ASHEVILLE

This is a very attractive town.  Took a while to drive here but worth it. It is a quite liberal artistic oasis in a more conservative region.  Fortunately  we have a local contact to direct us to a good coffee shop.

My experience, as a somewhat snobbish coffee drinker from the town that considers itself the coffee drinking capital of the world, is thatbthese are few and far between.  However Jen was right, Izzy's Coffee Den does good coffee.  I do quiz the barista about local definitions of latte, cafe au lait and others before placing my order. So far they are very tolerant of me.

Next on the agenda, a visit to various artist studios in the Riverside Arts precinct. For a district that quite obviously was closing down it is now a must see for tourists.  The former warehouses are now populated by a great variety of working local artists and artisans.  My favourite is the man who repairs and restores chairs .. chairs with wicker cane, rush and other woven seats.  They look great, and it is a treat to see the collection in his workshop.
And then there's 12 Bones, the local smokehouse which is a great place for lunch.  They have a big turnover shown by the length of the ordering queue and the cars in the parking lot.  This is one of the more interesting vehicles ..

It is International Coffee day, so that calls for a second cup of coffee, from another recommended venue, then down to the real business of the day. Lauren has a haircut appointment and I will be having my nails done with the usual dark red polish.  Leah, who does this, is great and very informative about life in Asheville.  She was raised in a rural area and left that for Asheville at the first real opportunity. She loves it here and I can see why.

Especially when we arrive at our final destination for the day. Two destinations really adjacent to each other. First the Grovewood Gallery where the best is reserved for last. This is a great gallery and I buy some souvenir earrings that catch my eye. Over to the Sunset Terrace of the Grove Park Inn to meet Jen - she of the good coffee advice - and to enjoy not only a spectacular view of the closing day but also some tapas and wine. A great end to our visit to Asheville (though we are spending another night here before heading out).