New Europe

Doesn't add anything to the tv series. Is it me, or is Michael Palin obsessed with what he eats? He spend most of his diaries telling what he had been eating...

It would be difficult to separate the book from the television series, better titled "A series too far". Even the "New Europe" title suggests the belated discovery of a part of the continent which an increasing number of people had already been visiting for some years.
"We need to do a new

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series."
"Must we? Where could we go."
"How about the new Europe?"
"What new Europe?"
"The East, the Balkans - nobody knows about it yet."
"Really?"
Predictably, the result was a lame series. I awaited the accompanying book with interest - although not too much interest - to see whether the flaw was a presenter whose heart wasn't in it, or bad research, or bad editing. This is still not entirely clear.

The book does clarify a number of things. Palin really does believe that Sarajevans can't stop talking about the war once they start. Or, given the stereotypic fare on offer, is it that Palin can't stop thinking about it? Yes, as the series showed (or didn't show), even though the referendum on Montenegrin independence (and its likely outcome) was known about well in advance - and the production team were aware of it - the intrepid visitors to the 'new' Europe sailed right on past its newest country. Still, this did give Palin more time to be rude about Tirana.

It now seems the television series was rather misleading about Macedonia. It may have been a little confusing to see Palin step off a boat from Albania - come on; it's much simpler to drive round the north of the lake and that's what you did - on the shore in Ohrid and be in Bulgaria in a matter of seconds. In reality, the team did actually spend some time in Macedonia. Sadly, a country of spectacular scenery, full of history and art, whose fragmentation could potentially have caused more mayhem in the Balkans than the Bosnian war, was edited out, (except from the tally of countries visited). And L'viv genuinely was too wet to bother with much. (Fortunately, the people from UNESCO must have been there on a fine day.) And....

But let's be positive. At least 'New Europe' reminds us that there is a country called Moldova where it is worth spending a little time.

The book came out in paperback at £7.99. It is now available in some charity shops at 50p. It was worth the wait.

[The elevated two star rating reflects the book's clarifications, the acknowledgement of the existence of Macedonia and a little worthwhile stuff about Moldova.]

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Michael Palin (1943- ), English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter experienced what he terms ‘New Europe’ in his 2006-2007 travel through twenty countries of Eastern Europe including Slovenia; Croatia; Bosnia; Albania; Bulgaria; Turkey; Moldova; Romania; Serbia; Hungary; Ukraine;

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Latvia; Lithuania; Russia; Poland; Slovakia and Germany. Documented is an inspirational and significant journey of discovery. He says, ‘with the Cold War over and the Iron Curtain lifted, there was the prospect of being able to travel through once-forbidden lands; of making a voyage of discovery on my own doorstep’ (p. 6). Palin talks about this New Europe, describing countries with a ‘clear sense of their own identity’ (p. 6). He states that, ‘for the first time in a thousand years, the old Europe of domination and conflict has been replaced by a new Europe of co-operation (p. 7). This book is incredibly interesting and complemented by a wonderful selection of photographs from his journey.

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The author, one of the foremost and best-known travel writers and TV hosts, explores the inner regions of Eastern Europe in this remarkable volume. Even short tour itineraries leave us bemused and confused as to which country we are in and the date and time; here Palin pulls off a most difficult

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challenge, travelling through some 20 countries over a period of over four months. He not only remembers where he went and where he stayed in each country (not limiting himself to the capital cities or main tourist tracks), but he is also able to draw brilliant word sketches of the people and their personalities and quirks, manages to become an active participant in their customs and activities, and accesses a range of economic and political classes and their experiences and views. Perhaps the most eloquent and moving parts, perhaps the very motivation of the whole journey, are the passages on the tragedy of the Second World War and the Holocaust. The volume has a nice schematic route map, color photographs on every page, and comes with very high quality paper, printing, binding and production.

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