Win a Michael Palin travel book

Travel expert Michael Palin has had a life many of us envy.

From his comical career with Monty Python to his journeys to far flung places as part of his travels, Palin has enjoyed the good times.

And now he has embarked on a whistle-stop tour of Britain with his Michael Palin: Travelling to Work show which co-incides with the release of his Travelling to Work: Dairies 1988 to 1998, the third volume of his travel logs.

Palin is an affable man and why not when you have spent your working life enjoying different cultures and experiencing some fascinating things.

At 71, Palin is still sprightly and he bounds on stage with his trusty travel bag, containing his essential notebook and toilet roll.

The first half is really a slide show of Palin’s holiday snaps. The only difference is that Palin has visited places most of us haven’t heard of and experienced some weird and wonderful things along the way.

Palin had his audience enthralled as he regaled stories such as sitting happily on the top roof of trains, sipping tea with the locals as he was transported through the desert.

He takes the audience from Tibet to the Khyber Pass and the tales he tells are thrilling and full of fun. Palin is lucky enough to have visited places which are now off limits thanks to the terrorists and his message is to enjoy travel while you can.

The second half of the show takes a look at the man himself, from tales of his conception, to life at university, meeting his wife Helen and his career with Monty Python and his famous friend John Cleese.

Palin is also keen to plug his new book which takes the armchair reader through a decade making the hit film A Fish Called Wanda to his travels featured in Around the World in 80 Days and Pole to Pole and Full Circle.

Both the show and book are easy on the eye and will have you wanting more! And to quench the travel thirst, there is one copy of Travelling to Work: Diaries 1988 to 1998 published by Weidenfield and worth £25.

To win a copy, just answer the question below.

Which film starring John Cleese made Palin famous?

Click here to enter - Closing date October 3rd

Michael Palin: Travelling to Work tour which comes to The Opera House in Manchester on Monday, September 29th at 7-30 p.m. For more information, log onto www.palinstravels.co.uk