So much incense

So, the housemates and I went to the Texas Renaissance Festival today. It was Pirate Day, but I don't have a pirate costume, so I somewhat awkwardly wore boring street clothes. Housemate J has a swashbuckling pirate hat, so he fit in nicely.

Why aren't Renaissance festivals featured as Stuff White People Like? Yeesh.

There were a couple of artisans buried amidst everything - a basketmaker, some weavers, a ceramicist who happily said, "I could talk about mud for hours!" Blacksmiths, too. An amusing jousting tournament. And at least one genuine brewpub serving good beer.

But also, throngs of people and waaaay too much incense everywhere.

I appreciated that all of the Faire rides were non-mechanical - swings of various sorts, pleasant and whimsical but not nauseating. And then signs in the junk booths saying you could pay for things via Lord Mastercard or Lady Visa.

I doubt I'll ever go back, but at least the garb was more interesting than what's generally around in this small town.

It all made me want to watch more of this series on the Tudor dynasty, because my impression is that there could have been more opportunities to learn about old technologies than were actualized.

Oh, did you also know that there's such a thing as Renaissance Chinese Food and Renaissance Mexican Food? Me neither.