George Washington's britches

Williamsburg, VA -- With careful, tiny stitches using flax thread, the craftsman worked on the supple deerskin leather as a pair of wheat-coloured knee-length britches took shape on his work table. He was just one of a series of artisans we visited through the day on our tour of Colonial Williamsburg. The britches would soon be worn by George Washington -- well, his impersonator -- in a dramatic presentation to audiences of school kids, families, and retirees like us in the coming season.

It's a great way to absorb American history -- in a living village of costumed colonials with a wealth of information to share. We took the short drive from our campground this morning, having donned our sturdy walking shoes and Tilley hats, and having consulted the weather forecast. It promised a high in the upper eighties -- in great contrast to yesterday -- and we were ready.

It was not an overly busy day, so it was easy to pop in and out of various historic sites and watch people at work. We chatted with a wheelmaker, who told us about the strength and grain of different woods as he smoothed the spokes of a large wagon wheel with a rasp. Then it was a chocolate-making expert, grinding roasted cocoa nibs on a hot stone into a glorious, thick mass of molten deliciousness.

Some of our visits were guided tours, and at one of them the guide asked if anyone had been to Williamsburg before. One said five years ago, one a couple of years, then I said "fifty years!" -- which in fact was wrong; it was actually more like sixty years since my last visit! Yikes! Am I that old?? But yes, when we lived in Washington, DC in the fifties, our family made the trip to Williamsburg. I must confess I didn't recognize much, but I'm sure it's probably a totally different place from those days.

They say it takes at least one full day to see everything. We saw a lot, but we certainly only scratched the surface. Still, it was great to chat with artisans of every type, and to stroll on the shady streets as ox carts or horse-drawn carriages clip-clopped by. We stopped in at Chowning's Tavern for a tasty lunch with a stein of ale and a meal made with fresh, locally grown ingredients.

Some of the buildings are accessible to ticket-holders like us, while others -- like the taverns and gift shops -- are commercial establishments anyone can visit. They had lovely wooden utensils, silver jewelry, old-fashioned toys like penny whistles and rag dolls, and linen napkins that are one yard square. That was one thing I did remember from the last time; we ate at a restaurant where the servers tied huge yard-square napkins around our necks, practically drowning us kids in cloth folds! The tri-corner hats were another souvenir my brothers acquired those long years ago. Nowadays, each one costs $30! There were lovely Christmas tree ornaments but I wasn't willing to part with $25 for a little tin carriage, so we kept our wallets in our pockets.

By day's end, we had hit 86 humid degrees, and I was grateful for the occasional water fountain on the grounds, disguised behind wooden barrels. I was also glad I didn't have to spend the day in a long mutton-sleeved dress, apron and bonnet!