Along the Templar Trail
Encyclopedia
Summary
Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace is a non-fiction travelogue written by Brandon WilsonBrandon Wilson
Brandon Wilson is known as an author of non-fiction travel narratives and explorer.-Early years:Born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, son of Dr. Edgar and Mary Beth Wilson is the eldest of 3 children...
, published in 2008 by Pilgrim's Tales, Inc.. It is the true story about Wilson, an American, and "Émile", a 68-year old Frenchman, who set off in the spring of 2006 from Dijon, France to hike the route Godfrey de Bouillon and his army traveled in 1096 to Jerusalem. Traveling simply with backpacks and trusting in the kindness of strangers, the pair have two goals: to carry a message of peace along a route historically used for war, and to establish a pilgrimage path others might follow regardless of nationality, culture and religion.
Details
Their five-month journey leads them 2620 miles across eleven countries and two continents toward Jerusalem. The modern-day pilgrims follow canal paths from FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
thru Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
to Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen
Donaueschingen is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar Kreis. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river Danube ....
in southern Germany, source of the Danube River. In Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
they connect with the Donauradweg
Donauradweg
The Danube Bike Trail is a bicycle trail along Europe’s second longest river the Danube, running from the source of the Danube to its mouth in the Black Sea. The trail passes through the following European countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine...
, or bicycle path, that leads through Bavaria into Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, then Bratislava, Slovakia and into Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Often staying in monasteries or with families, they hike 31-50 kilometers a day. Upon reaching Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, they head south following the Danube Valley on bicycle paths and roads to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. There the relative predictability of their journey changes. Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Hezbollah trade missiles, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
Airport is bombed, and southern Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
evacuated. Still, the men continue walking to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
where they will decide if, how, and where to continue.
As word of their peace walk spreads, national television networks and newspapers in cities such as Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
(Glas, Public Voice, Novosti), Sombor
Sombor
Sombor is a city and municipality located in northwest part of Serbian autonomous province of Vojvodina. The city has a total population of 48,749 , while the Sombor municipality has 87,815 inhabitants...
(TV Speckar), Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
(Balkan Bulgarian Television), Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
(Labor), Nis
NIS
NiS may refer to:*Nickel sulfide NiSNis or NIS may refer to: * Niš, a city in south-eastern Serbia. * Ness, Western Isles , a village in the Outer Hebrides islands.In politics and government:...
(Niska Televizija), and Alanya, Turkey (Kanal A TV Nightly News and Memleketim Alanya) interview the pair.
After the couple connects with the ancient Roman Via Militaris
Via Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Singidunum , passing by Danube coast to Viminacium , through Naissus , Serdica , Philippopolis , Adrianopolis , and reaching Constantinople...
through Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, conditions grow worse. Emile becomes ill and returns home. While Wilson hikes across Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, there is an attempted attack on the US Embassy in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and an Ebola
Ebola
Ebola virus disease is the name for the human disease which may be caused by any of the four known ebolaviruses. These four viruses are: Bundibugyo virus , Ebola virus , Sudan virus , and Taï Forest virus...
-like virus erupts in eastern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Drastic decisions are made. The border between north and south Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
has just recently opened. To avoid walking through war zones, Wilson crosses from the Turkish coast to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, then treks to Limassol
Limassol
Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of 228,000 . It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.Limassol is the...
, rich in the Templar history. After a short sea crossing, he connects with the Israel National Trail
Israel National Trail
The Israel National Trail, is a hiking path that crosses the entire country of Israel. Its northern end is at Dan, near the Lebanese border in the far north of the country, and it extends to Eilat at the southernmost tip of Israel on the Red Sea, a length of approximately 940 km...
, from near Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
to Jerusalem.
Along the Templar Trail combines a unique cast of characters, intrigue, and adventure with personal growth and social commentary. Wilson writes, “We are all pilgrims, each on their own path, each with their own story to tell. Walking is only a first step, but one we each can take to discover the peace within. In that way, eventually, war will become unconscionable. Darkness will be dispelled with light—one person, one step at a time.”
Book contains stages, distances, rough maps, photos, and gear list for those who might follow this trail, one named to honor Knights Templars originally tasked with aiding early pilgrims to Jerusalem.
Awards
• Winner of the Lowell Thomas Gold Award, named 2009 Best Travel Book, Society of American Travel Writers Foundation• Short-listed for Book of the Year Award (adventure), ForeWord Reviews
Review Excerpts
“More than the mere adventure of two brave men, it is a grand and noble quest for peace, as well as a spiritual voyage that will leave readers emotionally and intellectually replenished…” ~ Midwest Book Review"A fascinating testimony of faith and gumption that inspired two men to take seven million steps for peace. A must read…" ~ Arun Gandhi, president, M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence
"If we want peace on earth, we must make the effort to embody peace with each step. Brandon Wilson's inspiring journey, told beautifully in this book, is a living example of peacemaking." ~ Cindy Sheehan, noted peace activist
Citations
- Brandon Wilson (2008): Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace, ISBN 9780977053681 (trade paperback), ISBN 9780977053698 (hardcover)