Have you ever been to Memphis an’ you stopped at Uncle Jim Kinnane? He will pay more for a woman, any farmer pay for land. —Roosevelt Sykes, “Roosevelt’s Blues,” 1929

Sunday and it is a slow start to the day. Bernie and Hoff head over to Sun Studios for a tour. I have been to the studio two times and decided not to go.

1. Beale St. 2. Sun Studios 3. National Civil Rights Museum 4. B.B. King’s Club 6. Peabody Hotel 7. Victorian Village Historical District 8. Main St. Trolley 9. Mud Island River Park 10. Stax Museum

One o’clock and Wendy and I head down to Beale St for lunch. Not much happening this time of the day. Beale Street looks a little sad when the lights are not blazing, the music blaring and the crowds are roaming the street. One of the shops that has been a bit of an institution, Tater Red’s, has closed for good. We decided to have lunch at the Tin Roof, we were the only people in the place, a few people wandered in a bit later.

We went back to the apartment and waited for Hoff and Bernie to come back. The plan is to go back to Beale, and have a look at the Rum Boogie Cafe and have a quiet afternoon of music. Chardonnay in Memphis (if you can find it) is of the cardboard box vintage. Apple Cider is mostly not available. I got the drinks in. I left my blogging book on the bar and the lovely bar attendant found it and returned it to me (a cunning plan). There is a blues singer on stage. Chris Gale, he is listenable. There are only eight of us seated around the bandstand. After about half an hour there are only us four and one other punter.

We left the bar around six. Hoff and Bernie have researched a fancy wine bar and are off to taste a few different vintages. Beale Street is starting to happen now as most of the bars are pumping out Blues standards and there are many more tourists about.

I am pretty tired so Wendy and I headed back for an early night. My plan was to get some take-out chicken from Gus’s but there was at least a half-hour wait. Hopefully with a long sleep tonight I will be up and about tomorrow.