I’ve never particularly liked travelling with large groups or being told where to go by somebody else. I prefer to find out for myself. Michael Palin Read Quote
I’ve been lucky enough to stand on both poles, but the place that seemed the remotest to me was Butugychag, a former gulag in Siberia. It is completely cut off from the rest of the world. Michael Palin Read Quote
People look for patterns in everything. It’s what keeps us sane, I suppose. I struggle to see any patterns in my life. I think I can understand depression a bit because of my sister. My own feelings of… I’m aware that, if you feel down, it can be strangely unrelated to circumstances around you. That’s just the way life is. Michael Palin Read Quote
People say the most stupid things on the spur of the moment that they then have to retract. Michael Palin Read Quote
I think you learn a lot about a country from its art. To me, it’s part of the drama of life. It teaches you that there are places, moments and incidents in other cultures that genuinely have a life of their own. Michael Palin Read Quote
I’ve never had a particular skill. I can’t cook, dance, play an instrument, speak a foreign language. This used to worry me. I’d think, when I’m grown up, at 18, then I made it 21, it will be clear what role I should have in life. It never happened. I never signed on the dotted line as the sort of adult my father wanted. Michael Palin Read Quote
I’m not your expert on Africa or animals or whatever. I’m not a travel writer or maker of documentaries. I was someone who doesn’t know very much, trying to communicate. Michael Palin Read Quote
I am restless. I don’t mind leaving this comfortable, static life. I could live a year on my own in a remote village. Michael Palin Read Quote
I don’t see why it should be remarkable that you can acquire a reputation for fairness and decency. Those are qualities shared by so many people. And the great majority of people I meet are decent people, just trying to navigate their way through the world without causing too much trouble. Michael Palin Read Quote
