Xmas in Colonial Williamsburg

At first I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it to Christmas this year.  For whatever reason, my sinuses went into overdrive late last week.  I felt fine through Wednesday and then felt progressively miserable on Thursday and Friday.  Lots of pressure and tightness.  I started taking OTC sinus medication and eventually started to feel better.  Not great but better.

I felt well enough to fly out on the 24th to Norfolk, VA.  I woke up to a shock on the 25th.  I had pink blotches all over my body.  I hadn't felt anything overnight, so I didn't REALLY think it was bedbugs, but I didn't know for sure.  Perhaps it was a reaction to the detergent the hotel used to wash their sheets and towels??  In any case, I looked like a Dalmation - just with pink spots instead of black.  I was only slightly itching so things weren't TOO bad.  I did notify the hotel and they said they would check things out.  (Note:  they did get a professional in who did confirm that there were NO bugs in my room.)

I went ahead and drove to Williamsburg.  It was a lovely drive with lots of scenery to be seen - including a stretch of first bridge and then tunnel, over and under the Chesapeake Bay.  I haven't seen that much water in one place in quite some time.

After getting to Williamsburg, my younger sister and I went to the local emergency room.  (Oddly, all the urgent care places were closed.)  Fortunately there were only a few people there.  None were hacking up lungs and nobody had any unfortunate gaping holes and oozing body fluids.  In slightly over an hour, I had been checked out and told I had a case of hives (and therefore NOT contagious, which the hotel wanted to make sure of).  The culprit was decided to be an OTC herbal supplement that was supposed to help ease my sinus pressure.  It did that, but one or more of the ingredients also cause the hives reaction.  On the plus side, I didn't have bedbugs!!!!

It was good getting together with my sisters and BIL.  Thanks to Pace for taking this photo!

Xmas day we had chilly but sunny weather.  The 26th it rained for most of the day.  Sure made it tough to hold the umbrella against the wind and take photos at the same time.  I changed clothes halfway through the day after the first set got wet.  The 27th was chilly but at least partly sunny.  Much easier to take photos!

I love these three little side-by-side houses.  They're so cute!

Here's a colonial reenactor.  He really seemed to get into his role.  It was a hoot watching him in action.  Here he was in the process of teaching some young men how to bow to the ladies and the ladies how to curtsy in response. 

Here are some decorations.  (In colonial times, they decorated inside the houses but not outside.  These are technically not historically accuate.)  Because we now like to see outside decorations, they do this to make the tourists happy.  All materials are 100% natural materials.  (The guide said the squirrels love this 'buffet' of food.)

These are a couple more reenactors.  You can tell it's a chilly day.

I don't remember which, but this reenactor told one of my sisters that he's worked at Colonial Williamsburg for something like 30+ years.  He was working on a rabbit stew - in an open pot over an open fire.  Later he was going to make cabbage cakes.  (He said these are sort of like potato cakes except using cabbage.)  His wife works down the street at the apothecary's office.  (I asked if she had anything for my hives.  She recommended calamine lotion.)

I am glad we decided to do this.  We had a yummy dinner on Xmas night at the hotel.  On the 26th we went to the Trellis restaurant.  I had the pork loin.  OMG - that was some yummy meat!   It makes my taste buds smile just thinking about it!

There were a few hiccups along the way.  Hives, followed by being out and about on a rainy day that would have had New Mexicans building arks.  But - according to G.K. Chesterton, an inconvenience rightly considered is an adventure.  We definitely had an adventure.  (And the hotel staff at the Williamsburg Lodge felt so sorry for my Dalmation-spotted self, they upgraded my room.  It was lovely!)  When the sun finally came out late in the afternoon on the 26th, there was a gorgeous rainbow to be seen from my window.

I hope all of you had a great Xmas as well.
Papillon