on The King's road, third day

I suppose the key moment of today was driving in the sunset with my red coupé on the same road Elvis used to drive in his gold cadillac on his way back home from recording in Nashville. In Nashville I bought a couple of CDs (no mp3 in the davidemobile) and I listened to Elvis' songs all the way. On the east coast there is a very bad snow storm with about 10" of snow, but today I drove all day in the sunshine. Tennessee is a long orizontal quadrangolar state and I made it from one end to the next. On my way back from the motel in Bridgesport to the 81 I stopped at a Mitsubishi service and asked a machanic to look at the front right light that yesterday evening worked only partially. Talking with a very strong accent that needed all my attention he showd me how that it was only a contact and sent me off, very cool.

Direction Nashville, the land continue to be moved by the Appalachian, thus lots of curves and in certain points it would be good to be on a motorbike. I stop at my one thousandth mile to celebrate, not much around, few miles before had passed a Tennessee Ranch, with caws and pick up.

At the gas station, the lady, as if we were in a movie, told me that "restroom are at the back". Entering in the urban area, a great luminous panel warns you "12 millions illegal immigrants" , "11 millions american unemployed", "anyone sees a solution here?" Brrr, also at the periphery of cities there are the monumental crosses of baptist churches. Downtown Nashville looks very beautiful as you approach it. There are dozens of parkings so leaving the car is not a problem.

Walking finally, circulation for the legs, On Broadway are located the tourist shops and the Music Bars. The tour to the historical RCA studio B starts at 2 30, I join, I am on the bus with 2 couples from London, England and a guy from NY. Look at the driver's hair on the driver's mirror

The studio has been dismissed in 1977, by coincidence the next day after Elvis's death, maybe for this reason as been preserved and has become a tourist site and a recording facility for a nearby university. Country music from the 50s and 60s was recorded here. It is called B because they had such a success that they built a larger one, studio A, However, this remained Elvis favorite studio, I learn; when recording he wanted everybody to be in good mood, and made sure the right atmosphere was there before starting working. Quite different from the business today. There is the piano, Elvis, of course, loved to play.

I choose one of the bars on Broadway to listen to some music live, The Stage. They are playing good music. Inside is quite a scene, the owner was a collector of music memorabilia. There are autographed guitars hanging around. Mirrors in the bathroom are the ultimate country experience.

Customers include what you would expect, the couple near me are very tacky, both around 50, he wears a bird and a motorcycle jacket, she a blue top tightened on the back like the one her mother probably used to dress her in. They drink their first shot arms entwined. On the back of the menu I learn about the place, they played even during the curfew following the assassination of Marthin Luther King. What is the politics of country music? Of the Nashville sound? in the hall of fame of studio B they had the picture of a black singer, a fig leaf? Lots of questions. Time to leave anyway. I should by Menphis before too late in the evening.