Memphis is the home of the blues, the birthplace of rock and roll, the city of soul and centre of so much civil rights history but every day hundreds of people gather in the city’s most exclusive hotel to see 5 ducks walk across the lobby into a small pond. The proceedings are lead by the Duck Master….
….who sets the scene prior to taking the lift to the rooftop to collect the ducks. He returns a few minutes later with the ducks taking the red carpet to the pond.
Today they moved so fast it was difficult to capture them on film. The ducks are treated as celebrities by the hotel and we were informed that duck does not feature on any of the hotel restaurants menus. In fact the ducks themselves get treated to silver service.
By the time the crowds had cleared it was lunch time and today I fancied the other restaurant that we had been recommended, Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken.
Unfortunately there was a long queue waiting so we decided to give it a miss and try the Hard Rock Cafe instead. The food in Memphis has generally been very good with large portions of well prepared dishes,however there has been a distinct lack of vegetables except for BBQ beans and the ever present slaw. Today I ordered a side of brocolli with my chicken so at least got one of my five a day.
I picked up a car from the airport this afternoon and tomorrow brings an end to our stay in Memphis, so what were the highlights.
Beale Street with its restaurants, bars and shops is the centre of everything downtown.
It obviously caters very much to the tourist trade but retains a degree of edginess. Music is everywhere , with elements of rock, soul and blues eminating from various establishments as you walk down the street, most of which is live.
I absolutely loved the music museums especially the Rock and Soul Museum & Sun Studios and Graceland was an eye opener but the one thing that will leave a lasting memory of this city is the Civil Rights Museum. I can’t over emphasis how impressive and moving this experience was. One I will never forget.
Tomorrow we travel down the delta to the birthplace of the blues.