Where to start? Today was our first day in Colonial Williamsburg, the theme park. No, actually, it wasn't a theme park - it was a fantastic representation of what Williamsburg really looked like in the late 18th century, when so much momentous stuff was happening in Virginia.
The day started badly - alarm clock set for 6.30 am so we could be at the visitor center in time to convert our certificates into tickets and reach the 9 am orientation walk. We nearly made it - I woke Carol at 7.05! We did actually get away by 8.20 and were in plenty of time for the first orientation walk of the day. The little old lady who walked us into battle (!) was a fount of information and obviously in love with what she did- a good omen. The trees in Palace Green include catalpa and were selected and positioned according to the will of Thomas Jefferson as he wanted trees that were indigenous to Virginia and Ohio.
Rather than provide a blow by blow account of our day, I will provide a taste in the hope that you will sense our enjoyment. We were, after all, in CW for close on 8 hours!
Our particular favourite moments were the re-enactments – CW is full of people dressed, approximately in some cases, in the fashion of the times; some are actors who, convincingly, act out their part as a particular character of the time, some are “ordinary folk”. It sounds vaguely Disney-ish, I know, but, trust me, it’s miles better. The first example of this was when we visited the kitchen of the Governor’s Palace to find a man dressed in character in front of a range (of its time) with examples of food of the time on a table in front of him. Rather than being a custodian, a la National Trust, perhaps , he expounded on all manner of topics relating to food and cooking at the time.
We then went into the palace gardens to watch “A Public Audience with Thomas Jefferson”- an actor came into the garden and proceeded to dazzle us all with his part in the history of revolutionary America and the principles behind the American Declaration of Independency. Dazzling, indeed!
We walked down to the Wyth House where we learned of his part in setting up America’s first law school (which Thomas Jefferson attended for 4 years) and his being a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. We also saw a demonstration of basket weaving!
Then it was down to the Kimball Theatre for another re-enactment tour-de-force – “A Conversation with President Washington”. Again, an actor playing a part but, boy, how he did it! Rather than declaiming on some appropriate topic – he invited questions from the audience! How do they do this?! The tone, the style and, as far as we could tell, the content were spot on – bravo!
By now, we were hungry – but not as hungry as we would have needed to be to finish the tuna melt sandwiches we ordered.
Our next appointment (we’d had to book) was an event titled “Working the Soil, Healing the Soul” –probably my favourite event of the day. 2 obviously qualified and committed guys (conveniently black?) talked the party through, and showed by actions, what life for a slave on a plantation was like. No holds barred, no pussyfooting about – they told it straight. Frightening what men could do to fellow men (but, of course, they didn’t see them that way). I will no longer think of spirituals as just negro songs – I will remember their role in regulating the group’s work rate so they all had a chance of survival.
Then the most potentially Disney-ish (but, actually, very stirring) bit – Revolutionary City, as they call it. Essentially, this is a series of tableaux played out by actors on Duke of Gloucester Street. The arrest and trial of a drunkard for apparent sedition; an actor playing Edmund Randolph talking to a few of us on benches of his history and future roles; a reading of the Declaration of Independence, accompanied by a band of fifes and drums (must have driven them mad if that’s all the music they had!)
Back to Fresh Market for ribeye steak and chicken Vienna (then Farm Fresh for ice cold beer and cider). Dinner and drinks....oblivion, yet again!
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