Photo journal:

Another salute to Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, local hero and 'Wizard of the Saddle'

Replica Parthenon 

Tennessee Riverbank at dusk

Paige's mom sings gospel

The Rodeo!

One of a series of generous hosts: Boomer Holland 

Union University, affiliated to the Southern Baptist Convention 

Lambeth Campus, Memphis University 

Mr Presley's bunker

The Duck ceremony at the Peabody Hotel,  Memphis 

 After Nashville we headed south to Savanna, a smaller town on the banks of the Tennessee River. We visited the Hardin Medical Center, a small hospital which specializes in cancer care, and is publicly owned, and debt free. A quick trip to the community college and then to the Tennessee River museum,  including exhibits on local Native American burial mounds, steamboats, and civil war memorabilia. I stayed with Kent and Betty-Lynn Collier, who were very kind and generous especially with the use of their swimming pool and speed boat. Kent is a keen Civil War collector, and owns three local McDonalds, which made breakfast very easy.

The Jack Daniels tour in Lynchburg was something else. We were treated to an in depth explanation of why it's NOT a bourbon, and why it's the best whisky in the known world. A taster session left a very favorable impression. There's not much in Lynchburg apart from Mary Bobo's traditional restaurant. This is a really old-school converted guest house, which has one or two sittings a day. Customers sit twelve to a table in separate rooms while a designated host regales them with local tales. This is actually quite nice, with people talking away to the strangers next to them. It's typical Southern fare - fried okra, turkey greens, baked apples (with Jack Daniels) etc. I'm getting used to this now, and so is my waist.

That night the hosts, Paige and David, treated us to a mammoth Southern spread. They invited some noted bluegrass musicians over to give us an impromptu concert. Amazingly, Paige's Mom got up and sang some Southern Gospel - absolutely fantastic. The hospitality in Tennessee has to be experienced to be believed.

We spent two days at the Rotary District Conference in Brentwood, during which time I stayed with Boomer and Rebecca, a professional couple roughly my age. They graciously coped with my hangover following the post-conference hospitality session, during which I represented England ably and left with dignity intact (and some help). The conference itself allowed us to see the wide scope of Rotary charity work, including the recent eradication of polio in India.

Today saw us back on vocational visits. In the morning,  we visited Union University in Jackson, a Southern Baptist institution which endeavours to mix Scriptural study with the different academic disciplines. Lambuth Campus (which we visited afterwards) is affiliated to Memphis University, and is far ahead in terms of video linked classrooms and e-learning. Apparently they use Turnitin to fully grade papers online, and Hal (my host and contact at the campus) has offered to show me how it works at some point.

Okay, tomorrow is Graceland, with a two hour drive each way, and it's going to be hot.

(next time I tell everyone I'll start a travel journal, it'll be through twitter, as my blogging fu is weak! Photos to follow soon)

So, Green Hills is a very nice area adjacent to Nashville proper. We were received by Ann, the Rotary club to president, and her husband, Steve. After drinks and a Southern 'cook out' at their house, I was introduced to my new hosts. Katey and Luke are about my own age, a lawyer and an electrical contractor, with Wally the cute dog. These guys were great and introduced me to proper bagels and cheesy grits, 'Swamp People' and C-Span.

I visited Ennsworth High, a private school with a national reputation for innovative teaching methods (round tables in most classrooms etc).

Lipscomb University is a 'distinctly Christian University' (from the brochure) with a noted Civic Leadership school. Our visit included a talk with with Dean and a tour of the impressive facilities.

The Nashville Country Hall of Fame is quite an experience, and included a tour of 'Studio B' where Mr Presley would record his hits.

On Saturday I got the chance to try on a few wedding suits at Levy's, one of the oldest stores in the US. Right now it's a choice between a blue striped double breasted number, or a dark grey fitted Hugo Boss. Not quite sure...

That night saw us in a honky tonk bar eating ribs, drinking beer and listening to old time piano. Sunday morning was IMAX time, for Avengers 3d.

Today, Monday, saw us back on the trail. I visited Montgomery Bell Academy, a nationally reputed all boys school who exchanges students with Eton. The school has an ethos of 'Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete' which is evident in the curriculum. Apparently the teacher at the centre of the 'Dead Poets' Society film was from this school, the screenplay being written by an alumnus.

Dinnertime was back in Nashville centre, presenting to a few hundred Rotarians. We were only the entree - the main speaker was a FBI agent speaking on cyber-crime.

This afternoon I visited Belmont University, a rival to Lipscomb. The faculty staff there were very obliging, and I managed to spend a few hours talking American Lit, and swapping lecturing stories. They had some great ideas for a syllabus, and were open to arranging visits from international students in the summer. Watch this space...

We're with Nashville Rotary hosts at the minute. I'm with Theresa and Norman Carl, a great couple who are very curious about England, its politics and culture.

Signing off for now, your man in the South...

Seriously though, how hard is it to get a cup of breakfast tea with milk in bars and restaurants?

Wow, things have been ferociously busy, but here's a condensed recap of the last couple of days.

We left Humberside airport well enough, passed through Schipol,  then arrived in JFK on Monday. Unfortunately, the airport gave us some erroneous information about our departure gate, which led to us missing our connection!

A complimentary stay at a hotel in Queens was followed by a cab to LaGuardia, and a flight to Nashville on Monday morning.

The Tennessee Rotary welcome committee met us on landing, and managed to get us to Pulaski TN for our first formal appointment on time, no easy feat! Pulaski is a small town with a rich history.  The Pulaski Rotary club, and the Mayor welcomed us in and listened graciously to our ad hoc presentation, which went well considering our jet-lag. We toured the courthouse, learned about the similarities and differences between English and US law, and saw the immaculately preserved courtrooms.

We had a tour of Martin Methodist College, which specializes in music and the arts. Whilst there, we were treated to a short piano concerto, played beautifully on a Steinway.  Apparently the college were recently gifted twelve of them. The not-for-profit theater in Pulaski town square recently discovered an abandoned opera House on the first floor. They are in the middle of restoring it (an estimated two million dollars to raise), but apparently the it's one of the oldest opera houses in the USA.

Tuesday saw visiting the Stones River battlefield, the site of one of the largest civil war conflicts. Our guide (also a Rotarian) talked us through the context surrounding the battle, and the effect it had on the small town of Murfreesboro.

At dinner, we attended Murfreesboro country club and gave our presentation to the Rotarians there. In the afternoon,  the vice president of Mid Tennessee State University arranged a informal chat with the head of English there. That was a very fruitful discussion - they have one hundred and twenty five staff and eight thousand students in that faculty alone. Tom and Warren gave me some insightful advice for teaching American lit, and we hope to keep in touch. The evening had us at Bubba's backyard for a fish Fry - pure Tennessee barbecue. Bubba is a local mortician with a wicked sense of humor and a great collection of Ford Model T's. His food was fantastic.

Today we visited the Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where they have a Shuttle, and a Saturn V rocket, amongst a wealth of NASA exhibits.

This evening saw us transferred to Green Hills, a gorgeous outlying district of Nashville, where we were received by the local Rotarians.

American authors discussed this week:
Audra Welty
The 'Fugitive Poets'
Ellison's 'Invisible Man'
Ambrose Bierce
Nella Larsen
Washington Irving
Jack London
 Flannery O'Connor

Prologue

Nearly packed and ready. Here's the team:

From your left - Simon (journalist), Mark (teacher), my good self (lecturer), Bukky (community worker), and Jim (team leader).

Flying from Humberside Airport at 10am, arriving at Nashville around 9pm, give or take six time zones and two other airports.

Tremendously excited for a number of reasons - it's my first visit to Tennessee (or the US), and the vocational visits kindly being arranged by the Tennessee Group Study Exchange Team look very exciting. I'll be blogging every few days to give you all an idea of the fantastic time I'll be having. There will be some local facts, pictures, and useful web links posted, as well as the occasional (informal) homework assignment for any of my students who tune in.

So... off to finish packing!