Recently, Princess E and I took a multi-day field trip to
Colonial Williamsburg. King J wasn't able to join us for the trip, and for safety reasons, I didn't post anything about the trip until we returned from it.
Of course, Princess E didn't want to behave, so she was immediately subjected to some Colonial-era punishment. I'm kidding, of course.
We saw the carriages going through town transporting passengers throughout the historic area.
One of our stops was at the Weaver's Shop. It was raining on this particular day, so there were very few people there. The guide spent quite a while discussing the weaving process with us.
Each day, we explored a different tavern. On this day, we ate at
Chowning's Tavern. Even though it was unseasonably warm, we decided on soup. I had a hearty bowl of brunswick stew and she selected potato-leek soup. Both were absolutely delicious! We learned that our habit of drinking ice water (with lemon) at mealtimes would have been extremely unlikely during the Colonial period. Such delicacies were reserved for only the most special guests.
Each morning, we had the opportunity to hear an
interpreter portray a patriot. This particular day, we heard from
Colonel George Washington in character from 1775. After speaking on the concerns with the British Parliament's handing down of the tea tax, which was objectional because it represented taxation without representation, he opened the floor for questions from the audience. Princess E was among many who asked questions of the man who would later become our president.
He made one statement which was met with uproarious applause. When asked by a child how much money he made as a member of the House of Burgesses, he replied that the representatives were unpaid, other than a small travel stipend which was not even sufficient to cover the cost of traveling from his home in Mount Vernon. Furthermore, he expressed his belief that representatives should not be paid as it would lead to corruption of those in office.
Well said, Sir. Well said.
During our tour of the Governor's Palace, we had the opportunity to go down into the cellar. It was rather dark and chilly.
We made several trips to the Nursery, where the guide allowed the children to participate in various gardening tasks. In this photo, Princess E is drawing a pail of water from the well, under the close supervision of the gardener.
In this one, she is watering the English cucumbers. I learned that the Colonials did not care for tomatoes as a food; but instead preferred them as ornamental plants.
Princess E had the chance to learn about the pasttimes of Colonial children. Here, she practiced rolling a hoop.
As with the Weaver, there were very few people around and the guide was able to spend time teaching Princess E how to play
Mancala. The game is still around today, although we learned we could make it from supplies at home with just an empty egg carton, 2 small bowls, and 48 little stones, marbles or pebbles.
At the Peyton Randolph house, the table was set for the first course of the dinner (mid-day) meal. Notice the boar's head in the center of the table. Apparently, this was quite the delicacy. For me, personally, anything that can see me, taste me, smell me, or think about me is not edible. Please pass the cabbage, asparagus and ham, thank you very much.
Now, Princess E thoroughly enjoys playing with Lego's. Here, at the Brickmaker, she learned about offsetting bricks to make them stronger. The guide showed us how the brick is formed and then baked.
One of the afternoons, we walked a different route back to the car. The trail took us under the main road, through these arched brick passageways.
This little squirrel sat on the fence and chattered at us. I suspect he was protesting our presence near him.
In all, we had an exciting, educational adventure in Colonial Williamsburg.
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