San Antonio, Texas

Before leaving today to Santa Fe with Greyhound again for a 24 hours ride again, I shortly commentate San Antonio. I mainly came here because of Alamo. Every little boy in my childhood even in Finland knew Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Colonel Travis, because of the battle of Alamo in 1836 ,when all fort defenders, apparently 189 men were killed against the Mexican troops of over 6000 men under General Santa Anna. The site is today very interesting and impressive, thanks to The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, who since 1905 have taken care to preserve this heroic place for future generations.
Another famous and gorgeous place is the whole Riverwalk a must to visit. It really is a tropical river like in rainforest ,which snakewise goes trough the whole downtown. There are bothsides a plenty of bars &restaurants to rest when strolling along side the river. Mostly all the best hotels are on the banks of the river or very near anyway.

Austin , Texas

I arrived very late to Austin , So first next day I started to do excursions to Austin's music bars. I immediately found on 6th street a bar Nuno's where a band played most beautiful blues ,I've heard in many years. I just now do not remember the singers 77 years name but I have his record, and I try to remember it next time . I then went to The Ivory Cat, where Kenny Luna had his music show, and I enjoyed the nice company of Lauren and Diane.The last evening I started at Belmont's Garden Patio moving then again to Nuno's. At Belmont's I had talked with Katie 21,a pretty waitress of German parents. Now after finnishing her job she suddenly appeared at Nuno's. She then first offerred to me a drink, then she commanded the bar tender a friend of hers to offer another drink to me , and did agree with him that all my further drinks would cost only $1. instead of $4.50. So I had again very nice company and very unexpensive evening.

Cuba Libre in Dallas, Texas

Cuba Libre has been my favourit drink during this whole trip with the exception of some or more beers. so it was very funny coaccidence that the almost nearest bar & resturant to my hotel in Dallas uptown had this name. I soon became into very friendly relationship with miss Heather Cary, General manager. She soon introduced her most important people there to me, and I really was in good hands.
So I herewith send my best regards to all of you, especilly to Ellen 24, who I did choose to be Miss Cuba Libre.
The rival of next door was The Porch, Also very popular place in the evening.So my best greetings there to beautiful bar tender Emily.
Next day because of a taxi non-show,miss Gaydon Sage, General Manager of La Quinta Inn took me personally to the bus station, even I missed the bus by one minute,I am very thankful to her helping me a lot in different cases.

Dallas

On Sunday, the17th.I left Nashville with with Jensen's, for a rideof almost 700 miles, over 1000 km.to Dallas. Because of a heavy thunder storm in Dallas, we overnighted in their luxurious camper near Benton in Arkansas, having a nice rhum party. We then next afternoon arrived to Dallas. In the evening I did check the famous Greenville avenue, but because of Monday , it was quite dead. Next day I was up just for lunch in La Quinta Inn, where I had a room with my friend's help. The only restaurant open for lunch in the neighborhood was Cuba Libre, where I enjoyed a very good Mexican taco lunch. Afterwards I took a taxi to downtown about 3 miles away to The 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.This museum, opened 1989, tells with original films (videos), pictures and all kind of materials, including the riffle, of the assassination of president John F. Kennedy at it's authentical place.The corner, where the sniper, Lee Harvey Oswald lured behind the school book boxes, is excatly in the condition, as on that terrible day Nov.22.1963. From the next window you can imagine, how easy it was to kill the president from that open window.This shocking event came into my mind as clear as if it did happen yesterday, not 44 years ago. Later on that very hot afternoon I walked along the Market street, visiting some bars. At Landry's I met a very good looking African American couple Nate and Carolyn, both 23. Yet unmarried. Nate smiled proudly, when I said to Carolyn that she should be a photo modell with her looks. She laughed, and said that as a matter of fact, I am. After they left, the bar tender brought to me a new drink and said, that's from the young lady.

Last days in Nashville

My Best Western Hotel was about 10 miles away from downtown area, in Opryland.
Taxifare$22.one way. However the local hotels had made an excellent agreement with Tommy's Transportation. The deal was $10. to Broadway and back to the hotel any round hour you wanted until 2am. the minibus driver Jerry Burns introduced every passenger to eachother, he was a local guide and told good stories. So everybody had fun in his car. The place next to him was always for me. I was his new best friend!
This way I also metMy young friends Ryan and Alice Jensen,with whom I didi spend a wonderful evening at Rippy's, where that night was a rock-a-billy band from Ryan's native Texas. That evening I also met Kelly,a wonderful young woman at Legend's Corner. She is working in music business herself. Next evening I was back at Rippy's but this time there plaeyed Darryl O'Donnell, a very good guitar player and country singer with standards of Willie Nelson, Glenn Campbell etc. Later I visited another bar, where a young lady Heather Thopson 22, a star to be born, sung breathtakingly "Bobby McGee" and "Hit me with your best shot".
On last Jerry' shuttle a Nebraskan couple told everybody that they know where Finland is. It's there where Sweden and France are!

About young and beautiful bartenders and waitresses

My younger brother did critise me because of boring stories of of young and beautiful
ladies in service to help my thirsty throut. Well, everybody is free to say his opinion but I like to remind that this writing is a diary and until now at this trip, I have spent almost every evening in a bar or cafe. Where else?
Exactly 20 years ago I was sitting at Finnish Club as last customer with late honorable chancellor of Helsinki University, Ernst Palmen. He was then 71.He told me
that he always liked all kind of women especially those young and beautiful. And they liked me, he said. So you will be hearing a lot more of these young women, already next time.

Nashville, Tennessee

Last Monday it once again was a long trip with Greyhound. Since Balazs brought me to bus station it took with all waiting times 18 hours before I was here in my hotel.
The busses however are quite comfortable, and I am sleeping a lot. This time maybe 10 hours. It does not disturb me that sometimes I am the only white passenger.
Nashville downtown is very clean and safe, local police forces are patrolling there all the time . People can really without any hesitation stroll at night from one music bar to another.
The first evening I did spend at the Grand Ole Opry,an American icon, of course.Opry has a new concert hall since 1974 outside from Nashville downtown, but only half an hour to walk from my Best Western hotel.Maybe I did wait more from Opry, I do not know, somehow my feelings were kind of flat afterwards.
The music bars in downtown are fantastic. At both nights I just reached the last shuttle to my hotel at 2am.My places, where I did enjoy the music mostly ,have been
The Stage, Legends Corner and Bluegrass Inn. Yesterday night in the last mentioned played Chuck Meade & Chris Scruggs Band. They played all kind of music from country to rock and from bluegrass to famous ballads. It really was great to listen them.
Day before yesterday I met and spent several hours with a young married couple Ryan 28 and Alice Jensen 27 . Ryan has an Italian mother and looks,but Danish father and temperament. These very nice people asked me to travel with their car to Dallas because leaving on Sunday, the same day than me. They know Dallas very well and promissed to introduce the best places there to me.That suits me very well.

Raleigh, North Carolina

It yesterday took 10 hours to get here, where I stay as guest of my old Hungarian born friend Balazs Szabo. He is a famous painter and author here. We had a nice evening with good food, drinks and company. Today we visited Wilmington at the coast, where we met his son Domenic.

I shall stay here still two nights, until Monday evening, when I 'll have a night bus to Nashville, Tennesee.

Charleston, South Carolina

This is another wealthy city of southeast. Many ways as beautiful as Savannah with their beautiful Victorian houses and nice gardens. I here too, lived in an old villa $120+tax a night. Also long walks every day and no taxis. It was very hot and humid, 90 degrees, must be around 36 in centigrades. During afternoons I enjoyed great food, mostly steaks and cold beer and tennis from France. I also saw in TV the three last matches, when Ducks with Teemu Selänne did win the Stanley Cup. But as always when you get familiar to the place and start to like it, you are leaving.

My last evening I first spent in Charleston Music Hall listening the great melodies and evergreens of Johnny Mercer, a native of Savannah. All songs I love from him were there, like Skylark, The Days Of Wine And Roses, Fools Rush In, Moon River,
Jeepers Creepers, Blues In The Night, Come Rain Or Come Shine and Dream. I especially loved the singing of young and beautiful Tiffany Parker, who later kissed me, when I told this to her. After this I continued like many of the audience to the bar next door. There I soon met Jenny Morrison 26, who was adopted from Mexico as a baby, This young beauty gave me a lot of compliments and wished I would have stayed in Charleston much longer, when she realised that I will be leaving next morning.

Savannah, Georgia

After travelling via Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville by Greyhound bus with waiting times over 24 hours I finally arrived to beautiful Savannah. I found a nostatalgic villa from civil war's time to stay for three nights. It wasn't cheap $ 179.+ tax, but very friendly place to stay. They served fine breakfast but also free vine with all kind of delicaties every evening together with all other guests. I was walking long tours in the historical part of the city every day and admired it's beauty.

On Sunday, June 3rd, I was having a light lunch in the park called City Market. There was a noon park concert where a trio called Courtenay Brothers played greatly country rock. Little later I found myself in a company of two young ladies. Blair Stevenson 25,Intern Architect and Jamie Hunter 25,a real estate practicant had invited this lonely soul to join them. Soon we already were eight young people together having fun until midnight. Some of them then drove me back to my place.

Last day in Key West

I did visit Art and History Museum, which introduced among other things Ernest Hemingways life in Key West and Havanna, Treasure Museum with real cold and silver coins and other specific treasures worth of hundreds of millions dollars excavated from Spanish galleon, and Pirate Museum. I then after this culture shock went to Tony's Saloon, opened originally 1933 by Tony Tarracino. This barkeeper to be later a most popular man in town and a mayor of Key West, was a close friend of Hemingway, Tennessee Williams and Humphrey Bogart. I met him there and was photografed with him. And I must say that Tony, this 90 years old ladies man was absolutely a charming character.