It has been a few years since I’ve been to one of Michael Palin’s talks. I think the last one was for his diaries as the last installment came out.
This tour is about his latest travel exploits to North Korea and Iraq for Channel 5 (available to stream on My5 -plug plug-)
Each half of the show covers a separate trip and it was fascinating to get an insight into visiting these countries that we really know little about.
I think the North Korea trip sounds the more interesting from the point of view of the people and what they were and weren’t allowed to film/ask. But seeing some of the ancient Mesopotamian sights in Iraq as well as the legacy of war and dictators was fascinating too.
All this information was delivered Michael’s trademark observations and a liberal smattering of Python references, though for me his brief but wistful reminiscences of travelling on the dhow for Around The World In 80s Days was a highlight because it’s also my favourite part of that particular trip.
