I write this blog post days after actually being in Nashville. The last week has been busy and I've not found much time to sit down and put a proper effort into writing a post, so apologies for the delayed update.

We arrived in Nashville just after midday, having left the mountains in Eastern Tennessee early to get our friend Pearl back in time. It later turned out that Pearl's class was 20 minutes long and she didn't have to take any notes, so the two hour wait to check in wasn't really worth it. AS we were there so early, we had to wait for two hours to check in, if the last sentence hadn't made that clear. This gave us an opportunity to realise the 'dream' of visiting a Whitecastle fast food establishment. This idea, not dream, was born after watching the film 'Harold and Kumar get the munchies'. We weren't being totally true to the plot seeing as neither of us were high, and we hadn't ridden a cheetah en route to the Whitecastle. I can tell you that it was one of least satisfying dining experiences of my life so far. Greasy, sloppy and unappetising are just three words I would use to describe it. Please see the pictures of the small burgers being made to gain some perspective.

After our far-from-gourmet meal, we checked in, showered and napped for a few hours. The night's sleep on twigs and stones had taken its toll already (even though Jensen had a blow up mattress). We were then off into town to get a few pictures and just take a look at the city. It was, in some ways, very similar to Memphis. There were numerous bars on the main street, each blaring live music, or at least preparing to later on. It seemed very food and music orientated, just not as busy as Beale Street in Memphis. Perhaps it was the time of day that we were there, but there weren't many people out and about. The area around the river was pretty, and there was a great view of the Tennessee Titans' stadium from a footbridge. The most notable thing for me was the contrast in architecture. There were a number of obviously older buildings, with stone pillars and arches. These were juxtaposed with the glass and metal structures of the AT&T building and other office blocks of the downtown area. I must say, we didn't see that much to do in the few hours we spent walking around. More time is needed in this city. We ended the day with a dirty Domino's takeaway and a few skype conversations with friends.

The next day went as planned, with a trip to the JD distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee *spoken in a deep, knowledgable Southern accent*. The county of Lynchburg was very picturesque with rolling fields, lots of woodland and the occasional village comprising a farm house and a few shops. The distillery itself was not dissimilar to the portions of the county we had just driven through. The main lobby building was shrouded in the sprawling canopy of the surrounding trees. It was extremely pretty. The tour lasted about an hour, and we learned aaalll about how the Whiskey is made. You can see the photos I took on the tour on the Nashville album. I even got a few snaps of the interior of the large warehouse in which the barrels are left for a minimum of 6 years, despite being asked not to. I mean, I didn't use a flash and no-one saw so that was my justification. We took a short stop in the town of Lynchburg on the way back to our Motel. It was very, very small. There was one square with a few tourist trap shops and small eating places. So, a few minutes were enough to do one lap of the square and take in all there was to take in.

An educational day was capped off with dinner at a riverside restaurant and a short walk by the riverbank.. how romantic. And that brought the end to the Nashville chapter of our trip. Next stop, Lexington.