Arthur Dexter Bradley said "I'm really not sure"

10.00 Well Armageddon approaches. We have just got up and its got a bit windy outside. The rain started about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon and it doesn't appear to have stopped since. Interesting factiod No 1 about a hurricane - if you are to the left of the eye you get more rain and to the right of it more wind. We are to the right of it.

15.00 Was that it? I have seen worse weather in north London. As that is the third hurricane I have experienced (although one was technically a typhoon. Factoid no 2 for some reason a hurricane is called a typhoon in Asia, dunno why), it comes a very distant last in terms of excitement. Although the Nashua River (outside our window) is due to flood later although it will be going some to get to our window (being five floors up).

18.45 OK, so its not been bad here but not so north of here. The second video here is the bridge that goes into Loon Mountain, just off the Kangamagus Highway - you know where I mean (well at least three of you and one persons dad, reading this do). Just to see how much extra water is flowing down it, here is a photo of it in the same place that I took about this time last year

They jumped into a white car with out of state plates

As you are probably aware, theres a storm a-comin'. We have our torch, food and our water (and a load of beer) ready. I sort of understand why but the east coast of America does seem to be in a Hollywood-like state of panic at the moment. The last time I experienced a real hurricane I was in Havana. The only thing I knew about it was some said to me the day before that there was going to be a thunderstorm. None of this run away stuff. I think that the thing that tells you most about America is that in the list of precautions you need to take is make sure you have a months worth of your prescription drugs....

And if you hear that the state of New Hampshire has declared a state of emergency, don't panic. Apparently all it means is that the state can get federal money to clear up; they won't have declared martial law (I hope).

Oh and who knew there was a place in North Carolina called Nags Head?

I feel the earth move under my feet

The weirdest thing has just happened. We were lounging on the sofa after lunch when all of a sudden my arm started wobbling. It lasted for about 5 seconds. Giselle said to me did the sofa just shake? I thought it was just me having some strange flashback. Turns out it was a 5.9 scale earthquake in Virginia. Very odd.

Go play your hand you big-talkin' man, make a big fool of yourself

I had the nearest thing I have ever had to a religious experience this morning. Nothing more needs to be said.

And we went to Jackson. Can't say there is a lot there (its one of those American towns where they have moved everything from downtown to horrible sprawly strip malls on teh edge of town) but there is a very nice bus station

but thats it. Currently in Nashville - I wonder what the music is like here?

Just a half a mile from the Mississippi bridge

I think I now know what those people who roll up Mount Kaliash or walk backwards to Santiago de Compestela feel like. Memphis. What can I tell you? I find that as I get older, I am less impressed with things, I am disappointed with things, things make me go "Meh" more and more. Not Memphis. I had this dread that Beale Street was going to be like Vegas, all front and no substance. But its not - its real, its authentic, its not disappointing.

We ate at Blues Street Cafe. You know how I like my food and those fancy restaurants  [Have I ever told you about when we ate at the best restaurant in the world (well, it was when we ate there)? I have? More than once?  Oh okay]. I can honestly say that he food that I had tonight was up there with that as some of the best food I have ever eaten. Now you might ask "how can fried chicken strips and catfish and stuffed mushrooms be that good?" It was, it was truly some of the most delicious, succulent, tasty food ever. Superlatives cannot do it justice. And all for less than 35 bucks. We have found that the food in the south is, on the whole, superior to the food elsewhere in America. This was the pinnacle.

And the music, oh the music. I was a tiny, tiny bit disappointed that I came to Memphis and couldn't find any live Delta Blues but the bar we went in did have some excellent Chicago blues with a really good harp player. The thing is though, every one of the bars we walked past had music just as good. Get on a plane now and come to Memphis.

And we still haven't been to Sun Studios yet.....

Lookya yonder. A big black cloud come over*

America really, really surprised me today. We went to Elvis's house in Tupelo, Mississippi this afternoon and do you know what? Its one of the most tasteful, pleasant places I have ever been to. There was nothing gaudy and brash about the whole museum (they also have the church he attended as a child and a chapel and a gift shop) with perhaps the exception of some of the tat in the gift shop - go on, you know you have always wanted a cut out cardboard, life size Elvis in his Army uniform don't you (I resisted the temptation). Yes, there were people in their Elvis shirts, carrying their Elvis bags (which is sort of fair enough today and no, it was just coincidence we went today) but it was all done in a very low key way. Not sure about Graceland though (where we won't be going which I know will disappoint some as I won't be able to do this). And to prove that I am not sitting in my flat in Nashua, lifting photos from the internet - us in front of Elvis's car

Added to that that Tupelo is a really nice little town with art galleries and cafes and guitar shops. They might milk the Elvis connection for every dime they can but can you really blame them, there doesn't seem to be an awful lot else to shout about (and I don't think a Nick Cave song really counts).

*- Factually incorrect - it was beautiful blue skies and sunshine in Tupelo this afternoon.

Your Cadillac has a wheel in the ditch and a wheel on the track

I will say one thing about Alabama - I can't understand a bloody word they say. It really is the epitome of the southern accent. Today I have only been told five time "oh I love y'all accent". Yes it is nice isn't it? Anyway, Birmingham - its a big city where the art gallery closes on a monday. It has a very nice steel works museum

and a very nice park (where we got pan handled by a local wino "tour guide" which was quite amusing)

Lunch was excellent - the barbecued meat in the South is really superb.

Tonight we are in Jasper, AL


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which is small town America personified. We were talking to our waiter when we went out for dinner tonight and he has never been north of the Mason Dixon line (although in fairness to him its not like he has no desire to) and his High School year had 36 people in it. The main claim of fame of Jasper is that it is where Tallulah Bankhead got married although I suppose it has a claim to fame. In addition to the normal cicadas outside tonight, its the first time I have ever heard bullfrogs, its like the proverbial Budweiser advert out there.

When you hear the whistle blowing eight to the bar

Right, who can guess where we are staying tonight? And not only that but we are staying in a hotel which goes by the name of the, ahem,  Chattanooga Choo Choo. Really, did you think that I could have stayed anywhere else whilst in Chattanooga? Anyway if should ever find yourself thinking "where shall I go on holiday?" you could do worse than North Carolina, it is beautiful. The Blue Ridge mountains (yeah, I know, I thought they were in Virginia too) are stunning. And I have changed my mind, my new best road is no longer the Pacific Coast Highway but Route 64 from Hendersonville, NC to Cleveland, TN - look at those twisties.


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We are off to Birmingham, Alabama tomorrow. Anyone care to guess at the song from which tomorrows post will come?

Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh

I know you've missed my bon mots. If you had, I wouldn't have had so many of you imploring me to start again. So after spending what seemed like an interminable two and a half months in England getting our new visas, we are back. So what better time than now to start writing again. And what better time than whilst we are on holiday again (lets get the "but Simon, you are always on holiday" comments out of the way here" Done? Good!)

So where this time? Why, we have come south of the Mason-Dixon line for a week. We arrived yesterday and I have to say, its true, the South is mighty hospitable. We stayed last night in Raleigh, North Carolina (or it might have been Durham, I wasn't really sure which). This morning we drove to Greensboro. And what a lovely little town it is too. It has two of the finest claims to fame for a town that I have ever come across. The first is....

and the second and possible more far reaching and profound is it is where four quite frankly brave gentlemen demanded service at the Woolworth's lunch counter in 1960. They have turned the building into a quite superb museum which should you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods is well worth a couple of hours of your time.

Tonight we are staying in Winston-Salem and also worth a diversion if you are ever in NC is where we went for dinner tonight. Some quite excellent ribs (and I am no great fan of ribs) and pulled pork, hushpuppies and cheerwine. Added to this that lunch today was good and dinner was last night too (yet to try grits though even though they were on the menu at breakfast this morning). Could we have finally found the part of America where all the good food is??