The passport that hid the truth

My first passport expired in2004 and was – to me – a joy to behold. During the decade of its existence I travelled through dozens of countries, including many that wouldlaterjoin the European Union.

Europe at that time felt even more of a patchwork than it does now, with real, actual border posts still intact. The sorts you needed to stop and get out and wait at, obtaining a stamp – perhaps after a question or two – from a border guard with a dodgy moustache and dodgier English.

Yet following...