After the capitol we walked over to the Wythe house, passing gardens and houses on the way. There was also a family group that were all dressed colonial – the mom had made all their outfits! They were drawing a lot of attention!
We were glad to get to the Wythe house, as it’s not open every day. George Wythe was a lawyer and a professor at the college of William and Mary. Also, W. A. R. Goodwin, the man responsible for the ideas of restoring the 18th century capitol (Colonial Williamsburg) lived in that house when he was the priest at Bruton Parish Church. He was also responsible for enticing John D Rockefeller Jr. to invest in the renovation.
Since we were ‘right there’, we next went to the palace for a tour. The first interesting thing we learned was that when chewing gum is smashed onto the bricks or walkways, it cannot be scraped off. The entire section or pathway had to be removed and replaced, which is very costly. So dispose of your gum respectfully! As we walked up to the entrance there was a carriage driving past. We also walked past the Theatre, and popped in for a few minutes to watch the end of an 18th century performance.
We had a few minutes until it was time to meet Mr. Washington (Colonel) at the Charlton Stage. Low and behold we met Mrs. Washington riding her horse in front of the Kings Arms Tavern! It was so lovely to see her again! As previously mentioned, both Kathy and I have a sweet fondness for the Washingtons. We stopped and chatted for a few moments before heading over to visit with her husband.
Colonel Washington was SO entertaining and informative! He engaged so well with the crowd and shared so many personal and professional conversations. Once the formal presentation was finished, he walked out to the street and stood by the sidewalk for about 40 additional minutes! He is so informed and educated and shared information (especially about slavery) that I did not know. He was – and IS – a great man of knowledge and compassion and integrity. I’m in love! Please don’t tell Martha… I know this is a photo dump but I can’t help myself. I have several more, as well!
(You can see we were up close!)
We tore ourselves away and let the Colonel get back to his affairs (no, I wasn’t one of them!), and we walked back down the street toward the center of town. The Printer’s was open and we stopped in there just before they closed for the evening.
Our next stop was to Christiana Campbell’s Tavern (George Washington’s favorite tavern in Williamsburg), where we had reservations. It’s right across from the Blue Bell. We were seated on the second floor and we both ordered fish and seasonal veggies. Along with that came Spoon Bread and Sweet Potato Muffins. The recipe is from Thomas Jefferson’s personal cookbook according to the menu.
The meal was plentiful and we did not order dessert, but instead decided to take a walk. We took to the side streets and went in a huge circle, past the Williamsburg Inn, Bassett Hall, the windmill, and through a parking lot that bordered a field of horses and oxen.
It was falling on dusk when we got back. We sat on a bench outside of Chownings Tavern (which is closed until July) and people-watched and talked. We did take a walk in a loop around Duke of Gloucester street which was magical – street lights and candles glowing and flickering in the dusk.
We finally went inside the Market Square Tavern to our room to drop off our sweaters and purses, and I took off my shoes and put on slippers. We went down to the Common Room and played Scrabble for a while. Guess who won??? KATH! She’s the queen of playing games. We snuggled into bed and settled into a good night’s sleep. Such delightful peace and in a (again) magical place. I could live there.
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TOMORROW May 3rd is: – LOTS to choose from so choose wisely.
National SAN Architect Day; National Bike to School Day; National Paranormal Day; National Montana Day; National Garden Meditation Day; National Specially-abled Pets Day; National Lumpy Rug Day; National Textiles Day; National Skilled Trades Day; National Interpreters Appreciation Day; National Two Different Colored Shoes Day; World Press Freedom Day; National Raspberry Popover Day; National Chocolate Custard Day.
As my sister is an interpreter I will celebrate her! Who better to honor than my sister! And maybe spend some time in the garden. God bless…
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