barns.blog

Having recently recounted the tale of my recent voyage round the Mediterranean, I would like to share some comments on being well travelled. First, rhetorically, what defines being well travelled?

I have been most fortunate to have travelled fairly widely and seen many fascinating things, but can I ever see them all. My favourite television programmes at the moment are the different travel series presented by the intrepid BBC explorer Michael Palin, and while sitting relishing in his commentary I came to the brutal conclusion that you could spend a lifetime exploring the world and only experience a minority of it.

If I set out from any point in the world, I could circumnavigate the world many times, visiting the same places and never see it all, experience all the cultures and just as I had succeeded, history would have made my visit defunct.

Fortunately, explorers like Michael Palin bring us the opportunity to witness things which we would otherwise never see. Michael has written a book to go with each of his journeys, read them online (at no charge) here.