1 00:00:18,527 --> 00:00:22,315 - Dan, where are we now? - Three miles from the Pole. 2 00:00:22,487 --> 00:00:27,561 - We'll be there in one minute. - How easy will it be to land? 3 00:00:27,727 --> 00:00:32,562 We're looking for some ice that's long enough, strong enough. 4 00:00:32,727 --> 00:00:36,561 - What are the chances of getting down? - Pretty good. 5 00:00:36,727 --> 00:00:41,801 - By the Pole? - Yeah, probably right at the Pole. 6 00:01:58,007 --> 00:02:01,283 The first problem is where to plant your pole. 7 00:02:01,447 --> 00:02:04,200 The North Pole is on a moving sea of ice, 8 00:02:04,367 --> 00:02:09,043 so where the Pole is now may not be where it is in an hour's time. 9 00:02:09,207 --> 00:02:14,201 That's why, as the Americans might say, "0nce you've got it, flaunt it." 10 00:02:14,367 --> 00:02:19,999 This is it. I'm standing on the top of the world at the North Pole 11 00:02:20,167 --> 00:02:24,763 where the time is, well, the time's anything you want it to be here! 12 00:02:24,927 --> 00:02:29,762 The temperature's minus 25 degrees centigrade, so I won't hang around. 13 00:02:29,927 --> 00:02:33,636 I'm making a journey from here to the South Pole, 14 00:02:33,807 --> 00:02:36,480 which is in every direction. 15 00:02:36,647 --> 00:02:39,320 If I went that way I'd go through Japan. 16 00:02:39,487 --> 00:02:42,081 If I went that way I'd go through India. 17 00:02:42,247 --> 00:02:46,559 But we've chosen a route that way - 30 degrees east line of longitude 18 00:02:46,727 --> 00:02:49,525 down through Russia and Africa. 19 00:02:49,687 --> 00:02:55,000 It's gonna be a hell of a long journey, but er... let's go! 20 00:03:03,447 --> 00:03:06,325 I hadn't expected things to be such a rush. 21 00:03:06,487 --> 00:03:09,524 The pilot won't turn his engines off in the cold. 22 00:03:09,687 --> 00:03:14,886 I'd like to write postcards but he wants to be off while we still have fuel left. 23 00:03:15,047 --> 00:03:19,996 And you don't argue with the pilot. Not at the North Polel 24 00:03:27,967 --> 00:03:31,960 The plane we're in was designed in the 1950s. 25 00:03:32,127 --> 00:03:35,005 0ur lives depend on it. 26 00:03:39,127 --> 00:03:43,837 There are no airstrips, no control towers, no emergency vehicles below us. 27 00:03:44,007 --> 00:03:49,081 There is rapidly changing weather, intense cold and miles of frozen ocean. 28 00:03:49,247 --> 00:03:51,920 And this is just the beginning. 29 00:03:52,087 --> 00:03:57,207 We chose the 30 degree east line of longitude because it covers the most land, 30 00:03:57,367 --> 00:04:01,883 running through the great cities of St Petersburg, Istanbul and Cairo. 31 00:04:02,047 --> 00:04:07,838 We'll travel down the Nile, to Khartoum, Lake Tanganyika and Cape Town. 32 00:04:08,007 --> 00:04:11,477 From one extreme of the earth to the other. 33 00:04:12,607 --> 00:04:18,000 Even if everything works, we have almost half a year's travelling ahead of us. 34 00:04:22,127 --> 00:04:25,244 After 13 hours flying over the Arctic 0cean, 35 00:04:25,407 --> 00:04:31,164 the sight of the settlement of Ny Aalesund on the island of Spitzbergen is a relief. 36 00:04:31,327 --> 00:04:36,242 Many Arctic expeditions began here, and some, like Amundsen's last flight, 37 00:04:36,407 --> 00:04:39,285 never returned. 38 00:04:40,527 --> 00:04:45,840 We ourselves touch down with only minutes' worth of fuel left. 39 00:04:50,567 --> 00:04:55,925 We may not have run out of fuel, but we have run out of good weather. 40 00:05:00,487 --> 00:05:06,676 There's nothing to do but wait, and waiting is what the Arctic is all about. 41 00:05:15,767 --> 00:05:19,157 It's two days before the blizzards let up. 42 00:05:20,007 --> 00:05:25,923 We've made it an unwritten rule not to use air transport if there's any alternative. 43 00:05:26,087 --> 00:05:31,161 The only alternative out of here is by the modern version of dogs and sledges - 44 00:05:31,327 --> 00:05:33,887 snowmobiles and sledges. 45 00:05:34,047 --> 00:05:38,086 It's an unusual journey and, as one of our Norwegian guides explains, 46 00:05:38,247 --> 00:05:40,363 it demands unusual precautions. 47 00:05:40,527 --> 00:05:45,885 We have to carry guns in case the polar bears are hungry. 48 00:05:46,047 --> 00:05:49,357 How many polar bears are there on these islands? 49 00:05:49,527 --> 00:05:54,647 Approximately six, seven thousand. That's the last estimate I heard. 50 00:05:54,807 --> 00:05:58,800 If we don't get to a hut or to safety of any kind 51 00:05:58,967 --> 00:06:04,439 and we have to stop on the glacier, do you have emergency rations and tents? 52 00:06:04,607 --> 00:06:11,399 Yes. Nothing elaborate, but enough to keep us alive for two or three days. 53 00:06:17,127 --> 00:06:19,721 There are no passengers on this journey. 54 00:06:19,887 --> 00:06:24,005 We shall all have to master the art of snowmobile driving - even mel 55 00:06:24,167 --> 00:06:26,635 South Pole, here we come! 56 00:06:30,767 --> 00:06:36,205 Arctic weather stations can tell you how big the ozone hole will be in five years, 57 00:06:36,367 --> 00:06:41,395 but strangely little about what will happen in the next five hoursl 58 00:06:51,847 --> 00:06:57,479 At the first pass, the snow sweeps in again and suddenly you can't see a thing. 59 00:06:57,647 --> 00:07:02,562 The "Boys' 0wn" fun of snowmobile driving becomes something much more serious. 60 00:07:02,727 --> 00:07:08,245 Mind you, there are times when I'd almost prefer not to see where I'm going! 61 00:07:29,167 --> 00:07:31,556 Conditions change so quickly, 62 00:07:31,727 --> 00:07:35,436 it's essential never to lose sight of the vehicle in front. 63 00:07:35,607 --> 00:07:39,680 Sometimes, I admit, my concentration wavers. 64 00:07:39,847 --> 00:07:44,363 I blame Spitzbergen. It is stunningly beautiful. 65 00:08:14,967 --> 00:08:19,597 We drive on through the night, though at this time of year, the sun never sets. 66 00:08:19,767 --> 00:08:24,636 At three in the morning, we glimpse the first sign of human habitation 67 00:08:24,807 --> 00:08:27,480 since leaving Ny Aalesund. 68 00:08:28,647 --> 00:08:33,641 It's a trapper's hut standing on the shores of a frozen fjord. 69 00:08:35,767 --> 00:08:38,964 The garden furniture's a bit grim. 70 00:08:39,127 --> 00:08:43,279 A rack full of dead seals, meat for the trapper's dogs. 71 00:08:44,447 --> 00:08:48,998 It is, thanks to the owner's generosity, our hotel for the night. 72 00:08:49,167 --> 00:08:52,318 0utside bathroom, of course. 73 00:09:07,447 --> 00:09:11,725 0ur host, Harald Solheim, looks more like a rabbi than a trapper, 74 00:09:11,887 --> 00:09:15,675 and he's lived here, on his own, for 15 years. 75 00:09:15,847 --> 00:09:18,600 It's a very lonely life, isn't it? 76 00:09:18,767 --> 00:09:21,725 Why do you choose a life like this? 77 00:09:21,887 --> 00:09:27,519 In the beginning it was some sort of adventure about the whole thing. 78 00:09:27,687 --> 00:09:32,602 But it's not that any more. It's just a way of living. 79 00:09:32,767 --> 00:09:37,204 But the idea of a trapper now is very unfashionable. 80 00:09:37,367 --> 00:09:43,602 Environmentally the idea of people hunting animals is much criticised. 81 00:09:43,767 --> 00:09:48,124 - How do you react to that? - It's OK if they are vegetarians. 82 00:09:48,287 --> 00:09:51,484 Then they could blame the hunters. That I can understand. 83 00:09:51,647 --> 00:09:57,677 But people that are going into shops and buying meat... 84 00:09:57,847 --> 00:10:03,319 As far as I know, every meat comes from living animals 85 00:10:03,487 --> 00:10:07,241 and you have to kill them before you eat them! 86 00:10:07,407 --> 00:10:10,797 If you were a vegetarian, how would you survive here? 87 00:10:10,967 --> 00:10:13,276 Very badly, I'm afraid! 88 00:10:14,447 --> 00:10:20,841 You have most comforts here, but is there any one thing that you miss? 89 00:10:21,007 --> 00:10:25,000 Sometimes one could miss different things. 90 00:10:25,167 --> 00:10:30,287 Especially it could be pleasant to have some women companions sometimes. 91 00:10:31,767 --> 00:10:36,921 You're an ordinary man and you feel some needs now and then, but... 92 00:10:37,087 --> 00:10:40,682 I think I would prefer to stay alone. 93 00:10:42,127 --> 00:10:46,598 As our revving engines shatter the tranquillity of an Arctic morning, 94 00:10:46,767 --> 00:10:49,679 I can see his point. 95 00:10:52,167 --> 00:10:57,719 We wave goodbye and hurtle on our way south to goodness knows what problems, 96 00:10:57,887 --> 00:11:03,723 leaving Harald's remote kingdom surrounded once again by the comfort of silence. 97 00:11:14,327 --> 00:11:17,956 Three quarters of Spitzbergen is permanently covered with ice. 98 00:11:18,127 --> 00:11:21,039 There are no trees on the island. 99 00:11:22,087 --> 00:11:25,238 The port of Longyearbyen, which we reach in two days, 100 00:11:25,407 --> 00:11:28,205 is still 600 miles from mainland Europe. 101 00:11:28,367 --> 00:11:31,723 It's frozen in for most of the year. 102 00:11:38,407 --> 00:11:43,845 Even in early summer, only one ship is strong enough to take us safely through the ice, 103 00:11:44,007 --> 00:11:46,646 the MVNorsel. 104 00:11:57,207 --> 00:12:00,199 She may not look the part of an Arctic Rambo, 105 00:12:00,367 --> 00:12:03,359 but she knows these waters well. 106 00:12:06,967 --> 00:12:09,561 She's been a scallop fisher, a seal catcher, 107 00:12:09,727 --> 00:12:15,324 and now as a supply vessel she's become an Arctic lifeline. 108 00:12:25,287 --> 00:12:28,165 Progress through the ice is painfully slow. 109 00:12:28,327 --> 00:12:31,956 0n the inflatable globe which has been round the world with me, 110 00:12:32,127 --> 00:12:36,279 we're hardly clear of the bit where you blow it upl 111 00:12:49,807 --> 00:12:53,800 There isn't much to do except walking and skating, 112 00:12:53,967 --> 00:12:56,606 which tend to be the same thing anywayl 113 00:12:56,767 --> 00:13:01,158 There's iceberg spotting, but I haven't got my book with mel 114 00:13:01,327 --> 00:13:04,125 So it's more Arctic waiting. 115 00:13:21,807 --> 00:13:26,483 0n our third day at sea, the pack ice at last begins to clear. 116 00:13:33,207 --> 00:13:39,157 Surging to our full speed of ten knots, we set course for the heart of the Barents Sea. 117 00:13:39,327 --> 00:13:43,479 Captain Biolgerud can at last set about the work he's here for. 118 00:13:51,247 --> 00:13:54,080 They call this sea the Devil's Dance Floor. 119 00:13:54,247 --> 00:13:59,321 My stomach is doing a few early steps as we reach the fishing grounds. 120 00:13:59,487 --> 00:14:03,036 The Norwegian coastguard is out in force. 121 00:14:03,207 --> 00:14:08,235 - (PALIN) Is that an aeroplane there? - Yeah, that's the Orion. 122 00:14:18,967 --> 00:14:21,720 That's the Norwegian coastguard too. 123 00:14:21,887 --> 00:14:25,596 What's happening? Some big event? Ships. 124 00:14:25,767 --> 00:14:30,602 He's looking for... He's controlling the fishing fleet 125 00:14:30,767 --> 00:14:35,204 and giving information to the coastguard vessel. 126 00:14:35,367 --> 00:14:41,397 He's also observing if there is any oil spill on the sea. 127 00:14:41,567 --> 00:14:45,116 - Environmental reasons. - She's coming very low. 128 00:14:45,287 --> 00:14:49,565 - Yeah. - I never seen her so low before. 129 00:14:56,167 --> 00:14:59,921 The Norsel has a contract to refuel more than a dozen ships, 130 00:15:00,087 --> 00:15:02,681 largest of which is the Jan Mayen. 131 00:15:02,847 --> 00:15:06,920 She's a state-of-the-art fishing vessel so proud of her facilities 132 00:15:07,087 --> 00:15:11,603 that I've been invited on board to watch her work. 133 00:15:19,647 --> 00:15:24,880 My transfer is complicated, involving a survival suit, a lynching party 134 00:15:25,047 --> 00:15:26,844 and a loss of dignity. 135 00:15:27,007 --> 00:15:31,364 This is supposed to save my life if I plunge into the sea. 136 00:15:31,527 --> 00:15:34,041 Hold on tight. 137 00:15:36,887 --> 00:15:40,163 - Do I just jump? - Don't be afraid. 138 00:15:40,327 --> 00:15:43,364 Afraid? Me? I know no fear. 139 00:15:43,527 --> 00:15:47,998 Whoa! Here we go. Barents Sea, here I come. 140 00:15:48,167 --> 00:15:49,998 Whoo-hoo! 141 00:15:51,967 --> 00:15:56,199 Television presenters - Britain's newest exportl 142 00:16:09,607 --> 00:16:13,805 It's snowing again as the Jan Mayen pulls in her nets. 143 00:16:13,967 --> 00:16:18,882 At first glance, the catch appears to consist entirely of citrus fruitl 144 00:16:29,087 --> 00:16:34,207 A crew of 40 who spend two to three months at a time in these waters 145 00:16:34,367 --> 00:16:36,835 is waiting to process the catch. 146 00:16:37,007 --> 00:16:42,604 The ship's factory is capable of getting the goods from net to freeze pack in two hours. 147 00:16:46,927 --> 00:16:50,158 The end result of five hours' trawling 148 00:16:50,327 --> 00:16:53,956 looks like a half-empty Christmas stocking! 149 00:17:03,727 --> 00:17:06,287 No mighty denizens of the deep in here. 150 00:17:06,447 --> 00:17:10,156 Mostly shrimps, three tons of them. 151 00:17:14,887 --> 00:17:20,086 I've an uncomfortable feeling that's all there is left down there. 152 00:17:26,447 --> 00:17:33,319 It's not a pretty sight, and I'm quite relieved when the Norsel comes back to collect us. 153 00:17:36,127 --> 00:17:39,164 With the last refuelling completed, we head south, 154 00:17:39,327 --> 00:17:42,524 and life on board resumes its pattern of major events. 155 00:17:42,687 --> 00:17:45,804 Doing the washing. 156 00:17:45,967 --> 00:17:49,277 Boiling the free shrimps we've been given 157 00:17:49,447 --> 00:17:52,678 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 158 00:17:59,127 --> 00:18:05,157 0n the seventh day out of Spitzbergen, we reach the craggy rim of northern Norway. 159 00:18:05,327 --> 00:18:08,080 Maybe it's just because the sun's out, 160 00:18:08,247 --> 00:18:13,275 but I feel the onset of what my children call "one of Dad's happy attacks" 161 00:18:13,447 --> 00:18:18,885 and what I call sheer relief that a little bit of the worst is safely over. 162 00:18:27,327 --> 00:18:32,481 Sunday morning in Tromso, the world's most northerly city. 163 00:18:38,687 --> 00:18:44,080 It nestles in the shelter of the mountains, neat as Legoland. 164 00:18:44,247 --> 00:18:49,719 The striking design of its Arctic cathedral reflects prosperity and careful taste. 165 00:18:49,887 --> 00:18:52,037 Modern, but not too modern. 166 00:18:52,207 --> 00:18:56,041 (CONGREGATION SINGS HYMN) 167 00:19:07,727 --> 00:19:10,685 But behind the facade of respectable conformity 168 00:19:10,847 --> 00:19:16,365 lies the proud and unpredictable spirit of Tromso's maritime traditions. 169 00:19:17,127 --> 00:19:20,836 0nce thanks have been given, pleasure is taken. 170 00:19:21,007 --> 00:19:24,238 They even call the city the Paris of the north. 171 00:19:24,407 --> 00:19:27,285 I repair to the nearest boulevard café. 172 00:19:27,447 --> 00:19:30,564 (ANIMATED CHATTER) 173 00:19:31,167 --> 00:19:34,079 - (PALIN) This is brewed here, is it? - Yes. 174 00:19:34,247 --> 00:19:37,205 - This is the famous... - Muck. 175 00:19:37,367 --> 00:19:41,076 That's how it's pronounced, but it's spelt Mack, isn't it? 176 00:19:41,247 --> 00:19:43,807 - Muck. - Is it strong? 177 00:19:43,967 --> 00:19:46,686 (SEVERAL PEOPLE TALK AT ONCE) 178 00:19:46,847 --> 00:19:50,396 It's very clean water. That's why it's famous. 179 00:19:50,567 --> 00:19:54,606 - Arctic water? - That's right. From ice cubes. 180 00:19:54,767 --> 00:19:57,042 You say it's a very sunny city. 181 00:19:57,207 --> 00:20:02,235 It's sunny now, but I know the sun disappears totally for part of the year. 182 00:20:03,207 --> 00:20:06,324 The sun leaves us 21st of November 183 00:20:06,487 --> 00:20:10,526 and comes back 21st of January. 184 00:20:10,687 --> 00:20:12,962 That must have an effect. 185 00:20:13,127 --> 00:20:17,359 - How do you know if it's 3pm or 3am? - We look at our watch! 186 00:20:17,527 --> 00:20:23,557 Yeah! It's OK if you've got those clever watches that say 1500! 187 00:20:23,727 --> 00:20:27,436 If you see people and they're drunk, it's three at night! 188 00:20:29,007 --> 00:20:34,035 Emboldened by Mack, I visit a hero with whom I now have something in common. 189 00:20:34,207 --> 00:20:38,883 There can't be many who have left Tromso for the South Pole. 190 00:20:40,407 --> 00:20:41,726 (HORN) 191 00:20:41,887 --> 00:20:46,278 But Amundsen and I are not alone for long. 192 00:20:46,447 --> 00:20:52,204 Visiting supporters. Big football match tonight. Trondheim v Tromso. 193 00:20:52,367 --> 00:20:57,361 These people have now got to try and remain sober for the next eight hours. 194 00:20:57,527 --> 00:20:59,643 Seems unlikely. 195 00:20:59,807 --> 00:21:01,604 (DRUNKEN SHOUTING) 196 00:21:01,767 --> 00:21:06,397 What is this? This is Trondheim supporters' beer. 197 00:21:06,567 --> 00:21:09,206 Is this alcohol-free? 198 00:21:09,367 --> 00:21:13,645 - Is this low-alcohol? - No, it's er... It's er... 199 00:21:13,807 --> 00:21:17,720 Got a strong head on it. So tonight is a big game? 200 00:21:17,887 --> 00:21:20,959 Oh, yes, sir! 201 00:21:21,127 --> 00:21:24,085 Where is your team in the division? 202 00:21:24,247 --> 00:21:29,241 - Oh, "s***"! - You seem a bit unsure about this! 203 00:21:29,407 --> 00:21:33,161 Maybe one day they'll play Sheffield Wednesday. 204 00:21:33,327 --> 00:21:38,720 - Rosenborg! Rosenborg! - Rosenborg! Rosenborg! 205 00:21:38,887 --> 00:21:41,355 Anyway, good luck! 206 00:21:41,527 --> 00:21:45,361 Good luck! As I'm in Tromso, I hope Tromso win. 207 00:21:45,527 --> 00:21:50,681 Good luck. If you want anyone at half-time, I'm your substitute! 208 00:21:50,847 --> 00:21:56,638 (THEY SING AS CASSETTE PLAYS "ROSENBORGSANGEN") 209 00:22:32,487 --> 00:22:36,196 An abrupt change in the weather reminds me the Paris of the north 210 00:22:36,367 --> 00:22:38,881 is 200 miles above the Arctic Circle. 211 00:22:39,047 --> 00:22:43,086 This is not a riverboat on the Seine, but the Hurtigruten, 212 00:22:43,247 --> 00:22:47,320 one of the least hospitable passenger routes in Europe. 213 00:22:51,567 --> 00:22:54,127 "Hurtigruten" means "rapid route". 214 00:22:54,287 --> 00:22:59,202 It's like a marine bus service that runs past the islands and fjords 215 00:22:59,367 --> 00:23:01,801 where no other form of transport can reach. 216 00:23:01,967 --> 00:23:07,121 It carries everything. Letters, onions, television aerials, washbasins, 217 00:23:07,287 --> 00:23:12,077 the more intrepid tourists and the people who live and work at the end of Europe. 218 00:23:12,687 --> 00:23:16,441 You very... What you call it? Busy man. 219 00:23:16,607 --> 00:23:21,840 - I'm a busy man. - Yes. You come with me and relax. 220 00:23:22,007 --> 00:23:27,081 - What? Where would I relax with you? - With me in a lighthouse. 221 00:23:27,247 --> 00:23:30,205 - In a lighthouse? - Yes. 222 00:23:30,367 --> 00:23:33,439 And you only relax with me. 223 00:23:33,607 --> 00:23:38,123 - What about them? - You go fishing, cook your fishing. 224 00:23:38,287 --> 00:23:43,156 The weather is like this? Cold? I'll freeze. 225 00:23:43,327 --> 00:23:45,795 What would I do? I don't like fishing. 226 00:23:45,967 --> 00:23:49,039 - Only fishing. - I don't like fishing. 227 00:23:49,207 --> 00:23:52,005 - Sleeping. - Sleeping's OK. 228 00:23:52,167 --> 00:23:54,886 - You a good cook? - Yeah. 229 00:23:55,047 --> 00:23:58,005 - You have time to cook. - Come with me. 230 00:23:58,167 --> 00:24:00,806 - Me? - Taste it. Only you. 231 00:24:00,967 --> 00:24:03,959 - Send it home. - I'll send them home. 232 00:24:04,127 --> 00:24:08,564 It's not as easy as that because we've got 100 days to go. 233 00:24:08,727 --> 00:24:14,006 We'll have to negotiate. Do you like people? Being with other people? 234 00:24:14,167 --> 00:24:17,762 - Only me and my friend. - Only you and your friend. 235 00:24:17,927 --> 00:24:21,078 - Are you allowed to drink in the lighthouse? - No. 236 00:24:21,247 --> 00:24:24,557 - So 28 days, no drink. - Yeah. 237 00:24:25,647 --> 00:24:27,763 - Is that hard? - Cut it! 238 00:24:27,927 --> 00:24:29,997 No, it's not hard. 239 00:24:30,167 --> 00:24:35,195 - "Cut it!" Very good! You're a professional! - I could be! 240 00:24:35,367 --> 00:24:38,439 I accuse you of having done a series at the very least. 241 00:24:38,607 --> 00:24:42,236 - You're a pro! - My boss say, "No drinking!" 242 00:24:42,407 --> 00:24:46,082 Is there a piece of music you'd like us to play? 243 00:24:46,247 --> 00:24:49,159 - Music? - Any music you'd like? 244 00:24:49,327 --> 00:24:52,046 - Larry Finnegan. - We'll play it. What? 245 00:24:52,207 --> 00:24:54,801 Larry Finnegan. Country music. 246 00:24:54,967 --> 00:25:00,200 We'll play some Larry Finnegan over this interview so you won't be heard. 247 00:25:05,967 --> 00:25:08,083 # Good morning, pillow 248 00:25:09,807 --> 00:25:13,800 # What kind of night has it been? 249 00:25:14,967 --> 00:25:18,642 # Why are you so cold 250 00:25:19,447 --> 00:25:23,804 # 0h, have I been crying again? # 251 00:25:23,967 --> 00:25:29,200 The clouds sink lower and the weather becomes increasingly lugubrious as night falls. 252 00:25:29,367 --> 00:25:31,801 Well, as night should have fallen. 253 00:25:31,967 --> 00:25:36,279 In the land of the midnight sun, dawn and midnight are indistinguishable, 254 00:25:36,447 --> 00:25:38,881 as is much of the scenery. 255 00:25:39,047 --> 00:25:42,198 # I see that I was wrong Good morning, tears... # 256 00:25:42,367 --> 00:25:45,086 Still, I could have bought the ship's poster. 257 00:25:45,247 --> 00:25:49,081 Ah, so that's what a fjord looks like! 258 00:25:58,767 --> 00:26:01,361 We dock next the morning at Hammerfest. 259 00:26:01,527 --> 00:26:07,796 If Tromso is the world's most northerly city, Hammerfest is the world's most northerly town. 260 00:26:09,327 --> 00:26:13,320 What it does have over Tromso is road access to central Scandinavia. 261 00:26:13,487 --> 00:26:17,639 Waiting for me with a hired car is Troels Muller. 262 00:26:17,807 --> 00:26:20,162 (PALIN) Let's go! 263 00:26:23,007 --> 00:26:28,604 - So, where to first, Troels? - First Hammerfest, then Karasjok. 264 00:26:29,567 --> 00:26:32,320 - To Lapland? - To Lapland. 265 00:26:35,607 --> 00:26:37,040 (BELL RINGS) 266 00:26:37,207 --> 00:26:40,199 Oh, sorry! Wrong side of the road! 267 00:26:45,127 --> 00:26:49,882 Having delivered us safely to Hammerfest, the Hurtigruten continues north. 268 00:26:50,047 --> 00:26:51,878 From this remote town, 269 00:26:52,047 --> 00:26:56,120 whose first settlers got 20-year tax exemptions to get them to stay, 270 00:26:56,287 --> 00:26:58,676 we head south across treeless tundra. 271 00:27:00,047 --> 00:27:05,440 So, Troels, is there anything I ought to know about driving in Norway? 272 00:27:05,607 --> 00:27:08,405 You haven't been drinking lately? 273 00:27:08,567 --> 00:27:12,560 Drinking? Me, drinking? You should know better! 274 00:27:12,727 --> 00:27:15,605 Well, not this morning, but it's only 11 o'clock! 275 00:27:15,767 --> 00:27:19,680 - Is that a serious problem? - It's very serious in Norway. 276 00:27:19,847 --> 00:27:22,236 Is that any alcohol at all? 277 00:27:22,407 --> 00:27:27,276 No, you can have 0.5 per ml alcohol. 278 00:27:27,447 --> 00:27:31,759 - That is about a glass of beer? - Yes, a little bit more. 279 00:27:31,927 --> 00:27:37,524 You risk then to be put into prison for three weeks. 280 00:27:37,687 --> 00:27:41,760 - Into prison for the first offence? - And there is no appeal. 281 00:27:41,927 --> 00:27:46,921 There's a fine and you lose your permit for one year. Your licence. 282 00:27:47,087 --> 00:27:49,521 All three things together. 283 00:27:49,687 --> 00:27:55,045 Not being rude, 'cause the beer's very good here, but Norwegians drink a lot. 284 00:27:55,207 --> 00:27:58,961 So either the roads are empty or everyone's in prison! 285 00:27:59,127 --> 00:28:02,961 Yes, in fact, for this offence there is a line-up. 286 00:28:03,127 --> 00:28:06,199 - People are waiting... - Waiting time. 287 00:28:06,367 --> 00:28:10,121 ...about one or two years to do their three weeks! 288 00:28:13,447 --> 00:28:18,680 Not wanting to jump any queues, I drive soberly along the dull, wet coast roads 289 00:28:18,847 --> 00:28:22,283 and into the sunlit plateau of Lapland. 290 00:28:24,327 --> 00:28:28,957 This idyllic landscape was laid waste by retreating German armies in World War II. 291 00:28:29,127 --> 00:28:31,322 Even today, it's still very empty. 292 00:28:31,487 --> 00:28:35,162 Karasjok has fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. 293 00:28:35,327 --> 00:28:38,922 It does, however, have a large seasonal population. 294 00:28:39,087 --> 00:28:43,638 Pwah! The mozzies here are the worst I have ever seen. 295 00:28:43,807 --> 00:28:49,518 I was recommended to bring this silly hat, but there is a serious reason. 296 00:28:49,687 --> 00:28:52,759 These are just all over the place. 297 00:28:52,927 --> 00:28:57,842 Now, this works on the principle that... There we are. 298 00:28:58,007 --> 00:29:00,475 Put it on like that. 299 00:29:00,647 --> 00:29:04,879 The basic premise was that if I wear a hat like this, 300 00:29:05,047 --> 00:29:09,279 the mosquitoes will think I'm a lamp post and not sting me. 301 00:29:09,447 --> 00:29:14,396 The real killers are not the big mosquitoes but the small ones, and they'll get through. 302 00:29:14,567 --> 00:29:19,163 So apart from not wanting to look like a lamp post for the rest of this, 303 00:29:20,287 --> 00:29:23,836 I think more serious measures are needed. 304 00:29:24,007 --> 00:29:26,157 This is the other thing I was given. 305 00:29:26,327 --> 00:29:28,795 Eugh! It's called Repel. 306 00:29:28,967 --> 00:29:34,485 It strips paint off plastic surfaces, tins and all that. 307 00:29:35,487 --> 00:29:41,835 It's guaranteed to deter all forms of known life. Hermits prefer Repel! 308 00:29:45,407 --> 00:29:47,716 Well, let's see. 309 00:29:52,287 --> 00:29:53,879 That's how you use it! 310 00:29:56,927 --> 00:30:02,047 Next day, I meet some Saamipeople, descendants of reindeer herdsmen. 311 00:30:02,207 --> 00:30:05,961 They've moved with the times. No one paddles a canoe any more. 312 00:30:06,127 --> 00:30:08,880 My guide's just come back from Beverly Hillsl 313 00:30:09,047 --> 00:30:14,075 - Quite a bit of speed! - Yes. No mosquitoes! 314 00:30:14,247 --> 00:30:16,715 We're travelling faster than they are! 315 00:30:25,207 --> 00:30:28,517 Despite being frozen over for several months of the year, 316 00:30:28,687 --> 00:30:33,317 the Karasjok River is the richest salmon river in Europe. 317 00:30:33,487 --> 00:30:36,479 But its tributaries are even richer. 318 00:30:36,647 --> 00:30:39,081 Like that? Is that it? 319 00:30:39,247 --> 00:30:42,239 Yeah. Keep an eye for me, won't you? 320 00:30:42,407 --> 00:30:46,366 Make sure I'm not losing fabulous untold wealth! 321 00:30:46,527 --> 00:30:48,995 - Then you... Hey... - Yeah? 322 00:30:49,167 --> 00:30:52,921 Sometimes like this so the gold goes to the bottom. 323 00:30:53,087 --> 00:30:55,965 How's that going now? 324 00:30:56,127 --> 00:30:59,756 - There can be diamonds also. - Diamonds? 325 00:30:59,927 --> 00:31:02,725 - Yes. - I'll settle for that. 326 00:31:02,887 --> 00:31:06,084 If we don't find gold, we'll settle for diamonds. 327 00:31:06,247 --> 00:31:08,841 Not so fast! 328 00:31:09,007 --> 00:31:15,606 If you're panning correctly, you won't see the gold before it ends. 329 00:31:15,767 --> 00:31:18,679 - Gold is heavier than any other metals. - Right. 330 00:31:18,847 --> 00:31:22,237 If you pan correctly, you'll see it in the end. 331 00:31:22,407 --> 00:31:25,444 Has Petras found gold here? 332 00:31:25,607 --> 00:31:30,397 (THEY SPEAK IN NORWEGIAN) 333 00:31:31,607 --> 00:31:36,761 He says he won't tell you how much, but he has found it. 334 00:31:36,927 --> 00:31:40,602 Silly question. I want to know if all this is worthwhile, 335 00:31:40,767 --> 00:31:44,396 because I should be going to the South Pole. 336 00:31:44,567 --> 00:31:49,357 This will help pay for the overheads. There's something there. 337 00:31:49,527 --> 00:31:51,916 - Ah! - Yes, there is! 338 00:31:52,687 --> 00:31:54,643 There really is! 339 00:31:54,807 --> 00:31:58,243 I'll bring it up. There we are! Now, then. 340 00:31:59,127 --> 00:32:02,403 - There. - That's gold. 341 00:32:02,567 --> 00:32:06,685 - That really is quite satisfying. - Take a look over here. 342 00:32:06,847 --> 00:32:09,964 - You can see a proof... - Put yours here. 343 00:32:10,127 --> 00:32:12,516 A proof did it. 344 00:32:12,687 --> 00:32:16,521 How long did it take Petras to pan well? 345 00:32:16,687 --> 00:32:18,757 - Two years. - Two years. 346 00:32:25,207 --> 00:32:28,244 It's beyond my wildest dreams! 347 00:32:28,407 --> 00:32:32,605 I'll never have to work on television again. Not that I ever will! 348 00:32:32,767 --> 00:32:35,998 Go away! Go away! Leave me here! 349 00:32:36,167 --> 00:32:39,239 I don't need you any more! 350 00:32:44,407 --> 00:32:50,039 In the end, I decided to put all my gold together and buy a bus ticket. 351 00:33:02,727 --> 00:33:08,563 And so we reach our first international border, between Norway and Finland. 352 00:33:08,727 --> 00:33:13,596 It's a tense moment. Will there have been a gold-smuggling alert? 353 00:33:13,767 --> 00:33:16,281 Is this Interpol? 354 00:33:16,447 --> 00:33:21,396 I needn't have worried. He didn't even want to see my passport. 355 00:33:26,167 --> 00:33:28,806 Nothing's very different on the other side. 356 00:33:28,967 --> 00:33:33,518 Finland, as an independent country, is a creation of the 20th century. 357 00:33:33,687 --> 00:33:36,076 Like Norway, it's big and empty. 358 00:33:36,247 --> 00:33:41,162 A population less than that of London in a country bigger than the whole of Britain. 359 00:33:41,327 --> 00:33:44,239 But it's a step nearer our goal, 360 00:33:44,407 --> 00:33:47,558 and I've always had a thing about Finland. 361 00:33:47,727 --> 00:33:50,446 # Finland, Finland, Finland 362 00:33:50,607 --> 00:33:53,519 # The country where I want to be 363 00:33:53,687 --> 00:33:55,598 # Your mountains so lofty 364 00:33:55,767 --> 00:33:58,042 # Your treetops so tall 365 00:33:58,207 --> 00:34:01,279 # Finland, Finland, Finland 366 00:34:01,447 --> 00:34:04,200 # Finland has it all 367 00:34:04,727 --> 00:34:09,721 # You're so sadly neglected and often ignored 368 00:34:09,887 --> 00:34:12,401 # A poor second to Belgium 369 00:34:12,567 --> 00:34:15,286 # When going abroad 370 00:34:15,447 --> 00:34:18,598 # Finland, Finland, Finland 371 00:34:18,767 --> 00:34:22,965 # Finland has it all # 372 00:34:28,087 --> 00:34:31,796 The Arctic Circle, 1,600 miles from the Pole, 373 00:34:31,967 --> 00:34:36,643 where 24-hour daylight ends and 24-hour merchandising begins. 374 00:34:44,287 --> 00:34:47,085 Even Father Christmas has stepped up productivity, 375 00:34:47,247 --> 00:34:50,444 working on the hottest summer days. 376 00:34:50,607 --> 00:34:53,360 Um... Santa Claus? 377 00:34:56,007 --> 00:35:00,922 His army of elves sifts through the world's largest concentration of begging letters. 378 00:35:02,127 --> 00:35:05,039 - Ho-ho! Hello! - Hello. 379 00:35:05,207 --> 00:35:09,166 - Have a seat. It is Michael. - You speak English? 380 00:35:09,327 --> 00:35:12,399 - How you've grown, my friend! - Psychic. 381 00:35:12,567 --> 00:35:15,957 - It's a long time. - Everyone else thinks I've shrunk! 382 00:35:16,127 --> 00:35:18,243 - How are you? - Very well, thank you. 383 00:35:18,407 --> 00:35:23,720 - Nice to see you. - Are you the real Santa Claus? 384 00:35:23,887 --> 00:35:27,118 I'm told you are, but how can I be sure? 385 00:35:27,287 --> 00:35:33,442 Well, how should I... I'm sitting very strongly and fully here. 386 00:35:33,607 --> 00:35:37,395 Is it something to do with being on the Arctic Circle? 387 00:35:37,567 --> 00:35:42,687 This was a man with something to hide. He'd have to do better than that. 388 00:35:42,847 --> 00:35:47,079 Michael, I get nearly 500,000 letters every year. 389 00:35:47,247 --> 00:35:52,480 They come from about, if my memory's right, nearly 150 countries. 390 00:35:52,647 --> 00:35:57,562 - Not just Europe and North America? - No, no, no. 391 00:35:57,727 --> 00:36:03,643 One of the biggest countries is Japan. It's the biggest after Finland. 392 00:36:03,807 --> 00:36:06,765 Nearly 100,000 letters from Japan. 393 00:36:06,927 --> 00:36:10,317 I didn't think the Japanese believed in Santa Claus. 394 00:36:10,487 --> 00:36:15,845 I answer all the letters that come. We do that in eight different languages. 395 00:36:16,007 --> 00:36:18,999 - They're multilingual, the elves? - Yes. 396 00:36:19,167 --> 00:36:22,955 - Do you go anywhere dangerous? - No. 397 00:36:23,127 --> 00:36:26,517 - You stay out of the Middle East? - Yeah. 398 00:36:26,687 --> 00:36:29,724 - Can I ask for something? - Of course. 399 00:36:29,887 --> 00:36:35,803 - Will I get it? - There is always this question of being good. 400 00:36:35,967 --> 00:36:40,677 - I check with my... - These people will vouch for me. 401 00:36:40,847 --> 00:36:46,046 I'm a man of impeccable moral virtues. No? Some head-shaking there. 402 00:36:47,687 --> 00:36:50,645 - Can I ask for a Christmas present? - Sure. 403 00:36:50,807 --> 00:36:54,959 I'd like a one-way air ticket from the South Pole to London. 404 00:36:55,127 --> 00:36:58,119 One-way air ticket. I'm sure that could be... 405 00:36:58,287 --> 00:37:00,562 Or a lift on a reindeer. 406 00:37:00,727 --> 00:37:03,639 That I can guarantee easily. 407 00:37:03,807 --> 00:37:07,436 - Very nice... - My son would like a wok. 408 00:37:07,607 --> 00:37:12,601 Well, thank you very much. See you at Selfridges! 409 00:37:12,767 --> 00:37:14,723 And Harrods. 410 00:37:14,887 --> 00:37:16,605 And John Lewis. 411 00:37:16,767 --> 00:37:18,723 Army & Navy. 412 00:37:19,847 --> 00:37:24,159 If Christmas shopping begins at the Arctic Circle, so does the railway. 413 00:37:26,807 --> 00:37:31,005 We gratefully haul ourselves aboard an overnight express for Helsinki. 414 00:37:35,527 --> 00:37:38,758 The first train of our journey offers many pleasures, 415 00:37:38,927 --> 00:37:43,239 not the least of which is the chance to brush up on a little Finnish. 416 00:37:43,407 --> 00:37:45,443 Thank you. 417 00:37:45,607 --> 00:37:48,360 - And one baby beer. - Kiitos. 418 00:37:48,527 --> 00:37:51,644 Kiitos. Oops. Kiitos. 419 00:37:53,647 --> 00:37:56,036 - Kippis. - Kippis. 420 00:37:56,207 --> 00:38:00,120 Kiitos is "thank you". I get the two words muddled up. 421 00:38:00,287 --> 00:38:02,676 So tell me again. 422 00:38:02,847 --> 00:38:06,317 - Thank you is kiitos. - Thank you is kiitos. 423 00:38:06,487 --> 00:38:09,001 - Kiitos. - And "cheers" is kippis. 424 00:38:09,167 --> 00:38:12,000 - Kippis. - Kippis. Get pissed! 425 00:38:12,167 --> 00:38:15,637 - Get pissed. Kippis to you, too! - Then you say juomasi. 426 00:38:15,807 --> 00:38:18,275 - Juomasi. - Juomasi. 427 00:38:18,447 --> 00:38:22,645 I've learned three words of one of the most difficult languages in Europe. 428 00:38:22,807 --> 00:38:28,439 Each verb has 16 cases. Some of these people are probably using the triple dativel 429 00:38:34,407 --> 00:38:38,958 There's a full moon rising in the first night sky we've seen. 430 00:38:41,207 --> 00:38:44,882 As I turn in, I sense a real feeling of progress. 431 00:38:45,047 --> 00:38:50,201 Finnish railways are clocking off the miles and I lie back and think of... 432 00:38:50,367 --> 00:38:54,326 Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Sudan, 433 00:38:54,487 --> 00:38:59,720 Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cape Town... 434 00:39:12,287 --> 00:39:17,725 I wake up to clear skies and warm sunshine in Helsinki, on the shores of the Baltic. 435 00:39:17,887 --> 00:39:20,799 It's exactly a week since I left Tromso. 436 00:39:29,567 --> 00:39:32,764 0ne in five Finns lives in and around the capital. 437 00:39:32,927 --> 00:39:35,680 That's about a million people. 438 00:39:41,207 --> 00:39:46,918 After the Arctic, it's a pleasant shock to be back where humans control the environment 439 00:39:47,087 --> 00:39:49,521 rather than the other way round. 440 00:39:49,687 --> 00:39:53,680 The Finnish economy is one of Europe's quiet successes. 441 00:39:53,847 --> 00:39:59,240 Here they can have not only what they want, but the best of what they want. 442 00:40:05,047 --> 00:40:09,916 The Finnish religion is "sow-na", or "sor-na", as I mispronounce it. 443 00:40:10,087 --> 00:40:13,397 I experience the full ritual with two co-celebrants, 444 00:40:13,567 --> 00:40:17,879 Neil Hardwick, an Englishman living in Finland, and Lasse Lehtinen, a writer. 445 00:40:18,047 --> 00:40:21,119 It's essential to be naked in a sauna? 446 00:40:21,287 --> 00:40:25,075 You'd be ridiculous with swimming trunks on. 447 00:40:25,247 --> 00:40:28,239 They have no hang-ups about nakedness here. 448 00:40:28,407 --> 00:40:30,841 (LASSE) I'll do you a big favour now. 449 00:40:31,007 --> 00:40:36,320 - With friends, you beat each other. - It's not self-flagellation, then! 450 00:40:36,487 --> 00:40:38,796 Oh, that's nice! 451 00:40:38,967 --> 00:40:41,083 That's good. 452 00:40:41,247 --> 00:40:46,241 I thought it was the twigs without the leaves. The leaves make it nicer. 453 00:40:46,407 --> 00:40:49,240 Ooh, a blast of heat now! 454 00:40:49,407 --> 00:40:52,399 - That's from the water... - What temperature is it? 455 00:40:52,567 --> 00:40:56,845 - Ideally about 18 centigrade. - Do it for yourself. 456 00:40:57,007 --> 00:41:00,443 - Do it for myself? Everywhere? - Everywhere. 457 00:41:00,607 --> 00:41:04,646 - It's very nice on the face. - Aromatic smell. 458 00:41:04,807 --> 00:41:09,722 - Most smells are aromatic! - Thanks for accusing me of tautology! 459 00:41:13,007 --> 00:41:17,239 I always felt guilty about doing this, but now I've come out! 460 00:41:17,407 --> 00:41:20,160 - How about a bit for you? - Please. 461 00:41:20,327 --> 00:41:25,162 Say when. One thing a public school education fits you for! How's that? 462 00:41:25,327 --> 00:41:30,447 - Fine, thank you! - It's a pleasant tingling sensation. 463 00:41:30,607 --> 00:41:33,246 - (NEIL) We need to... - Don't try this at home! 464 00:41:33,407 --> 00:41:36,399 ...have a dip in the lake. - OK, a dip. 465 00:41:36,567 --> 00:41:39,718 You first. I'll hold this here! 466 00:41:39,887 --> 00:41:42,003 (PALIN) To the lake! 467 00:41:43,807 --> 00:41:47,117 It's all very relaxed and North European. 468 00:41:47,287 --> 00:41:51,360 Where else would I be skinny-dipping with two men I've just met? 469 00:41:51,527 --> 00:41:56,726 Sauna is a great leveller. No one knows who you are when you're naked. 470 00:41:56,887 --> 00:42:01,438 Well, they'll know that none of us is Kim Basinger! 471 00:42:05,007 --> 00:42:09,159 - How long do you spend in here? - As long as you like. 472 00:42:09,327 --> 00:42:13,366 - Can you swim? - It's nice to go through the ice. 473 00:42:13,527 --> 00:42:18,043 You're only there half a minute. Or roll in the snow. 474 00:42:18,207 --> 00:42:21,756 Once you've whacked yourself with vegetation, 475 00:42:21,927 --> 00:42:25,203 going into the ice is just a blessed relief! 476 00:42:25,367 --> 00:42:29,406 If the camera will turn off, we can get out. 477 00:42:29,567 --> 00:42:32,639 You have those problems. I'd forgotten! 478 00:42:33,687 --> 00:42:38,602 Don't miss next week's instalment of "Three Men In A Lake"! 479 00:42:44,407 --> 00:42:48,286 0nly 50 miles of water separate the affluence of Helsinki 480 00:42:48,447 --> 00:42:51,803 from the economic wasteland of the Soviet Union. 481 00:42:51,967 --> 00:42:56,518 There's a feeling of leaving comforts behind as we leave Scandinavia 482 00:42:56,687 --> 00:42:59,804 on an Estonian-registered ferry. 483 00:43:00,607 --> 00:43:03,883 (SHIP'S HORN) 484 00:43:11,607 --> 00:43:14,758 Compared to the ferries heading west, it's not busy. 485 00:43:14,927 --> 00:43:17,919 Plenty of space to practise my Russian. 486 00:43:18,087 --> 00:43:22,126 "The restaurant is to the left." 487 00:43:22,287 --> 00:43:24,243 "Thank you." 488 00:43:24,407 --> 00:43:27,524 (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) 489 00:43:27,687 --> 00:43:29,166 Sasha. 490 00:43:29,327 --> 00:43:32,160 (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) 491 00:43:32,327 --> 00:43:34,363 I'm called Michael. 492 00:43:36,927 --> 00:43:39,077 Tallinn is like a graveyard 493 00:43:39,247 --> 00:43:44,002 with cranes waiting to unload ships that never arrive. 494 00:43:53,407 --> 00:43:57,639 In the Middle Ages, this was one of the great Hanseatic trading ports, 495 00:43:57,807 --> 00:43:59,798 as rich as any in Northern Europe. 496 00:43:59,967 --> 00:44:05,963 Now the Soviet Union begins here and the present owners are not as welcoming. 497 00:44:12,487 --> 00:44:18,164 Beyond the guards and the barriers lies one of Europe's best-kept secrets. 498 00:44:19,567 --> 00:44:22,206 A perfectly preserved city centre, 499 00:44:22,367 --> 00:44:27,122 making the golden age of Tallinn seem like yesterday. 500 00:44:27,287 --> 00:44:30,802 (BELL TOLLS) 501 00:44:46,007 --> 00:44:48,726 As I walk through the streets, what surprises me 502 00:44:48,887 --> 00:44:52,516 is not the Estonians' resentment at sharing this with Moscow 503 00:44:52,687 --> 00:44:56,839 but the subtlety and restraint with which they express their protest. 504 00:44:57,007 --> 00:45:01,159 (SINGING IN DISTANCE) 505 00:45:01,327 --> 00:45:04,717 (THEY SING IN ESTONIAN) 506 00:45:10,847 --> 00:45:14,123 Estonians, a seemingly undemonstrative lot, 507 00:45:14,287 --> 00:45:18,439 have traditionally preserved and celebrated their independence in song. 508 00:45:18,607 --> 00:45:22,566 In the main square, the Johanson brothers maintain the tradition. 509 00:45:32,407 --> 00:45:37,959 They sing in Estonian, a language most of the occupying Russians won't understand. 510 00:45:52,007 --> 00:45:55,602 That was very nice. But what was it about? 511 00:45:55,767 --> 00:46:00,761 That was a very old traditional Estonian song. 512 00:46:00,927 --> 00:46:04,522 The tradition goes back perhaps for thousands of years. 513 00:46:04,687 --> 00:46:07,520 It was a song about shipbuilding. 514 00:46:07,687 --> 00:46:12,841 Building a miraculous ship. There were three brothers building a ship. 515 00:46:13,007 --> 00:46:17,159 The youngest one maintains to do it from bones or birds, strange material. 516 00:46:17,327 --> 00:46:19,682 It's a very strange ship. 517 00:46:19,847 --> 00:46:24,716 For me, it's a ship where we can all go one day and sail away 518 00:46:24,887 --> 00:46:28,402 with the whole company, perhaps the whole land. 519 00:46:29,807 --> 00:46:34,278 Their ship was to sail away much earlier than anyone dreamed possible. 520 00:46:34,447 --> 00:46:40,204 But this was the summer of 1991, when everyone was still a Soviet citizen. 521 00:46:44,447 --> 00:46:49,567 We've steadily crossed Scandinavia toward our 30-degree meridian. 522 00:46:49,727 --> 00:46:53,322 It's now only an eight-hour train journey from Tallinn. 523 00:46:56,847 --> 00:47:01,318 My first chance to speak Russian can no longer be avoided. 524 00:47:01,487 --> 00:47:03,921 In for a penny, in for a rouble. 525 00:47:04,087 --> 00:47:08,444 (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) 526 00:47:12,927 --> 00:47:15,395 (WOMAN REPLIES IN RUSSIAN) 527 00:47:15,567 --> 00:47:20,561 As soon as they talk back, I'm lost! One way. (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) 528 00:47:20,727 --> 00:47:23,764 (SPEAKS RUSSIAN) 529 00:47:23,927 --> 00:47:28,318 I don't know what that means. Is it? Credit card? 530 00:47:28,487 --> 00:47:31,445 No, cash. I mean roubles. 531 00:47:33,527 --> 00:47:35,802 Credit card?! 532 00:47:45,047 --> 00:47:49,757 It may look calm and tranquil out there, a lazy July day in Estonia, 533 00:47:49,927 --> 00:47:54,239 but nothing in the Soviet Union is quite what it seems this summer. 534 00:47:54,407 --> 00:47:56,523 Things are beginning to heat up. 535 00:47:57,807 --> 00:47:59,604 How hot? 536 00:47:59,767 --> 00:48:05,160 Let's see from my little travelling thermometer. Victorian thermometer. 537 00:48:05,327 --> 00:48:10,003 It is 30, just over 30 degrees here. 31. 538 00:48:11,607 --> 00:48:16,362 Makes you feel better, doesn't it? 80, just about 90. 539 00:48:17,447 --> 00:48:21,838 We're only in the north. We haven't gone south yet! 540 00:48:22,007 --> 00:48:26,239 Ee, bloody 'ell. 541 00:48:26,407 --> 00:48:30,116 I'd like to go back to the Pole, please!