Thanksgiving

Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving at Chez Curtis!

This is not a holiday for the faint hearted or those with small tummies! Preparation started the week before and the morning of, I was up at 6 am, sorting platters, soaking cranberries, defrosting beans, re-heating soup, assembling ridiculous turkey themed decor, re-organising the oven shelves, doing some last minute cleaning, boiling rice, chilling champagne, whipping cream, chopping walnuts, and averting a potential wardrobe crisis - phew!

Finally the table was set.........and our guests arrived!














Oddly, David was the only American, so we had an "Australian American Thanksgiving" with a fusion of Aussie and American traditional family favorites.

We started off with sausage rolls & party pies along with a cheese plate, courtesy of Sonia and Ruth, cheers ladies!


















oi oi oi!














We then had a twist on a Thanksgiving staple - Pumpkin & Coconut Bisque with Shrimp.

Our main meal again was lamb, due to David's allergy to turkey, that was marinated for 2 days in garlic and rosemary, and paired with green bean casserole and potato gratin.........


















........candied yams and wild rice stuffing, as well as cranberry cream salad and fresh baby spinach salad with feta, peas and sun-dried tomatoes, thank you Sinclair!















Dessert was a combination of tim-tams and whipped cream on home made pumpkin pie (ahem!) that turned out pretty good for a first attempt, and was gobbled down before a photo could be taken!















So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We hope you shared it with your loved ones and expressed your gratitude for all of life's blessings, and of all the things to be thankful for.

I especially give thanks for excel, champagne and stretch pants for without which, I may have not made it through the day!

Martin Luther King Jr.

After eating we made our way over to the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel, the assassination site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Lorraine was one of the only a few hotels to which African American travelers could enjoy overnight accommodation while traveling during this segregated period leading up to the late 1960s in America.


















The museum chronicled key episodes of the American civil rights movement, which I found very interesting, if not a touch depressing.

Most fascinating was the inclusion of Room 306 at the Lorraine Hotel, that was worked into the museum as a glassed-in exhibit. Inside, it had been keep as it was on the evening of April 4, 1968. The 1959 Dodge and 1968 Cadillac under it are identical to the cars, in the same parking spaces, appearing in photographs taken moments after the shooting.

It is wonderful to have a greater understanding and appreciation of this movement.
















However we left feeling quite morbid , so it was time for one last hip shake in front of a bronzed Elvis before heading to the airport........thank you very much!

Arcade Cafe

On Monday we made our way to The Arcade, a diner that has the honor of being Memphis' oldest restaurant. It sits right in the mddle of the historic area and was like a trip back in time - complete with road trolleys!
















It is this old school and nostalgia has attracted photographers, artists, writers, and movie makers from around the world. Scenes from Mystery Train, Great Balls of Fire, The Client, The Firm, 21 Grams, Elizabethtown, Walk the Line, and My Blueberry Nights, just to name a few!















However it is most famous for being Elvis's favorite diner, complete with his own booth!

His favorite meal was deep fried peanut butter sandwiches.............explains ALOT......
















............Hubba Hubba!















We settled for their famous sweet potato pancakes - yum!

Last Supper

Sunday night we enjoyed one last dinner together, Debbie & Susan were flying out early Monday and Patti & I were leaving late Monday afternoon.

We celebrated with dinner at Local Gastro Pub, located in the heart of downtown. I have to say all this was one of THE best pub experiences I have had in the US!

Going to a local pub is one of things I miss the most from home, and frankly America not only do you not understand the concept of the pub, you rarely pull it off.
















SO you can only imagine the joy of all the things I love at the same place at the same time! My favorite texan girls, good beer on tab, fab pub grub in the form of duck meets Mexican, good laughs and good times............what a way to end the weekend!

Gibson Guitars

After a long brunch, we headed to Gibson Guitars for a factory tour.

All of Gibson's bluegrass instruments, such as the banjo, mandolin and dobro are manufactured and made in Tennessee.



















Again, no one works an audio guide OR safety glasses like us!














It was fascinating to see the effort, skill and detail that goes into making each guitar. An odd choice for a tour seeing no one in the group plays the guitar.......?

Automatic Slims

What else to do in Memphis on a Sunday? Enjoy brunch, preferably with bacon and/or pork.

We hit Automatic Slims an uber cool fusion restaurant, that hosts fab fresh local food, infamous Popsicle martini's and a lively bar complete with blues music!



























Do we need more drinks at this point?














Seriously, where the hell is our bacon?

David Sedaris

Very late on Saturday night, we noticed David Sedaris walking thru the lobby.

Susan, a huge fan, rang after him and consequently ambushed him in the lift. I was instructed by Debbie to follow, by her claims " i am not drunk and too pregnant for this".

We asked for a photo, which he refused, so quick thinking alex snapped one from the waist down.............

.............with just enough time to exit the lift and avoid security.