Tuesday morning, Sept 28, Mike slept in. We didn't really have an agenda, so the first thing we checked out was the Parthenon. This is a full size replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece - it was built for Tennessee's Centennial Exposition in 1897 as a temporary building made of plaster, wood and brick. It was a very popular attraction, and in 1920 they replaced the plaster, wood and brick building using permanent materials. The museum is very interesting with many facts and photos of the original building and other exposition buildings, as well as photos and information regarding the refurbishing. There is an impressive art collection donated by James M Cowan who had participated in the Centennial Exposition and was impressed with the people of Nashville. There is also a collection of work by Lisa Rivas. Her work is very different, and I was quite taken with it - check her out online. We made our way to the top floor; the only floor where we were allowed to take pictures. There is a 42 foot gilt statue of Athena - oh my goodness! There are also heavy brass doors at each end of that floor - they weigh 7-1/2 tons each! After leaving the Parthenon, we walked around the park for a bit, took a few pictures and then on to the next attraction.
Our next destination was the Belle Meade mansion and grounds. I suggested we stop for a bite to eat at a little place called the Calypso Cafe' - we both had Island Burgers - Mike is not much for anything but good old American food, so we kept it simple. I did take advantage of his Caribbean sauce as well as my own - it had just the slightest kick to it, and was quite tasty. After eating, we drove around the area a bit and saw some of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen. We got to the mansion, paid our fee and gathered with several others on the mansion porch. Our guide was a young woman in period dress - thank goodness the mansion is kept fairly cool for preservation purposes, or she might have fainted in that outfit. The original house was built in 1820 and added on several times; the last time in 1892. The bloodlines of many famous racehorses can be traced back to the Belle Meade plantation - Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Smarty Jones! After touring the grounds and other buildings, we decided we had better get back to our motel before rush hour - too late! Got caught in the back-up anyway!
We've seen several Waffle Houses over the last couple of weeks, but had not stopped at one yet. It was very near our motel, so we decided it would work for dinner. A very nice young waiter named Adam came to our table - I ordered coffee, Mike ordered Coke. Oops! They were out of Coke, so he ordered Sprite - what kind of dressing did Mike want on his salad? Bleu Cheese - no,out of that. Thousand Island - no, out of that. This poor kid kept trying, but everything Mike asked for, they were out of. So instead of salad, he asked Mike what he would like - no charge. Mike asked for a cup of chili, but got a whole bowl. I was glad I only ordered the chili, although it was supposed to come with cheese, onions and jalapenos - I had to send it back for those things to be added. It was all really very comical, and the kid was trying so hard - we gave him a good tip in spite of it all.
Tomorrow we'll probably visit the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry - then head to Chattanooga - see if we can find that shoe shine boy or the choo choo.
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