Another sad farewell, this time to Pam and Alex. This highlights the down side of catching up with people we know - saying goodbye - at least for us anyway.
Drove to Hertz hire car at Knoxville airport - literally. Alex very bravely and very kindly encouraged me to take the BMW by the steering wheel and start to get used to this driving caper. Very little traffic coupled with excellent support and we made the fifteen minute drive in about twenty-five minutes. Didn't run in to anyone or anything, and didn't get tooted. So far so good. Wasn't sure if the Rav 4 we had booked would have enough boot space for our by now expanding luggage (three suitcases had become four), so I enquired of the sales staff if I could go and compare before committing, expecting one of them to perhaps accompany Patrick and me out. Nope - they seemed happy enough to allow me to take out not one set of car keys, but three in order to make a comparison, keeping a mildly worried looking Pam as collateral. I am now more than happy to be an ambassador for Hertz - especially if it gets us a discount. The Rav 4 turned out to have ample room thankfully, as it is not a cheap exercise to hire a car for a one-way journey, so we are trying to minimise the cost as best as possible.
Took our farewells of Pam, Alex, Flottie and the remaining turkeys (it would seem that the reason we were only counting 20 of them instead of 21 was not down to a certain reticence on the part of one of them to socialise, but rather an inability borne of having had an unfortunate and unpleasant encounter with a wild animal - coyote or local Republican candidate, it's hard to tell). Managed to turn into the correct lane at the bottom of the driveway, and it was plain sailing after that - pity we were in a car. Still, managed to negotiate Sunday morning traffic in Knoxville without too much trouble and easily found our way onto the Interstate highway. Stunning scenery driving through the Cumberland ranges (I think) - gorgeous autumnal colours - bright reds, vibrant greens, rich oranges (the colour, not the fruit) and strong yellows - gave us the feeling of driving in Stirling/Aldgate in autumn, only through mountains ten times higher and extending for hundreds of miles - literally. Roads pretty good, especially I imagine for the volume off traffic, but a bit in need of repair in places. Weather good too - a bit overcast, mild, sunny at times, and a few spots of rain towards the end of the day. Headed up through Kentucky, at which point the landscape changed fairly abruptly to a generally far flatter terrain. Took a slight wrong turn near Louisville and ended up in the outskirts of Louisville, but soon found our way back to the security and comfort of what is effectively a one-way carriage-way. And whilst this isn't preparing me for the important skills of negotiating dual carriage-way traffic, it is getting me used to the feel of at least sitting in the wrong seat to be in control of nearly one thousand kilograms of metal and plastic travelling at 70 miles an hour. And I still haven't been tooted. Found our hotel just off the highways - a large, impersonal, recently built affair, but functional to serve our needs. Took the advice of the lady at the front desk, and found our way to a diner where we dined superbly. Unfortunately, by the time it came to leave, the heavens had well and truly opened. Managed to find our way back through pouring rain, and only had to execute a (potentially illegal, yet carefully undertaken) U-turn once. Still haven't been tooted.
Tomorrow we plan our assault on Murray. I am inclined to tackle the more technically difficult north face directly, but Julianne wants to take the more circuitous route through the scenic wooded areas. Our Sherpas however are advising a more cautious approach and postponing the venture until weather conditions improve. We shall endeavour to reach a consensus tomorrow over a hearty breakfast of cholesterol and coffee.
Hello Julianne, we are missing you. xx ;)
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