Don Quixotes Delusions is an excellent read – far better than my own forthcoming travel book, Walking Backwards Across Tuscany. – Arthur Smith
The Romantic poets were the prototype ramblers, and Ive often found myself following in their footsteps – although perhaps not all of their footsteps since a typical walk for Samuel T. Coleridge might last two days and cover 145km. – Arthur Smith
Ninety-eight per cent of laughter is nothing to do with jokes, which do not deserve to bear the weight of all the funny stuff in the world. – Arthur Smith
Ive noticed that my resolutions involve me not doing stuff that I wasnt going to do anyway so heres something more positive. Im going to retrain as a Latin teacher in a provincial public school. – Arthur Smith
Let us not forget that the European Community started as a project for peace after the terrible Second World War. And today people take for granted the freedom to travel, to study, to work abroad. And the citizens of one country have almost exactly the same rights as another country. – Jose Manuel Barroso
I do not believe the picture that some people paint of Scottish towns dependent on welfare. Every time I come here, I meet people who are determined to get into work. Who, with the right help are desperate to get off benefits, support their family and set an example for their children. – Iain Duncan Smith