TIME TO EXHALE

A few weeks ago, my wife and I took a few days away from our daily routine and exposed ourselves to the multifaceted cultural experience provided by Nashville, Tennessee. We visited before, but never managed to attend the Grand Ole Opry, something not necessarily on our bucket list, although it probably should have been. The city of Nashville offered more than “just” music, and much more than the cacophony of country and western sounds blaring at full blast from every bar and restaurant along Broadway, its main thoroughfare. Although the city is currently less “southern” than it reportedly was during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, it did retain much of the niceness typically associated with the South. Nevertheless, its southern culture is gradually being diluted by a net migration of about 100 new arrivals a day, making it the 7th fastest growing city in the U.S.. Many of the cultural attractions, however, are fixed in place. We visited the Belle Meade plantation, the Carter House located on the site of one of the Civil War’s last major battles near the city of Franklin, the Hermitage, the estate of our 7th president, Andrew Jackson, the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry, all the while indulging in southern food, and practicing the language. For almost an entire week we saw no newspaper, and only rarely got a glimpse 0f what was going on politically that might increase our blood pressure. In other words, we were able to exhale, and take a break from what we knew would face us again once we returned home. Belle Meade Plantation This 200 year old facility is famous for turning 250 acres of remote wilderness into the nation’s leading thoroughbred farm. It’s founder, John Harding, brought two slaves with him when he settled in the area. Over time, the Harding family became one of the largest slave-holding families in Nashville. Initially, John Harding earned his living through boarding horses and subsistence farming. He would eventually shift the operation into what became known as the Belle Mead Stud. His son William took over operations of the plantation in 1839, and continued breeding thoroughbreds. He donate $500,000 to the cost of the Confederate States army, was arrested after the Union forces took control of the sate in 1862, and was imprisoned in Fort Mackinac in Michigan for 6 months. Somehow he kept all his horses. In 1872, he purchased a prime stud, Bonnie Scotland, and established one of America’s most prominent thoroughbred bloodlines. The estate claims that most recent Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winner can trace their lineage directly to its most famous stud, Iroquois. The plantation’s head hostler and trainer, Robert “Bob” Green, was an enslaved man who became a nationwide celebrity. A fabulous place to visit. The Battle of Franklin Franklin, a small town just outside of Nashville, is a friendly tourist-focused hamlet, made more famous for the location where on November 30, 1864 the Battle of Franklin, one of the last major Civil War battles, took place. It seems almost inconceivable that in that small area 27,000 Union troops fought with 20,000 Confederates. The combat lasted only five hours, but resulted in 9,500 casualties – 2,000 dead, 6,500 wounded, and 1,000 missing. The focal point of this battle field, the Carter House, provides a fascinating historic perspective, not to be missed by anyone visiting the area. The Hermitage The Hermitage planation is the home of Andrew Jackson, located about twelve miles east of Nashville. It sits on an estate of over 1,100 acres, that includes the tomb of Jackson and his wife Rachel. He lived there from1804 until his death in 1845. It served as a place of rest for “Old Hickory,” where he entertained a steady flow of family and friends. But it was also a place of captivity and suffering for hundreds of slaves. Nevertheless, a must place to visit for history buffs touring the area. Grand Ole Opry Our impetus for visiting Nashville was to attend a concert at the Grand Ole Opry. We managed to book two performances. Downtown, at the Ryman Auditorium, the former Grand Ole Opry House, colloquially known as the “Mother Church of Music,” built in 1892 as a permanent location for tent revival-style gospel meetings. A statue of Little Jimmy Dickens sits in front of its main entrance. We attended a performance by singer-songwriter Jill Scott. Our main event, however, was at the current location on Opryland Drive. We managed to include a fascinating backstage tour during the morning of our concert date. That night, more than 4,000 country and western aficionados and interested tourists swarmed the facility, ready to enjoy a multi-faceted program, including, among others, “The Gatlin Brothers” and Merle Haggard’s son Ben. These were the names we recognized. However, we were intrigued by a bluegrass band: “Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers” performing a rousing rendition of “Bacon in my beans,” and their reference to another performance favorite: “If I had shot her when I fist met her, I would be out about now.” We were a day early for a feature performance by “Leftover Salmon W/Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.” You wonder why we can’t stick to common names like the “Beatles,” or “Rolling Stones.” All in all, this trip did exactly what it was intended to do. We crammed a lot into four days. We did partake of hot chicken and waffle dishes, but passed on moonshine tastings, or the redneck comedy tour. I did pick up an instructional manual teaching me “How to Speak Southern,” something I may dig into before we go again. Theo Wierdsma