Monday, January 18, 2016

Nashville Serendipity

Sweetness at Wholey's Fish Market
We awoke to a frigid 9 degree Pittsburgh morning.  But it had not snowed for which we are grateful.  Thinking we could pick up some sushi for lunch on the road, we went a couple of blocks to the Strip District and Wholey's Fish Market.  The District is a neighborhood historically home to mills and factories that sits on the Allegheny River. Today there remain some wholesalers but most of the spaces have been converted into speciality shops, restaurants and bars.  Sweetness was delighted with Wholey's and wants to spread the word, "eat more fish".  Oh, we were too early for the sushi.  

Some 7 hours later as we were entering Nashville, I checked out the local happenings and discovered Madonna's Rebel Heart Tour was performing that evening at the Brookstone Arena.  We checked in to the hotel, got tickets, and walked the 2 blocks to the Arena. It was a lively crowd of old folks like us, cowboys, and Madonna look-alikes.  We were surprised at how empty the stadium was and asked the usher what time Madonna would be on.  It was then that we realized we were still on EST and an hour early.  Oy!  Another serendipity occurred when the woman who sat next to us said she was from Quincy and just in Nashville on business.  I said to her I couldn't believe how great the seats were, and for only $60.  After her jaw dropped she said, "I paid $200 for this seat."  Guess it pays to buy at the last minute.  The Show!  The Show!  Man was it eye candy.  The technology and dancing rivaled any Cirque du Soleil.  Madonna was her usual irreverent self; her singing is as you know mechanical, but her message is still provocative.  At 2am we crawled into bed.
Brookstone Arena, Nashville, TN with Madonna