Inspiration

I'm glad I completed half of my American travels while I was there.  I'm now home, safe and happy, after what felt a long time away - but before we leave - here is my time in Tennessee. Wonderful.

N A S H V I L L E

I started in Nashville.  First stop, the Parthenon - the amazing, life-size replica of the Athenian Parthenon, originally built for the Centennial Fair of 1897. The first building was intended to be temporary, so was built in plaster. It was so popular that it wasn't demolished at the end of the fair, but by 1920 was so degraded that it was permanently rebuilt. The architect had wanted stone, but the budget only allowed for concrete. 

It's actually got a rather wonderful quality.

The little museum underneath the building shows this photo, everything lit up with early use of electric light. What a sight that must have been.

Old Vienna...

The Cuban Village...

The sculptures being worked on...

And the crazy, but incredible, full size statue of Athena which was installed in the Parthenon in the 1980s. Mad but I loved it.

Nashville has incredible buildings - the Tennessee State Capitol rising proudly above the city...

I loved this little open window. Did you spot it in the photo before?

But so much of downtown Nashville is being eaten up but incredibly crude glass monsters.

Downtown has a distopian air - like a weird theme park, filled with bars populated by hen parties and zombied-out tourists.  No one local goes there.  A strange place.

I had lunch the next day at the beautiful house of Keith Smythe and friends - an incredible afternoon.  Here's Keith's wonderful interiors, guided by my friends Bill Brockschmidt & Courtney Coleman.

Afterwards I had a wonderful tour of Nashville Gardens with renowned landscape architect Ben Page.  So many treats.

Here is the alluring gateway to Ben's own garden.

M E M P H I S

The next day I was speaking in Nashville, then on my way to Memphis.  I had a wonderful day exploring Memphis with my new friend Amy Golden, who gave the the most brilliant tour - including a visit to Muddy's bakery...

And lunch at Beauty Shop.  Put both on your list!

That evening I was talking in the Brooks Museum. A brilliant event, so good to meet SO many readers and to sign so many books!

And dinner afterwards at Rendezvous. The best!

The next morning there was a lovely brunch a little more signing - and then - before I headed back home... a tour to incredible Graceland.

It was superb. The house was built in the 30s, in a lovely Neo-Georgian style.  Elvis and his parents bought the house in the 50s.

The interiors are brilliantly presented - rich with atmosphere.

The kitchen dates from the 70s.

The jungle room next door - super chic.

Heading to the basement...

The bar -

And TV room - which wouldn't be out of place in AD today.

The Pool Room next door, like a page straight out of 1960s House & Garden. Perfect.

Shag pile walls.  I loved it all so much!

Young Elvis.

So many little details from the museum.

The family graves were strangely very moving.

Elvis's twin died the day he was born.

The car collection was wild.

A display of Elvis in the Army...

Objects from the archive.

A sparkling museum.

As you can tell, I loved Graceland. It wasn't nearly as kitsch as I'd expected... and was strangely moving - as well as that fantastic museum, which really did justice.  It's so well done. Definitely worth a visit.

B A C K   T O   T H E   B O T H I E S

And then - I was off.  I flew home from Memphis, via Atlanta - and then straight up to Scotland. Charlie met me at Glasgow Airport and we arrived at the bothies two hours later.  HEAVEN.

Yes - we'd been to collect a new arrival!  Hello NANCY!!!  (who is a long-haired miniature dachshund, if you are interested).

So good to be back. It's been a long time. We'd thought of selling the bothies, when we first bought Westness, but somehow it didn't feel a good idea.  So then we went back and I don't think we've loved a trip there as much.

Needless to say we were blessed with a perfect day - blue skies, blue sea.

Nancy is the best...

Everyone else took a little while to get used to the new arrival but all good now.

Just one of those weekends.

The bothy that evening.  The best.

The trip to Scotland was planned at pretty short notice and the next day I was back down to London on the train, for a busy few days catching up after 3 weeks away.  But I was back in the rhythm quickly and all was good.  On Thursday and Friday I was making site visits in Somerset and Dorset - so I was staying with my brother Jon & sister-in-law Laura.  Spring was bursting in Dorset. Look at the fritillaries in their garden.

The chickens, which we'd brought over from the Parsonage when we moved, couldn't be happier.

Yesterday, we went for a lovely walk through their local woods, with these beautiful oak trees in a network of tiny fields.

We had lunch with my aunt and cousins, so lovely, and then I was back to London. Today, I've been having a big spring clean in my office, always a good thing to do, and I've started the giant task of packing up half our flat. With the move to Orkney, we just don't need so much space in London. So we're moving upstairs and giving up the downstairs flat in just a few weeks, and will have some fantastic new neighbours very soon.  So that's been strange, but rather nice at the same time.  Travelling a bit lighter down here!

And Charlie's been sending some updates from Orkney, where they've had glorious sunshine like in London.

I couldn't help glimpsing at the headlines at a newsagent this morning - but I'll be honest, I've stuck pretty firmly to my lenten 'giving up the news'. I seriously recommend it. I've never felt so happy in a long time.  40 days without  reading, looking at, listening to the news will be quite a feat for me, if I make it all the way through. Of course I'm aware of troubles in the world, but it's equally made me realise far more than ever the beauty of the world around us, if you choose to look.

I've got a few days down in the office - more site visits, and meetings in London this week. Then back to Westness.  I just can't wait.

Normal service resuming.