Book tour day seven - Williamsburg

I'm up early. Very early. My train is at 07:45.

I'm meeting Jamie and Paul at Union Station in Washington. They're driving me down to Williamsburg.

20 minutes before arrival, I think about adding Jamie's phine number to my contatcs. Then noice that the battery is dead. Bum. This being an Amtrak train there's a socket by my seat. I start charging it.

Perhaps I should explain here about my phone. It's a US one Martha got for me. $6.95, with 200 minutes credit. A bargain. And dead handy, given all the travelling I'm doing. I start worrying about how I'll contact Paul and Jamie if my phoe is dead. Do pay phones still exist?

My phone hasn't charged. And I'm to technologically-challenegd to work out how to switch it on. Entering the station I'm gobsmacked to see a row of pay phones. They do still exist. Phew.

I won't go into all the excruciating effort it takes to contact Paul and Jamie. Let's just say that it involved two pay phones (the first turned out to be broken) a good deal of walking and the purchase of two newpapers. And a good deal of freezing my arse off. The weather has turned cold again. And it's blowing a gale. But outside the station is still as dazzlingly bright as I remember. Last time here I was virtually blinded.

On the way down to Williamsburg we stop in Joe's Crab Shack in Fredriksburg to eat. I have various seefoody things and a Landshark. Followed by a Boston Lager. The beer selection isn't great.

After checking in to our hotel, we head for Colonial Williamsburg to see Frank Clark. He's arranged everything here and we'll be brewing together tomorrow. I'm dead excited about that. My chance to do some authentic 18th-century-style brewing. Today I have some important form-filling to do. Including one that waives my right to sue, should I be maimed during the brewing process.

We spend the evening in the Green Leafe Cafe, which has a decent range of beer. I drink various things, mostly IPA-like. Though I do throw in something Stouty for variation.

I don't stay up too late. Tomorrow will be an exciting day.










The Home Brewer's Guide to Vintage Beer
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Brewers-Guide-Vintage-Beer/dp/1592538827





Joe's Crab Shack
2805 Plank Rd,
Fredericksburg, VA 22401.
Tel: +1 540-548-3844
http://joescrabshack.com



Green Leafe Cafe
765 Scotland St,
Williamsburg, VA 23185.
Tel: +1 757-220-3405
http://www.greenleafe.com