Pictures from Colonial Williamsburg

About two weeks ago, my parents and I visited Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. I had a wonderful time, and it was fascinating to see how many things I recognized from the OUTLANDER books. I thought I'd share a few examples:

This first picture comes from the apothecary shop in Williamsburg. There was a small room off the main part of the shop, roped off so you couldn't get inside. The medicine chest with the little drawers looks exactly like the one that Jamie gives Claire as an anniversary gift in DRUMS OF AUTUMN. [g] My parents didn't understand my excitement at seeing it, until I explained where I'd seen one like it before. Can't you just imagine Claire sitting here?

We had lunch one day in the cafeteria of the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum (fascinating place, if you ever get a chance to visit). Directly across from the cafeteria, there was a display of 18th century firearms. Including a fowling piece (the shorter one near the bottom with the odd-looking barrel). I was fascinated, since I had never actually seen one before, and knew the term only from the OUTLANDER books. ("Ohhh!" I said when I saw it. "So that's what they look like!") And again, my parents sort of looked on, bemused, but humoring me. [g]

This picture is a closeup from that same firearms display. What caught my eye here were the devices for molding lead balls. I think maybe the smaller one with the wooden handles could be similar to the one Jamie uses in ABOSAA, when he's talking with Major MacDonald. And notice the bayonet in this picture. That blade looks really dangerous, doesn't it?

This picture was taken just after our arrival in the historical section of Williamsburg on our first full day there. We saw this man leading a pair of oxen across the street almost directly in front of us. (Definitely a sight you don't see every day!) There are in fact a pair of them in this picture, although you can't really tell unless you look closely. I like the way the ox is looking directly into the camera.

And finally, here is a picture of Patrick Henry (no, he's not a relative of mine, though our family does like to jokingly claim him as a relation anyway [g]). We saw him do a 45-minute lecture and Q&A, and he was terrific!

I love the way the re-enactors stay in character no matter what bizarre question you ask them. When we were there, they were re-enacting events from 1774. Someone asked one of the re-enactors his opinion on the Revolution, and he looked quite shocked at the prospect. "Revolution?! What sort of treasonous nonsense is that?" [g]

It was a great trip, and I hope you enjoy these pictures!