ajmatt blog

Yesterday Matt and I drove 6 hours to the Outer Banks in North Carolina in an enormous (rental) SUV that had six cupholders accessible from the front seat. Really, what more do you need in life? (Maybe also to average more than 15 miles per gallon.)
Along the way we passed:

The Stonewall Jackson Shrine
A hitchhiker with [...]

(There is no continuity in this entry. I jump around from language, to museums, to duck ponds, to hockey. Hope it makes sense.)
Visiting Montréal is like a little trip to Paris (not that I’ve ever been there)—but a shorter flight and without the jet lag. The city has a European feel, tons of French food, [...]

…is ajmatt blog? I’ll give you a hint: it’s cold.

Give up? We’re in Montréal!
Why Montréal in the dead of winter? Matt enjoys giving the gift of surprise travel. He’s been tormenting me for weeks now with dead-end hints about where we’re going. Pack warm clothes… but maybe we’re going to the Caribbean. Leave your car [...]

After our delicious Christmas dinner, Allegra and I decided to take a walk through Hyde Park. We weren’t the only ones with the idea, particularly as the weather was so enjoyable.

We ended up in Knightsbridge, admiring the lights on Harrods.

On the following day, Boxing Day in the UK, as is our usual fashion, we [...]

I realize I used this title for Thanksgiving, but… that’s what they say here, especially the proper Brits who greet us on the elevator at our hotel. The abundance of politeness soothes my soul.
We had a lovely Christmas day, complete with a secret Santa, lots of food and champagne, and a long walk through Hyde [...]

Yesterday was a shopping day for most of us in London. Matt and I braved the Christmas Eve crowd at the Knightsbridge Harrods, and hit an alley of bookstores. And by that, I mean the entire alley was lined with bookstores, almost entirely used, and many of them rare/antiquarian.

We all went to dinner at a [...]

While Allegra and Grandma Price were off to Chawton, Grandpa Price, Pop-Pop, Mom, Dad, and I braved the typical London fog and headed to Greenwich to see the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum. We headed to the London Bridge station and caught the overground train for a quick 7min ride to Greenwich.

After [...]

And so much more:

[Click photo to see the big version, which reads: "Jane Austen lived here from 1809-1817 and hence all her works were sent into the world. Her admirers in this country and in America have united to erect this tablet. Such art as hers can never grow old.]
Matt’s grandmother and I visited the [...]

Pop-Pop: You haven’t seen the last of me!
Allegra: I like doors. Short doors, tall doors, oddly shaped doors… all doors are cool.
Allegra: When will Matt rescue me from Henry VIII?
Matt: Crossbow slits are awesome.

ajmatt blog is in London for Christmas! We’re with Matt’s family, for a total of nine travelers.
Matt shoots covertly as the clan ascends from the tube.

Generation Yers act like tourists. Baby Boomers look away in embarrassment.

We were on the way to the Tower of London. Guts and intrigue in the queue.