We visited the cabinetmaking shop and I was a little bit surprised that there were no water powered tools. This is a lathe and it looks like it’s foot powered. The shop repairs furniture but the bulk of their “business” is making suitable furniture for use within the village. Such as chairs that look like the originals but can actually be used.
Another stop was in the kitchen of the Govenor’s Palace. At this time they were demonstrating how they take the cacao pod and make chocolate bars. These bars are not candy bars but closer to cooking or baking chocolate and used for drinks. Such as in milk, water, and wine. Due to the caffeine content, it was never given to children. Chocolate was an adult beverage.
We also toured the Palace. The tour guide said that intimidation was the intent. Not only from the number of swords and muskets in this, the first room a visitor would enter. Flanking this room is the parlor on one side and the butler’s pantry on the other. Other rooms were decorated with velvet wallpaper and gold leaf covered paper mâché trim. The implied meaning was if we (England) could afford to decorate our houses like this just imagine how we could throw money defeating whatever uprising you can come up with.
The swords in the entryway were both these with the basket style guards as well as simpler ones with brass hilts. It was a very impressive display.
This is the Martha Washington character during the time when George Washington was a major. Lots of stories. At this time, we were in the kitchen garden with terraced gardens.
We visited Williamsburg in 1992 and recognize some of the scenes you have captured like the display of weaponry in the Palace. We had also visited DC, NYC, Statue of Liberty and Gettysburg on that trip. As we headed south from Gettysburg or Williamsburg, whichever one is the most south, one of the boys asked if were done seeing dead people. I think they had reached history saturation. To which I said, yes, next stop is Disney World. There was much rejoicing.
ReplyDeleteWilliamsburg is further south and I understand the boys reaction. I got that as well from kids after trips to multiple sites that the viewed as “educational”.
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