Vagabonding Through Retirement: Unusual Travels Far From Our Paris Houseboat

by Bill Mahoney, Ina Garrison Mahoney

Vagabonding Through Retirement chronicles the adventures of Bill and Ina, an engaging, globe-trotting couple who enjoy getting off the beaten track, meeting people, and exploring how regular folks live around the world, from Laos to Bolivia to Ukraine, just after the Soviet Union breaks apart. Central to their travels is Bill's passion for learning new languages, which he does in exchange for English and French lessons. Ina puts up with this habit because it attracts interesting people. However, Bill's passions for boats and prisons must be tempered by Ina's interest in exploring landscapes and cultures. Their jostling over the itinerary is a source of humor throughout the book. Although it is a book about retirement travel, the adventurous nature of the two narrators makes this unique travel memoir of interest to anyone who enjoys reading about faraway places, diverse cultures, and unusual experiences.

Genres: Travel

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 21, 2015

Reviews

[Randal White · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a fantastic idea for a book! Who wouldn't want to travel through Europe, with their home base a houseboat in Paris? A can't fail book? Unfortunately, in this case the authors have proved me wrong. The relating of their adventures was painful to digest. They just couldn't flesh out one story satisfactorily before launching into another, unrelated avenue. Sometimes in the same paragraph! Maybe it made sense to the authors, as they were there, but it was extremely painful to try to follow. I am very disappointed that a good editor did not intercept this and send it back for a rewrite. I received this book for an early review from NetGalley, and am sorry to have to write such a disappointing one, but I have to be honest. This is one of the worst books that I have read in a number of years.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a good book at all. I had a hard time following it and couldn't wait to read the last page. 1 star.