| Title | : | The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold: Adventures Along the Iron Curtain Trail |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1473522854 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781473522855 |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 |
| Publication | : | First published May 5, 2016 |
Asking for trouble and getting it, Moore sets off from the northernmost Norwegian-Russian border at the Arctic winter’s brutal height, bullying his plucky MIFA 900 through the endless sub-zero desolation of snowbound Finland. Sleeping in bank vaults, imperial palaces and unreconstructed Soviet youth hostels, battling vodka-breathed Russian hostility, Romanian landslides and a diet of dumplings, Moore and his ‘so-small bicycle’ are sustained by the kindness of reindeer farmers and Serbian rock gods, plus a shameful addiction to Magic Man energy drink.
Haunted throughout by the border detritus of watchtowers and rusted razor wire, Moore reflects on the curdling of the Communist dream, and the memories of a Cold War generation reared on the fear of apocalypse—at a time of renewed East-West tension. After three months, twenty countries and a fifty-eight degree jaunt up the thermostat, man and bike finally wobble up to a Black Sea beach in Bulgaria, older and wiser, but mainly older.
The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold: Adventures Along the Iron Curtain Trail Reviews
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Growing up as a teenager in the 1980’s the cold war and the Soviet threat was very real indeed. The whole system imploded at the end of that decade and the Iron Curtain that separated Western Europe from Communist bloc for decades was drawn aside. This physical and ideological border stretched from the Black Sea all the way up to the Barents Sea on the Finnish border with the USSR. This continental wide border is now the route for Eurovelo 13 (EV13) a 10,400km trail that passes through 20 different countries, countless monuments and a huge variety of landscapes of the countries that once were opposed.
It was this route that Tim Moore sets out to cycle. Not on a fancy bike though, oh no, the one he has chosen is a two geared, tiny two wheeled shopping bike. His velocipede of choice is a MIFA 900, a bike made in the GDR with broadly similar attributes to that of the Trabant. For some mad reason he was starting on the Russian Norwegian border in the midst of an Arctic winter.
Ambitious? Definitely, but what could possibly go wrong…
The route he takes is littered by the long forgotten and sinister paraphernalia of a once impenetrable border; razor wire, rusting towers and abandoned checkpoints. Cycling on the snow on a properly prepared bike is hard enough, but riding on this remnant of the GDR it is really tough going. He is kept in high spirits by the kindness of strangers, sleeps in hotels and hostels and occasionally peoples spare rooms. His tenacity to keep pedalling is matched only by his addiction to the Magic Man energy drink with its warming addition. He meets all sorts of characters on his journey, all affected by the change as the region changed from Communist control to modern Europe and free borders.
I have read all of Moore’s other books, so I was really looking forward to this. He manages to dream up some quirky and unusual travels, walking across Spain with a donkey, locating those that have had the ignominy of getting ‘nul points’ in the Eurovision and rediscovering his inner Roman in the re-enactment world. He is ever so slight nutty, and this makes for very funny moments in his travels. His self-depreciating attitude means that he rubs along with most people he meets, and give us a series of amusing anecdotes too. It was well worth reading as have been all his others. It didn't quite reach French Revolutions though which is still one of the funniest book I have ever read. -
Cycling insanity through snow, ice, angry villagers, drunken drivers, award worthy pot holes, language failures, dark ruins, mad dogs, hunger and extreme physical exhaustion. Insane it might have been, but it was the best non trip I’ve taken. The historical knowledge and visions were better than any history class I’ve attended. The reality of the aftermath of the communist cold war is not something I had ever even thought of before. The best part, I didn't get a sore bum riding the trail.
This was my first Tim More adventure and it will not be my last. This was a dark trip through history, there is little light to be found in that history. Mr Moore brought some lightness with his brisk humor and honesty. His observations are not something I think I would notice on a trip, I enjoyed his views very much. I would suggest reading this while googling the places to see the landscape he traveled it is amazing, -
The eccentric British madman who’s been called “Bill Bryson on two wheels,” cycles 10,000km along the length of the old Iron Curtain on a shopping bike (two gears and 20" wheels). Starting from Finland, in winter. I’m not kidding.
Following French Revolutions (riding the Tour de France route in out of shape middle age) and Gironimo! (Giro d'Italia on a vintage bike with wooden wheels), Moore's publisher and wife need to intervene because it's difficult to see how he ups his game at this point. Unicycling to Patagonia? Riding a penny farthing through Syria? Given his genius for combining unusual travel and history with comedic flair, I’ll always be happy to travel with Moore (from my armchair) wherever he chooses to go. -
Been a fan of the author for years, but forced to admit this one I found mildly disappointing. Had the feel of being cranked out to fulfill a book proposal contract, where the historical details and bike-specific details were of limited interest. Started off very slow in Finland, but gained traction (old traveling Tim returned) once he got to Russia.
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First things first. Stop comparing Moore with Bill bloody Bryson (who has turned into something of a bitter grumpy ol' git). The nearest comparison would be someone like Charlie Connelley.
Second: I tweeted that I'd just finished The Silmarillion and had started this and TIM MOORE TWEETED ME A BOROMIR MEME BACK IN REPLY. *swoon* That really really made my day (Tim - if you're reading this - I'm going through a bit of a shitty time at work and have a horrible commute. I was grinning like a lunatic when I saw that reply. Plus I <3 Boromir too so...)
here it is. Just because i can.
https://twitter.com/mrtimmoore/status...
Anyhoo. I'm not going into the whys and wherefores of this latest cycling oddessy but needless to say it's part-travelogue part social-coment part-complete-rambling but it's fantastic. A great read.
I'm well acquainted with Germans and Austrians and Moore is spot on with those, so i'm guessing he's spot on with all the others.
But that bike. Seriously? (and is it really in the MIFA museum? i have to visit) -
Tim Moore sets off on his daftest adventure yet: cycling along the former Iron Curtain on an old East German shopping bike. He survives the 8'700km fueled by curiosity, boneheadedness and dubious energy drinks, and describes the ordeal in self-depreciating prose reminiscent of the early Bill Bryson. At one point he describes his decision to stop for the day as 'apart from vowing not to have more children and buying a cordless hedge trimmer, the only sensible decision he has taken since reaching middle-age'.
For no good reason whatsoever, he starts in Kirkenes in northern Norway in March, which means that he had to cycle through Finland in the snowiest part of winter, and arrives at the Black Sea at the height of summer, with the temperature going from -15° to +45°.
The woefully inadequate bike miraculously survives the journey, but doubts still linger concerning the sanity of the author. -
3.5
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As a cyclist, I found this book interesting and applaud the massive effort and endurance undertaken; however, it wasn't really humorous, or maybe I enjoy a different type of humor. I can't recall laughing once throughout the book, not that it mattered as I was far more interested in following the route and the adventure, plus I enjoyed reading all the historical aspects.
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Anybody familiar with any of Tim Moore’s previous travelogues – such as cycling the full route of the Tour de France in “French Revolutions”, or walking the entire length of the Camino with a recalcitrant donkey – will know that the man is quite clearly a lunatic. For his latest adventure in “The cyclist who went out in the cold”, Moore has elected to ride the 10,000km route of the old Iron Curtain on a clapped-out East German DDR-era shopping bike.
While Tim Moore is primarily known as a humourist, I found “The cyclist …” to be somewhat more sombre than many of his previous travelogues. This is almost inevitable due to the route Moore has chosen for this journey, because of the fraught political history of the Iron Curtain and the huge ideological and geographical divisions it represented. But Moore proves adept at describing the historical horrors of the countries he passes through, whether it be the barbarism of Russia’s invasion of Finland in 1939-40, the frenzied paranoia of the East German police state, or the insanity of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his repugnant regime.
Thankfully, Moore’s trademark sardonic, self-deprecating wit is present throughout. And it is a wit that Moore needs in order to endure his miserable trudge through the Finnish winter, or to dodge the attentions of taciturn Russian lorry drivers and rabid Romanian dogs. -
I have been wanting to read this book for a while. Growing up during the Cold War, that era has always fascinated me.
The author cycles the five thousand mile route that follows what was the Iron Curtain. He makes his expedition even more challenging by using a bike made in East Germany during the Communist era which is not well suited to the task and begins his journey through Finland in the middle of winter. It is an enjoyable mix of a travel book and history lesson. The author’s humour is however very British (and sometimes a little forced) so some of it may be unintelligible to North American readers as will reference to various British personalities. What emerges from the account is that little of the route sounds appealing to visit, and the people who inhabit it do not come across as friendly with occasional exceptions such as those in Serbia and Turkey. So while it is an entertaining and interesting read I’m not adding the places he visited to my bucket list. -
This book is a joy to read. After worrying at the start that he was trying to hard to be funny you adapt to his humour and strap in for the ride. A very relaxing, funny and informative read. RECOMMENDED
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There are a lot of adjectives in this book. Sometimes to the detriment of the main point of the sentence. But I'd love to do a long distance cycle trip and found the stories about post-Soviet countries very interesting.
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Cracking Again
Another triumphant farce full of fun, historical vignettes and enough gaps in detail to irritate the cycling bores!
Great stuff. -
An enjoyable book about a epic jaunt on a cycle route which took the rider along various Soviet block countries all on a old GDR small wheeled fold up type( though this was a non fold up version) type bicycle.
It's a humorous trek but much as Tony Hawks Moldovan tennis travel tale it's tinged with the depression and darkness of a authoritarian history at times.
That said it's never boring and having visited a few of the countries that feature..well it was good to find out a bit more about them.
The third book I've read by this author and up there with the last I read from him..which was an epic trek with a donkey! -
Jeg er kæmpefan af Tim Moores tossede rejsebøger, hvor han som regel giver sig selv urimelige udfordringer og bagefter dokumenterer sin egen håbløshed.
Denne nyeste bog følger hans tre måneder lange tur på en campingcykel fra Finland til Rumænien.
Han skriver i sin helt egen krøllede, men ekstremt morsomme stil, og det er - for mig - perfekt ferielæsning. -
Great book and a great adventure! Incredibly funny and truly inspiring. The travel journal of an awesome adventure. With interesting reflections along the historical route.
3.5 stars! -
As always, Tim Moore is laugh out loud funny.
Cycling the length of the Iron Curtain, from Norway to the Black Sea, on a bike better suited to popping to the corner shop?
Barking mad, Moore delivers a fascinating snapshot of the 19 countries traversed by the nascent trail. -
The Cyclist Went Out in the Cold:
Adventures Riding The Iron Curtain
Author: Tim Moore
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publishing Date: 2017
Pgs: 340
Dewey: 796.6094 MOO
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
_________________________________________________
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Scaling a new peak of rash over-ambition, Tim Moore tackles the 9,000km route of the old Iron Curtain on a tiny-wheeled, two-geared East German shopping bike.
Asking for trouble and getting it, he sets off at the Arctic winter’s brutal height, bullying his plucky MIFA 900 through the endless and massively sub-zero desolation of snowbound Finland.
Haunted throughout the journey by the border detritus of watchtowers and rusted razor wire, Moore reflects on the curdling of the Communist dream, and the memories of a Cold War generation reared on the fear of apocalypse – at a time of ratcheting East-West tension.
After three months, 20 countries and a 58-degree jaunt up the centigrade scale, man and bike finally wobble up to a Black Sea beach in Bulgaria, older and wiser, but mainly older.
_________________________________________________
Genre:
Travelogue
History
Bicylce Travel
Iron Curtain
Europe
Why this book:
I love a good travelogue.
_________________________________________________
The Feel:
Favorite Character:
The elderly Norwegian guy, 18 hours after he first started out, giving him the “you’re not from around here, are you?” He questioned him about whether he knew what the weather was like there as he rode his East German Shopping Bike a hundred miles north of the Arctic circle, sliding down Norway into Finland and on along.
The MIFA 900 shopping bike.
The German shopping bike enthusiasts giving him advice on how to modify his little East German MIFA into something that could actually make the ride all along the Iron Curtain Trail(EV-13).
EuroVelo 13 - The Iron Curtain Trail
Least Favorite Character:
Tim, himself.
Favorite Scene:
The image of droves of fisherman along that riverside in Croatia, all suntans, in Speedos, with a fishing rod in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
Favorite Quote:
Describing his 30-year-old East German shopping bike with it’s nailed snow tires as looking mean like something Mad Max's aunt would ride to bingo during the apcalypse is hilarious.
Riding a bicycle through Finland in the winter being described as a dribbled slurry of gloom and delusion.
Favorite Concept:
Arctic karma: when you live in a difficult region and find yourself in a bad situation, you must attend, 100%, on other people. They didn't want to help him, they needed to and, now, they feel happy and more safe because they can believe that someone will be there to help them when they need it.
Hmm Moments:
Finally looked at a picture of a MIFA 900 shopping bike...this sumbitch is crazy trying to ride that thing 10,000km from Norway all along the iron curtain to the Black Sea.
He dips into moral lassisitude more than a few times over the course of this hellish bike ride.
After 6,000km, having a kidney stone issue pop up along the road, and managing to drink a bunch of water and do what had to be done and stay on the road. That's a tough man, a tough, tough man.
WTF Moments:
Holy s***! The Schonenberg, East Germany landfill where trucks from the West could dump a ton of anything for $20. And the residents still have an 80% higher cancer rate than those around them. Holy s***!
Meh / PFFT Moments:
He uses way too many column inches talking about his and his wife's previous trip along there and curtain. I like this story and this adventure, but it would have been better served if the editor would have talked him and his page count down a bit, and maybe left half of the story of his and his wife's 1990 car ride around Eastern Europe out.
Wisdom:
HIs trip was horribly planned.
Juxtaposition:
I read some Ugly Americanism into the way he reacts to some of the people along his route. ...then realize that he is being an Ugly Englander. ...guess it’s something to do with all of us Englishers...or whatever the common term for all of us is. Though Ugly Canadian sounds like a contradiction in terms. The way he writes about Finland, he sounds like an ugly tourist, classic cliche-like. Frozen, winterized arctic circle bicycle riding might have impacted his appreciation, but his appreciation is still ugly sounding. Though at the end of the ride, his appreciation for those early days, especially pre-Russia, seems greatly improved.
His visit to the MIFA factory seems odd. Them inviting him and wanting it to be about the future, while what he's doing is obviously about the past.
If EV-13 follows the Iron Curtain shouldn't the trail go down the Adriatic Coast to Greece including Croatia to Albania, but instead goes through Croatia, Hungary, and Serbia across toward Romania. I'm confused about what's considered the Iron Curtain, I guess.
The Unexpected:
His visit to Probstzella and the Haus des Volkes seems very The Shining, all alone in a huge resort hotel in a town that is lost in time and cut off both because of its GDR past and it's “not here yet” future.
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Pacing:
It’s well paced.
Last Page Sound:
So, the big finish, he writes a paragraph that describes what's going on in the last 56km and, then, he's sitting on a bench with those 56km still to go waiting on his family to show up, I don't get it. Built in anticlimax. That paragraph from that last day could’ve been a chapter unto itself, as opposed to the short shrift it was given.
Questions I’m Left With:
So, was he afraid of the camp owner in Finland, the one who he was all alone with in a building full of empty beer cans in the middle of the blizzard, 3 hours from the nearest house...the one who really wanted to get him drunk. ...raised eyebrows.
Why didn't he start in Norwegian and Finnish Summertime, going in winter when it hovers around -14°C, the sweat you build up riding the bike or having breakfast...once you go outside in the Arctic could freeze solid and kill you? Of course on the other end, I wonder what those Balkan mountains would have been like in late summer or winter instead of being there in summer when they were baking him alive?
Editorial Assessment:
Should’ve been a bit more present in focusing the story on the “current” trip as opposed to previous trips through the same areas.
_________________________________________________ -
Tim Moore does the curmudgeonly English traveller par excellance in this travelogue.
The premise is suitably abitious and quixotic. How about riding a 2 geared East German made shopping bicycle along the borderlands of the now superfluous Iron Curtain, from the icy wastes of Finland, to the Black Sea. Nearly 10,000 km of travail, on a bicycle built for short trips to the shops.
Throughout, our cycling hero presents his observations of the character of the population of the 20 nations of his 2 wheeled traverse, interspersed with cold war historical tibits. Few of these cultures pass Mr Moore's high standards. Tim particularly does not like Russia. or Russians, though he presents an admirable contempt of Europe and Europeans generally. He has a soft spot for Germans and Serbians though.
The narrative rattles along nicely, and documents a quite impressive achievment. Moore's description of the physical changes in his body in the couse of the endeavour are testament to his determination. Worth the time to peruse these pages. -
I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of how complex and disparate Europe really is and how precious our unity is. Throughout his journey Tim Moore sees reminders of our not too distant dark history where nation was pitched against nation. It made me want to read more about the history of Europe, particularly Northern Europe as I know little about it. Saying that this is not a depressing read and Tim Moore is an informative and funny writer and good company for the journey.
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Quite entertaining and worth reading if you plan to or have visited the Eastern European countries Tim Moore cycles through.
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It starts slow, much like his journey did, but a very enjoyable book about traveling.
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Having read a considerable body of work from the author at this point [1], I have to say that this is the finest book by the author I have read to date. This volume lacks none of the hilarity of the self-effacing humor of previous volumes but it also shows the author in a highly reflective state of life and in a situation that is rife with implications for contemporary Europe. The blend of melancholy reflectiveness as well as wit and humor makes for an excellent read that never slacks and that allows the author to power through a heroic trip from northern Norway to the shores of the Black Sea. As the author repeatedly makes heroic trips, the staggering nature of this trip may be underestimated by those who do not understand just how much territory he powers through on a Cold War-era bicycle that does not have a particularly great reputation nowadays where it is remembered at all. And yet this book offers a considerable amount of value not only as a humorous adventure travelogue, but also about some of the troubles that threaten Europe from within as well as from without at present.
In terms of its contents, this book is very straightforward in showing the author's usual shambolic preparation for his travels, and a fairly detailed and humorous discussion of day after day spent cycling on a small bicycle at a fairly low speed--his average remains under 10 mph throughout the whole journey--and also looking at how the Cold War continues to shape the way life is in Eastern and Central Europe. The author bemoans the aggressiveness and incivility of Russians, and comments on how various nationalities sought to preserve their spirit in the face of foreign domination. He looks at the state of their roads, at the friendliness of their people, at their runaway dogs, and at the agricultural activities of peasants. Over and over again the author notes that the Cold War continues to shape the attitudes of people as well as the land and architecture and infrastructure. In one particularly poignant moment the author notes that he was an observer of the beginnings of the refugee crisis in Europe without being fully aware of it. It is the poignancy of the observations that the author makes about life in Europe and about the scars people face and about the desire to forget the past and drown it under large amounts of alcohol that make this book such a worthwhile, as the comedy--where the author jokingly calls himself Comrade Timoteo, is something to be expected from the author's body of work.
By this time, those who appreciate the body of work that Tim Moore has put together know that they are going to read about an epic and somewhat daft adventure but one that has a great deal of humor and a melancholy undertow. Six books to date have demonstrated the author's persona and approach to a great degree. One does wonder a bit about where the author is going to go from here. His twitter feed shows that he is (as I am typing this) currently engaged in an epic trip across the United States in a Model T, which ought to make for a good volume when he decides to write about it. As a man well into middle age, though, one wonders if there are any cycling books left in him. And if there are, what will he do? Bicycle the silk road from China to Turkey? At any rate, this book combines humor with a growing sense of maturity and it makes for a satisfying and worthwhile read.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017... -
I've read and enjoyed Tim Moore's work before, and I'm a sucker for a bit of Cold War culture and history, so when I spotted this I was very keen to give it a read. It's the (slightly crazy) story of a cycling trip along the route of the former Iron Curtain, from Norway to Bulgaria, on a tiny and flimsy East German shopping bike. It was around 9000km long, and took the author across 20 countries, on both sides of the old border.
I admire anyone doing anything slightly crazy like this, and the story of his travels was often hilarious. It's surprising he made it through the trip alive on such a tiny and inappropriate bike, and it sounded absolutely terrifying in places, but clearly the cycling gods were smiling upon him. From terrifying ice and snow in Finland to burning heat in the Balkans, he truly did get everything possible thrown at him.
As well as the story of his everyday trials and tribulations on such a mammoth trek, the author describes the countries he travels through, and they're an extraordinarily varied and diverse bunch, varying significantly in culture, prosperity, size, friendliness and landscape. We tend to think of the Eastern Bloc as uniformly dull and depressing, but it clearly wasn't - alongside his present-day observations, the author includes memories of a trip he took to the same countries in 1990, when they became easily accessible to Western tourists for the first time, and before much had changed from Communist days. How much has changed now seems to vary wildly, and the legacy of the socialist era seems somewhat mixed - some places have clearly done better than others. He throws in some history and context to his travels too. It's never hugely deep, but it's enough to produce a satisfying mix, entertaining as well as teaching you a thing or two, and the book never became boring.
The end was perhaps a little rushed, but that's only a minor criticism. As someone who grew up in Cold War Britain (I was fifteen when Communism in Eastern Europe collapsed), this book was a fascinating read and it was interesting to see the author's reflections on the things left behind by an era very different to our own. As he says, you knew who the enemy was back then, and they were perhaps simpler and easier to understand times.
Excellent stuff, and quite inspiring - I want my own adventures now. Anyone know where I can get hold of a Sinclair C5? -
I've read and enjoyed Tim Moore's work before, and I'm a sucker for a bit of Cold War culture and history, so when I spotted this I was very keen to give it a read. It's the (slightly crazy) story of a cycling trip along the route of the former Iron Curtain, from Norway to Bulgaria, on a tiny and flimsy East German shopping bike. It was around 9000km long, and took the author across 20 countries, on both sides of the old border.
I admire anyone doing anything slightly crazy like this, and the story of his travels was often hilarious. It's surprising he made it through the trip alive on such a tiny and inappropriate bike, and it sounded absolutely terrifying in places, but clearly the cycling gods were smiling upon him. From terrifying ice and snow in Finland to burning heat in the Balkans, he truly did get everything possible thrown at him.
As well as the story of his everyday trials and tribulations on such a mammoth trek, the author describes the countries he travels through, and they're an extraordinarily varied and diverse bunch, varying significantly in culture, prosperity, size, friendliness and landscape. We tend to think of the Eastern Bloc as uniformly dull and depressing, but it clearly wasn't - alongside his present-day observations, the author includes memories of a trip he took to the same countries in 1990, when they became easily accessible to Western tourists for the first time, and before much had changed from Communist days. How much has changed now seems to vary wildly, and the legacy of the socialist era seems somewhat mixed - some places have clearly done better than others. He throws in some history and context to his travels too. It's never hugely deep, but it's enough to produce a satisfying mix, entertaining as well as teaching you a thing or two, and the book never became boring.
The end was perhaps a little rushed, but that's only a minor criticism. As someone who grew up in Cold War Britain (I was fifteen when Communism in Eastern Europe collapsed), this book was a fascinating read and it was interesting to see the author's reflections on the things left behind by an era very different to our own. As he says, you knew who the enemy was back then, and they were perhaps simpler and easier to understand times.
Excellent stuff, and quite inspiring - I want my own adventures now. Anyone know where I can get hold of a Sinclair C5? -
Like the proverbial monkey in a red rosette up North, I think I'd read anything by Moore, who is one of my favourite writers. On this occasion, he rides a GDR-built shopping bike along a new European cycle route, which takes him along the border of the old Iron Curtain.
This time, there was less build up around the equipment, and Moore was on his travels almost immediately, in northern Finland in the depths of winter. Although typically amusing, this experience sounded dreadful, but what made this book enjoyable was the wide range of cultures he experienced, from the dangers of hypothermia to the heat in Serbia. Compared to his other travel books, fewer words were devoted to the transport bar one visit to a GDR bike factory, perhaps reflective of the material generated by such a range of towns.
And interspersed with his journey, Moore also touches on significant cultural aspects, the Finnish war effort being particularly interesting to me, but these are always interesting and never feel like a drag. The only feature that didn't engage me as much was his previous visit to the USSR in 1990, which was useful as a comparison but not as entertaining. The bread and butter, however, was the journey itself, with stray dogs, broken English, misjudged communist Germany apparel and jovial hosts all generating laughs, the best slapstick being the verbal commands to his phone of 'capture' and 'shoot' on a former GDR military site.
Compared to his cycling tours of France and Italy, this was paced faster as he cycled about 4 times as far, but this meant there were more highlights, and the small details were still included. Perhaps the section from Germany onwards felt a little sparse in comparison given the distance, but maybe it just wasn't as interesting.
Moore still has the rare ability to surprise me with a line from nowhere, and he strikes the right balance between whimsy and seriousness on a journey that had both mishaps and serious context. The intriguing and diverse interactions of his Trumpland book weren't quite matched here, but it was still very entertaining, and I'm only saddened by the fact there aren't too many of his books left for me to read.
