Long Way Round

I've always gotten a kick out of seeing a place I've visited in photos or on TV or in movies. I don't know why but it's a little thrill to see somewhere that I have been or to see a program about my hometown.

So, we set up the Tivo to record anything with the keyword Ukraine after we got home from the adoption. We've had several programs record - from a show about USSR's worst serial killer to a program about the underground bunkers built by Stalin which were then used to defend Kiev in a last stand against the Nazi's invasion during WWII.

All of the shows have been interesting...but then the other day Tivo recorded a program called "Long Way Round". It's a 2004 documentary of Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charley Boorman as they ride their motorcycles around the world. The episode that Tivo recorded showed them traveling through Ukraine. It was a really good program and both Mike and I enjoyed seeing them experience Ukraine's red tape, getting stopped by police for speeding (which we laughed at so hard as our driver was stopped 3 times!), and of course the exuberant people! I must admit I didn't know much about Ewan McGregor - but he seems like a nice guy with a great sense of humor.

They visit Kiev and work with Unicef to help the children effected by Chernobyl and then travel to the southeast and spend a few days in Volgograd and get to tour one of the many coal mines.

If you get a chance to catch this episode (or we may watch the entire series someday) it's worth the time!