Nashville

We've taken a break from the road and stayed in this city for two nights. The first was a bit of a write-off because we arrived so late from Dallas. But you can't go to Nashville without trying the blackened catfish, so that is exactly what we did.

This morning we did the backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry, which has been beautifully restored after flooding immersed it in 4 feet of water in 2010. Opryland is a massive complex, with a shopping centre the size of a small suburb, and a major convention hotel.

A highlight was lunch at the Aquarium restaurant, where food is served at tables surrounding a 200,000 gallon tank enclosed by 7-inches of acrylic. In it are thousands of fish and dozens of species, including various large and small rays, eels, barracuda, grouper, sharks, tarpon and many smaller types. There are only four of this kind of restaurant in the world.

Daryl explains dessert

After a visit to Nashville, and especially the Country Music Hall of Fame, there is no way you cannot be a country music fan. The influence of Nashville exploded into other genres when Bob Dylan decided to record Blond on Blond here, and became close with Johnny Cash. After than, everyone thought, well, if Dylan can do it.... So artists from the Byrds, to Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Mike Nesmith, Paul McCartney and many, many others from the non-country mainstream discovered the musical talent of Nashville and brought it to the attention of the industry and world. Up until then, it was always about the Grand Ole Opry.

And it still is. Tonight we attended a performance at the Ryman Theatre, which for many years was the previous permanent home of the Opry. Every show is still broadcast live-to-radio. The spotlight performer tonight was to be Loretta Lynn. She is now 83, and disappointingly, was a no-show due to ill health.

Her stand-in, however, was Crystal Gayle, who it turns out is Lorretta Lynn's younger sister. Her long hair was as stunning as the performance -- half-a-foot longer and she could have stepped on it.

Walking down Broadway after the show, virtually every storefront is a honky-tonk bar. Every one of them is packed cheek-to-jowl; every one has an amazing live act. One more off the bucket list.