Paulvic Table Of Contents
 

Travel stories and pictures, grouped by region:

Paris: 
In May 2005 we spent a week in Paris and Vicki wrote about it. In spring and summer, 2003, Paul had a haircut in Paris. Vicki wrote about a Sunday stroll around Paris, and about a sensational lunch at La Madeleine, in Sens, an hour out of town. Paul wrote about Bastille Day in Paris and about a trip to Rouen, in Normandy, also an hour out of town.

Paul had a fun time at a wine and poetry reading, and was bewildered at a Paris fashion show. Know what comes in a "small glass" in Paris?  Read on about this 2002 experiment.  Read also about Paul's favorite sculpture by Rodin, Play Day in Paris, an olive-oil tasting that will have you slurping in no time, the story of the Presidential mailman, and why the French have traffic jams on election day.  

Read about our temporary Paris apartment in March, 2002, with an ambience of old-lady kitch. If you're coming to Paris to join the fun, try one of our favorite restaurants.

We lived in Paris from April, 1998 to September, 1999. Read about our first Paris Christmas, some facts about our lives in Paris, what Paul discovered in a 1960 Fodor's guide to Paris, Paul's haircut in the Arab quarter, and ten French surprises.  

Rest of France:
If you have broadband click for pictures of our late May, 2004 trip to the southwest of France. In April 2003 Paul and Vicki discovered a special restaurant in Montpellier, France. Paul likes to gamble with children; check out the result in King for a Day.  Here's a report of our July, 1998 trip to Normandie, in the northwest of France, to celebrate Bastille day.
Rest of Europe:
In late 1999 we traveled to Spain and Portugal.  Read about our trip to a steak house, and points beyond, in Pamplona. About a visit to the home of the conquistadors in Trujillo, some desperate men, and riding the bus in Badajoz. About a hot Saturday night in Lisbon, Portugal. About bars and eateries and the global village, including Fat Frank's Fryer, in Portugal's Algarve.
Southeast Asia:

Vicki wrote about her visit to a rice farming village in August, 2006. She also wrote a piece on the cremation of a Thai friend's grandmother, and a picture essay on Chiang Mai's Sunday night market.

Paul wrote about taking the overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in June, 2005. We went to Laos in August, 2005 and 2004, click here to see pictures, and here to read Vicki's story about contrasts over there. In August, 2004 Vicki also wrote about a jade buddha and about a visit to a Thai village. Check out pictures of the village here and Paul's pictures from a July, 2004 morning in Chiang Mai's big market.

Read Vicki's November 2002 report from Bangkok and December 2002 review of "sanook". We spent most of 2001 in Thailand.  We left for a short trip to Australia, though, and when we returned to Thailand we found a lot of changesRead Vicki's pieces on changing attitudes, called You Take It With You; on a Thai cremation; on Thai food called Not Hot, Not Thai; on eating out in Singapore; on Bangkok's sidewalks; about some temple visits; and about where to buy your next sweater. Read Paul's story on killer garbage, why Paul looks so old, the truth about Bangkok taxis, about a festival in Chiang Mai, and about Paul's rafting trip on the Kok river . You can also read about our typical day in Chiang Mai.

Read Paul's travel narratives from Laos, April, 2000, including a riverboat in the Golden Triangle, the living, breathing, 19th century city of Louang Prabang, and the capital, Vientiane.

Many years ago Paul did a hill-tribe trek and was propositioned by one of the locals.

Latin America:
In February, 2008, we crewed on a sailboat through the Panama Canal, it was high drama, read Vicki's report on the trip here . In early 2004 Paul wrote about Argentina's General Urquiza, a man whose idea of getting something done was calling up his army, and about getting a Paraguayan visa. In March 2004 he wrote about his view of Buenos Aires in the new century. In late 2003 Paul wrote about a wine salon in Buenos Aires, and about a polo match at the Buenos Aires polo grounds. Paul also received a revealing graph of Argentine economic performance over the past 100 years or so. In April 2003 Paul wrote about a small town in Entre Rios province, in Argentina.

We lived in Mexico in the 1990s, where you can still enjoy yourself at the Gavilan, the best little cantina in Chapala, Mexico.

On December 12, 1999, we flew to Cancun, Mexico, and found to our surprise that there was no one there.  From Cancun we took three months to wander through Mexico. Read about the simple charms--very simple--of Campeche, in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Read about a conversation with a beach vendor in Puerto Escondido. This one's a tear jerker, but it's real life among Mexico's poor.

In 1991 we visited a friend's mansion in Santa Fe, Venezuela.  Before that Paul and Finnish friends spent time at an informal casino in Concepcion, Paraguay.

Africa:
In 1999 we made a whirlwind trip to Morocco, a fine country where you can get a haircut at midnight.

In 1990 Paul and friend Steve Ashman traveled around French West Africa.  Read about a meat-skewering money-changer in Bamako, Mali; and mud huts in the Dogon country.

U.S. and Canada:
Read here about a visit to a supermarket in Lafayette, Louisiana.
 

 

Other things to read:

Vicki's contemplation page:

Vicki has put together some contemplation, or self-inquiry, pages with introductory essays, techniques, and general writings on contemplation. In November, 2007, Vicki gave a talk in Montevideo, Uruguay, on the internal, mental work to do before you retire abroad.
Ideas on retirement:
We're retired, so what do we do all day? Body work.

We're PTs, perpetual travelers. PT means never having to say you're homesick. Click here for an International Living article Paul wrote about being a PT. 

Vicki put together some FAQS about our retirement. For another take on early retirement, click on the Retire Early home page.  The New York Times recently asked six people, including a 36 year old, why they retired when they did. The Times also wrote a piece about how to get rid of your stuff.

Other ideas:
What does the year 2002 promise for Southeast Asia? Paul wrote his ideas on the subject in an article in International Living. Read it here.

In December, 1997, Paul wrote an article called The Ten Worst Offshore Travel Tips of 1998.  Most of these tips are still valid today.

A few more pictures:
Here's a picture, taken on August 28, 2000, in Burlington, Vermont, by our friend Howard Goldberg.  Our friend Schulte took a picture of Vicki in Quebec's Rue Cartier district, summer 2000, a picture of Howard Goldberg and Paul in front of the nearby Montmorency falls, and more pictures of Paul and Vicki here, here, and here.

Here's a picture of Paul in Aspen, Vicki and friend Anne DesJardins leaving Paris, Vicki, Paul, and friend Taty Rybak posing in Paris. The Paris pictures were taken by John DesJardins. The Aspen picture was taken at the Eris Conference.

Friends and Family:

Doug Casey writes a financial newsletter called International Speculator.

Mark Skousen has a new book, The Making of Modern Economics.  Click for Mark Skousen's home page.

Bill Bonner writes a daily, free email called The Daily Reckoning.

Gilbert Ganne wrote the definitive book on trains across Correze, in central France.

Other:
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