singing to us, perhaps he's looking for Simon Cowell; begging is still alive and well in NYC.

On our journey back on the tube, I notice a large black lady of middling years, reading intently, and oblivious of the crush around her. I notice a few disconnected word on a page, ooooooh, aaaaaah, breast, sore, panting but I can't see the title of the book. She has no expression on her face, and is a most unlikely reader of such literature, but underneath who knows what is stirring. Eventually with Lorna's help we see the cover, Durty South Grind is not a book I've heard of, but it could be the next 50 Shades of Grey, and may be just what metro travellers need to recover from their daily grind.

The Ground Zero tour is very well done by Tony, a guy who was working in an adjacent building on the fateful day. He has around 20 people on his three hour tour, and at $35 a pop, it seems like a good work. He is very animated and tells the story of the Wall Street area very well, as well as the story of St. Paul's Church, the rebuilding of the area and ultimately the Ground Zero Memorial. I find it difficult when he tries to describe in some detail what the immediate aftermath of the toppling of the towers was like. I think he sets himself an impossible task here given the cataclysmic event; I don't think any words can possibly convey the full horror of what happened.

We are amazed that St. Paul's Church survived with not so much as a broken window, and then acted as a respite centre for all those involved in search and rescue operations afterward. When we first visited in 2002, the church was covered in flowers, messages, photographs and memorabilia of all those people missing, as was most of the area around GZ. That's all gone now, and the area is a construction site, and will be for a few more years yet. A new transportation hub is being built, but is two years late and $1.5B overspent, but two new skyscrapers are reaching completion, and they look magnificent, a testimony to the resilience of New York, the USA, and the human spirit. The taller, the new Liberty Tower, is 1,776 feet high complete with the radio tower, 1776 being the date of American Independence.

The site of the original towers is now a memorial garden, and the exact footprint of the towers are deep square holes with water cascading down each of the four walls into a further centre square hole. Around the two squares engraved in brass are the names of all the people who lost their lives, either working in the tower, or helping to rescue and recover people and bodies. Many of the people who died have never been identified, and no DNA was ever found due to the intense fires that burned for over 90 days after 9/11. Although crowded today, it is a very peaceful and reflective place, and a fitting memorial to all. Perhaps a visit in another ten years time will see the whole area completed, I hope so.

Dinner at Bistro Cassis is far and away the best meal of the trip so far, Cocquilles St. Jacques followed by Au Chocolat; I think Lorna and Judy enjoyed their meal also. Afterward a stroll down upper Broadway, a brief stop in an enormous Apple store and a quick look at the Lincoln Centre, we walk home to W 66th Street. I am surprised by the amount of rubbish lying by the side of most of the roads in the area, but Judy assures us that it will be collected overnight. My other surprise is the large number of buildings that are scaffolded, apparently for their five yearly inspection

Spend today: Lorna's Florida car hire (card); MaW Prudential Ride application (other card); Full island cruise tomorrow (card); dinner at Bistro Cassis (card)

Wed 2nd: A very smooth transfer from Memphis to New York, and we arrive around midnight at Judy's, just off Central Park, and on the 29th floor of a large apartment block, but more of that later.

Tuesday started with another pick-up from Blues City Tours, and a drop off at the National Civil Rights Museum. The first thing we notice is that the place is under refurbishment, and there is a one-woman protest in place outside. She is complaining that the $27M being spent would be better on a shelter for the homeless, rather than keep the violence and negativity alive through the museum.

Yet again the museum is very well done and we assimilate the history of African-Americans in the country, from notably a Supreme Court case in 1857 where a black slave lost his case for freedom when it was declared that a black man had no rights. Dred Scott had claimed his freedom when his owner moved from a slave state to a non-slave state. In 1861 the civil war started with one of the main issues being slavery, the south (Confederates) where slavery existed confronting the north (Union) where slavery did not at Fort Sumpter in North Carolina. The war was won by the union and in 1868, the 14th Amendment of the Constitution declared that all persons born or naturalised in the United States shall be citizens and enjoy full rights and protections under the law, so far so good.

In 1870 the 15th Amendment states that all citizens have the right to vote regardless of race or colour, however in practice many black people found it impossible to register to vote, whilst under threat of violence or loss of employment if they persisted. In 1896, the Supreme Court rules "separate but equal", a ruling that dictates race relations for the next 64 turbulent years with whites and blacks effectively segregated until the year 1968. The exhibits go on to explain the rise of the civil rights movements in the southern states of Alabama, Mississippi etc, and in particular the Southern Christian Leadership Council, SCLC, of which Dr. Martin Luther King was a prominent leader. His visit to Memphis in April 1968, is traced alongside the journey of his assassin James Earl Ray, and the fateful day of 4th April.

The museum is in and around the building from which Ray shot Dr. King, and you can visit the bathroom where the shooting took place, and then cross Mulberry Road to the Lorraine Motel, room 306, where Martin Luther King was staying.

We then follow the capture of Ray a month later by the Metropolitan Police in London. He is tried in the US, and eventually changes his plea to guilty to avoid the death penalty, receiving a 99 years life sentence. He dies in prison in 1998 having served 30 years. What is notable is that there is never any explanation of his motive, only the comparison of different conspiracy theories, that are never proven.

I found the museum very thought provoking, it's very easy to understand the unalienable rights of all men and women to be treated equally, but of course it all moves onto human rights, gay rights, etc. Lorna & I have a deep conversation about the pros and cons of gay marriage, and wearing of the full burqa..........at the end deciding it's a pretty complex issue, and very difficult to resolve without predujice. One thought, given the christian church background of so many of the black people striving for equal rights would be their stance on the gay question. As advocates of equal rights regarding race, would they have been, are they as keen advocates for equal rights regarding gender and sexuality?

After this the day consists of travelling, of which the most stressful is returning the rental car. First the location has moved, and then we are overcharged by $100 or so, but manage to negotiate back $70 of that as we have returned the car after the 10.00am deadline. Flights via Washington to New York are very smooth, and a cab has us in downtown Manhattan within $30, or 20 minutes. Judy's apartment in on the 29th floor, and the night-time view over Central Park is breathtaking.


Spend today: lunch @ Frank Grisanti's (card)

Tues 1st: Blues City Tours, a little shambolic, but they get there in the end. Today we have the Stax tour to complete, and a visit to Graceland, and so we're collected at 9am sharp, and after another pick-up even farther out of town, we reach the downtown ticket office by 10am. We agree to do Graceland first, and then Stax, but wait a further 30 minutes before anything happens.

The Graceland tour is excellent; it includes a visit to the 13 acre mansion that Elvis bought for around $100,00 at the age of just 22, and lived in with his parents and grandmother until he died aged 42 in December 1977. We discern three main phases to Elvis's career, firstly as the new rock 'n' roll sensation, then moving onto Hollywood and making over 20 films, before regenerating his singing career, primarily in Las Vegas. As a 21 year old, and already five years into his career, he made his first appearances in Las Vegas to a cool reception, and it was 13 years later before he returned to sensational reviews. Maybe it was the intensity of his time performing in Las Vegas that brought on ill-health and a dependence on prescription drugs, but he died of a heart attack in 1977. Having initially been buried at a local cemetery, he is now interred at Graceland along with his parents and is grandmother.

As well as the mansion there is a section displaying all his cars, a section devoted to the pivotal year (for America) of 1968, his two aircraft, a section covering his time in Hawaii, and the story of his early years in his home town of Tupelo. Elvis was a very charitable guy, and on top of his penchant for buying people Cadillacs at the drop of a hat, he gave money to many charities, and monies from the Elvis Presley Corporation which owns and runs Graceland still support a range of charities in and around the Memphis area.

Lunch, nearly on the hoof, is ice cream, and having asked for two scoops each we quickly reduce it to one scoop on seeing the size of the scoop. We spend well over three hours at Graceland, and are happy to be collected, as we are both humming "Blue Suede Shoes" continuously.

Now onto 962 McLemore Street, Soulsville USA and the Stax museum. Originated around 1960, Stax went broke in 1974, having struggled on after 1968 and the assassination of MLK. It appears the the great rapport of both black and white musicians up to 1968, changed as black consciousness increased following that period. Stax originated as Satellite Records around 1960, formed by Jim Stewart. When Jim wanted to develop on from Satellite he sought funds from his older sister Estelle Axton, and the two ran the company until its demise in 1974. The collaboration generated the name Stax, but it appears that Estelle was the driving force, and because it provided opportunities for musicians across the racial divide, it completely escaped the looting and vandalism that followed the assassination. MLK was assassinated at the Lorraine Hotel, very close to the Stax Studios, and one of the few places at the time that both black and white musicians could relax after a hard day at the studios.

Stax developed a review type show with many artists on the bill, and this was very successful in the US, but to the surprise of almost everyone, it was also a great hit in Europe. The review toured Europe in 1967, with shows in a number of European countries. I thought it was in 1970 I had seen the Stax-Volt tour at Finsbury, but as it turns out that Otis Redding was killed in an air crash in December 1967, it must have been the 1967 tour earlier in the year that I saw. It was compered by the great Emperor Roscoe, and the bill included Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Arthur Conley, Eddie Floyd, Booker T & The MGs, Carla Thomas and the Bar-Kays, what a line up. I was 18 at the time, and I'm still wondering who I would have gone with, maybe Peter Gale, someone I lost touch with a long while ago, but we were definitely soul fans at the time, and much more Stax oriented than Motown.

The story doesn't stop there however. Yesterday our lady driver introduces herself as Duchess, and in discussion we learn that her father, Archie Love is a current member of the Bar-Kays, reformed after four of the original six were killed in the air crash along with Otis Redding. Last night Lorna googles Archie Love, and he is indeed the lead singer with the Bar-Kays, and it also transpires that he sings with his daughter Duchess. Never one to  miss and opportunity, Lorna raises this with Duchess this morning when she is again our driver. She admits to being a part-time singer, so Lorna asks her to sing a song, which she happily proceeds to do, choosing "A Change is  Gonna Come", singing while she is driving. Lorna asks why she is driving a bus, and she explains that singing jobs can be patchy and she has three children to feed, which seems entirely reasonable to us, but she has a fantastic soul voice, so maybe Simon Cowell should prick up his ears. To hear click The Duchess

All in all, another fascinating day, with one more museum to visit tomorrow, the Civil Rights Museum. The day finishes very pleasantly with a second meal at Frank Grisanti's next door at the Embassy Suites.

Spend today: Tours (card), Stax entry (card); cash withdrawal (card); dinner (card); US Airways, checked baggage (card)

Mon 30th: Miserable in Memphis, not us but the weather, and it's drizzling as we get picked up for our morning music tour which takes in the Sun Recording Studios, the Rock 'n' Soul Museum and the Stax Studios. Well it should have included the Stax Studios but the tour company clean forgot that Stax is closed on Mondays, and has been for several years; so tomorrow morning instead.

The Sun Studios is the most fantastic tour, only small but exactly the same equipment and decor as it had when it was started in 1951 by Sam Phillips and was called Memphis Recording Services. We even had photos taken with the microphone used by Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and many, many more, wow!

Sam Phillips started by offering anyone the chance to come and record, and Elvis at the age of 18 did just that, but his first tune, for his mother didn't get Sam's approval, but fortunately his partner Marion Keisker kept it for a rainy day. When he had first come in, Sam was away and so Marion asked Elvis who he thought he sounded like, just to help with the recording. Elvis replied, "I don't sound like anyone Ma'am", and of course he didn't, he was unique.

After pressure from Marion and around a year later Sam did invite Elvis in with two other musicians to record, but he was still unimpressed until after two hours he asked Elvis if he had anything else, and that's when he sang, "That's All Right Mama". The record was sent straight over to WHBQ, and disk jockey Dewey Phillips, who played it constantly, and the rest is history as they say.

I have to say that the whole tour really gave me shivers, quite strange as I was not the greatest Elvis fan, but the place had such an air of history about it, and so many great musicians to this day still record there on the corner of Union & Marshall, even that paragon Bono from U2. It's open for tours during the day, but recording still takes place at night. There was a period when Sam Phillips sold Sun Studios and the building lay empty for over 25 years, but it was re-opened when it's potential was rediscovered after a 25 year reunion of Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and one or two others recorded again at Sun.

Difficult to follow such an experience but the Rock 'n' Soul museum did its best. Downtown, and close to Beale Street where it all began, it was well located. This was a self-guided tour with headphones and device to listen to commentary and plenty of music. The museum traces country, blues, gospel, soul and rock music back from the share-cropping days of the 20s, through to today, not forgetting 1964, when Martin Luther King came to Memphis at the height of the civil rights protests, and was assassinated, but more of that when we visit the Civil Rights Museum on Wednesday.

After this we stroll onto Beale Street and lunch in the Pig on Beale, a tastefully named down in the mouth restaurant, but it does the job. Although we've not seen too much of  Memphis, it's very different from Nashville, more "in the raw" you might say. The Stax Studio is in a part of town I would not wish to stroll around in, so the drop-off and pick-up by the tour company works well for us.

In a music store Lorna does her shy impression with a beautiful black man; he has a smile as wide as the Mississippi, and Lorna compliments him. He says he tells his children "it's not what you wear from head to foot that counts, it' what you wear from ear to ear", we like that.

Dinner tonight at the hotel next door, Frank Grisanti's in The Embassy Suites; good ambience, good food mid-range pricing. And of course the Dolphins are at the Saints, New Orleans, and they are definitely the underdogs, down 21-10 at half-time; we are cheering for them Bud, but to no avail, they go down 38-17.

Spend today: Music tour (card); Sun Studios (card); Rock 'n' Soul museum (card)

Sun 29th: A day of some contrasts, sunny and warm as we leave Nashville, cool and wet when we arrive in Memphis. A good cheap lunch for $10 in Savannah, no a different one, an obscenely expensive dinner for $160, and nowhere the value for money. Dinner was at Ruth & Chris's, a steak house that was a little too far up its own backside, but when you decided to go there, it's raining and you do actually fancy a steak, then you have to go with it.

Lorna had a 12oz ribeye at $39, I had the filet at $41, and that's without any salads that usually come FOC, and without any sides, these were $8 per, extra. Add some beer and some ice-cream, and only 7% tax and you have a big bill.

We started on the interstate, but decide to follow one of the scenic routes, and add about 70 miles to our journey, making it around 270 miles in total. Off the interstate, the roads are virtually empty, but it's Sunday, and we are most definitely in the bible belt, the churches are the finest buildings in most of the small towns along the way. There are one or two places we could have chosen to visit along the way, notably Loretta Lynn's ranch, and there is a festival of gospel music this very weekend, but it does not start until 4pm following the morning church service there, and the timing does not work. Seems like Loretta has got religion.

Lorna has a period driving and is fine, says she has regained a little of her confidence. We arrive at The Hampton Inn, and again this is out of town, and there does not seem to be a shuttle as there was in Nashville. We do some research regarding things to see, and on the list at the moment are Graceland, of course, Sun Recording studios where Elvis cut his early records, Stax studios, which I am really looking forward to, having been a great soul fan in my early days. Told one or two people that I had seen Otis Redding live in London (Finsbury Astoria) in 1970, that seemed to impress.

Also a must is the National Civil Rights Museum, the location where Martin Luther King was assassinated, we plan to leave that until Wednesday morning when we do not fly to NY until 6pm in the evening.

Spend today: Hotel bill (card); checked card statement and no debits taken at time of booking, however our record at booking was $532, but we have nearly $100 of taxes to add on; petrol (card); dinner (card)......overall an expensive day, but I think we are still in good shape.

Sat 28th: Downtown Nashville is a slalom course this morning, and even Rudy our tour guide and driver is flumoxed. There's a woman's half marathon, there's the festival, there's a small protest and there's building work going on, all of which shut of many roads, and making our route rather tortuous.

We're on a morning tour, and Rudy our driver is one of the funniest we've ever had. He's looks completely strait-laced but he's droll, and he has a real southern drawl, and they go together very well, he soon has the bus in stitches with his humour. He introduces the Nashville Titans football team and the Knoxville Possums, apparently they're great at home but they get killed on the road!! The two stops are great, the world famous Ryman Auditorium, which used to be the original Grand Old Opry, until it was moved 25 years ago, and then the Country Music Hall of Fame which was amazing, the most complete collection of memorabilia anywhere, three floors in total. The exhibits included Elvis's solid gold Cadillac, and many of the musical instruments played by the legends of country music, names I remember from my youth, including of course Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. There's also an archive there that seems enormous, but closed to the public. As with all American displays, museums etc it is very well done in a beautiful building.

We relax in the afternoon with some sun-bathing around the hotel pool and a bit of reading before heading back into town and a couple of bars on Broadway. It's Saturday night and even more busy than the previous day. We're remembered by the lady bar tender in Legends and we enjoy Buck McCoy, remember that name, because I don't think he's going to be a legend, but he's entertaining nonetheless. Then a more country group with an excellent lady singer before heading for Demos, the restaurant that's had a couple of recommendations already today. We need to be swift as time is moving on, but there's an hours lines there and we head for The Hard Rock instead. We team up with Fritz and Karen to make a table of four and spend an enjoyable hour over dinner with them. He's a retired eco-architect and lecturer, and she a professional photographer. She's Dutch, and he's an eclectic mix of American, Irish, English and Cherokee Indian, but I think he's really David Soul, incognito.

They're off to the Ryman Auditorium for a concert, and we leave for the gigantic Bridgestone Arena. We're in by 7.40pm, and there's a good warm up act, male singer/guitarist. He departs just before 8pm and then we have to wait listening to a medley of Stevie Wonder hits before Lionel appears to deafening whooping and hollering, nobody does whooping and hollering like Americans, that is of course if they have finished their two gallon bucket of popcorn. Given just how far we are from the stage, my X30 lens only just makes out Lionel, but the sound quality, albeit loud, if clear and you can hear the lyrics and all the instruments. The arena seats 18,000, but it's not quite full tonight, but a good turnout nonetheless.

Lorna and I exchange glances and conclude the idea of seeing Lionel Ritchie in Nashville was a little better than the reality, and reckon that Ian Dow was correct when he said we should have seen something at the Ryman, much more atmosphere. To get the 10.30 shuttle back to the hotel we have to take our leave before the end, but by that time it was getting a bit samey. The shuttle journey is great at we all sing along to some country favourites, nearly as good as the concert!!

Well we've done Nashville now and it's off to Memphis tomorrow, hoping for some more bluesy music perhaps.

Spend today: City tour (card, but check yesterday, no receipt received); dinner at Hard Rock (card)

Fri 27th: A replan after speaking to lady on hotel reception; she recommends the Greyline tour as it includes entrance for all the key places which the town trolley does  not, but it's full for the afternoon, so we book for Saturday morning. Instead we head over to Gaylord Opryland, an amazing hotel/convention centre/restaurants/boating lake, and stroll. Lorna is suffering with a very painful foot which keeps flaring up, I'm concerned. We head over to the Mall and pass the Grand Old Opry on the way. It should actually be the New Grand Old Opry, as it's only been in this position in Music Valley for around ten years, having been moved from its original down town location. As with most US malls, this is staggeringly large, and one restaurant is actually an aquarium complete with sharks and other friendly fishes. Lorna buys another pair of Bernie Mev, this time with full toes ready for GKtW.After coffee and a muffin we head back to the hotel before hitting down town for a stroll along Broadway.

Well here we are in downtown Nashville, just another couple of wannabees looking for a good time, and if you're into music, especially country music, then this is the place to come to. The main area is along Broadway between the river and 5th street where the singers and groups in all the bars and restaurants are trying to get noticed and make it BIG. They get paid a very small wage, but after that they play for tips. Those that can't get a slot in one of the bars busk on the street, and that feels pretty desperate. Most of the bars you can drop into, there's no cover charge, and you don't even need to buy a drink, you can just listen to the music........and it's an all day affair, from morning to early morning, the acts usually do a four hour stint.

I was in Nashville some 15 years ago on business with Modicon, and I remember we ate at The Stock Yards, a very up-market restaurant, on-line now they don't even show the prices, and our lady shuttle driver reckons it'd probably cost around $100 for a meal there. After I also remember we hit the bars on Broadway, but which one, I'm sure I recognise it, but then quite a few look the same.

We hit a couple of bars and listen to some music, it's all pretty good, and we leave tips at each. I am amazed when I hear myself ordering Bud Light, but I needed some water, and that's the closest thing they had. We down burgers and ice cream at Margariteville before heading back to our hotel. We are looking forward to seeing Lionel Ritchie tomorrow.

I'm back in Lorna's good books when Hanna has to report that Rutland Times have accepted my nomination of Lorna for the Inspired in Rutland awards. Hanna reads my nomination and it moves me again as it did when I wrote it, it's quite a story when you put it all together, and Lorna is pleased to have been nominated, and has to write and accept the nomination.

Lucy lets us know that she is still alive, and off to Leeds for the weekend with Lisa.

Spend Today: Greyline Tour (card, hotel bill?); more shoes for Lorna (card); dinner at Jimmy Buffet (card); drinks and town shuttle (cash)

Thurs 26th: An early start, just 500 miles to drive today, and it takes us around 10 hours including a couple of stops. From Savannah to Nashville via Macon, Atlanta & Chattanooga. I drive all the way, and we fall out over Lorna's driving, she says I have made her lose her confidence, I say I am not completely confident when she is driving, probably not the right thing to say. Lorna makes it too easy for me to say I'll drive, I make it too easy for Lorna to say she'll not drive. Anyway after a couple of beers at the Hyatt Happy Hour, we're talking again, and heading for John A's, dinner and country music; I suggest she has a drive by herself.

With 125 miles to go, the satnav says we have just one hour left to drive, it had been bugging me all along that the ETA was wrong, until we tumble that we lose another hour as we cross into Tennessee, we're now on Central Standard Time, or six hours behind the UK. The overcast weather turns to rain before changing to sunshine at last, and it's 25 deg C when we reach Nashville.

The drive is pretty straightforward, but you do have to get used to undertaking as well as overtaking, and of course the hundreds of large rigs which do just as they please, switch lanes all the time and sit on your tail at 70 mph. The roads are better than I expected, and our route takes us through the centre of Atlanta which is impressive.

Spend today: hotel (card, but already accounted for); petrol (cash and then card); dinner at Johns As (card)

Wed 25th: Guess what, it lashing down with rain as the blinds are opened, but by the time we've got our arses in gear, it's just about stopped and it's a dry but overcast day in Savannah. We take the trolley tour and learn about the history of Savannah, from English colony in 1733, with a charter from King George II to the beautifully restored city it is today. The original charter stipulated no slavery, no lawyers, no Catholics and no alcohol; probably only one element remains intact today, and it's always difficult to be sure about that.

Sixty years ago the Historic Savannah Foundation was formed by six ladies who bought old properties and restored them. The battle was eventually won, and Savannah has been preserved rather than turned into another standard US city. On a better day it would be just delightful to walk the squares and boulevards, and capture some wonderful images, but the light was so flat today, it really didn't inspire much photography, other than some shots to note we had been here.

An hour on the river in an old river boat was included, and we learn surprisingly that Savannah is the second largest container port in the US after New York; this is confirmed with several massive container ships towering over us both on the boat and on our strolls down River Street.

The food is pretty standard, and one meal between two usually suffices, if not in the evening, then certainly at lunch time. Our first latte coffee in America is tracked down and enjoyed, but now I feel the need for a little rant at this time........tips, I know it shouldn't come as a surprise in the US, but the naked appeal for tips at every turn is starting to grate big time. One meal recently, a 20% gratuity was added to the bill, 20%!! On today's lunch bill, printed below the total for those whose maths is below standard was the dollars and cents value of the tip at 15%, 17.5% and 20%. There are jars everywhere and when complimentary drinks are served in the hotels, the bar-person expects a tip in the jar. Our chamber-person has kindly left an envelope for us, instructing us to leave our gratuity at reception when we leave. Signs on tour buses say "tips are both appropriate and appreciated". I think a new strategy may be necessary, every tip is $1, regardless, that would mean I would fulfil the quantity, if not the quality aspect.

Spend today: Eden Vacation Rentals (Paypal $1,301), trolley tour (card)