To begin with, I live in the UK so such epic travel isn’t really necessary. So, I’ve decided to talk about the trip I want to take which is a cross-Europe trip. And it will be a combination of many modes of transport.
So, there is a pilgrimage called St Michael’s Sword which runs from Ireland to Israel. It is, in part, likely the old tin trade trail though it does extend to Ireland and the tin trade route didn’t, stopping as it did in Cornwall. It’s a route of ley lines and is, apparently, where Archangel Michael appeared in several places over a number of centuries to suggest that a religious order be formed where he appeared. It follows pretty much a straight line and, with the exception of the central site which I like to think looks over the others given it is in the Cottian Alps on Mount Pirchiriano, are in very close proximity to water.
The basic line is Skellig Michael off the coast of Ireland, Mount St Michael in Cornwall (where the tin was discovered), England, Mont St Michel in Normandy, France, Sacra di San Michel in Pirchiriano, Sanctuary of Mont Sant’Angelo sul Gargano in Apulia, both in Italy, Monastery of the Taxiarchis in Symy, Greece, and Stella Maris Monastery in Mount Carmel, Israel. To cover all of these (let’s pretend the war with Iran isn’t happening at the moment and I can travel to Israel safely) I would want to travel via plane, car, boat, and possibly a bicycle occasionally. I would also want to deviate from the pilgrimage in France and visit Carcassonne and the sites of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars.
I would start by flying from near where I live to Dublin and hire a car. Yes, I could fly to Kerry but why not take the chance to explore the beauty that is Ireland? So, I would drive across Ireland over a couple of days, getting to the Iveragh peninsular to get the boat across to the pyramid-like shape of Skellig Michael situation in the Atlantic Ocean. The monks who lived at Skellig Michael tell of how, when St Patrick was struggling to exorcise the last demons from the land, Archangel Michael appeared at the head of a heavenly army to help banish the most tenacious devils. He appeared over the rocky island that is now Skellig Michael and left behind a shield of protection. Very little is left of the monastery founded there now, but there are regular tourist boats ferrying people across the Atlantic in the summer months, weather dependant.
I would return to Dublin, via a different route in the car, and return to the UK. There is a ley line linked to St Michael’s Sword which starts near where I live. I would follow that route, over about a week, to Mount St Michael, going via Oxfordshire, Glastonbury, Wells down to Cornwall enjoying the route as I went. I would consider going by train on this journey but, frankly, train journeys in the UK are no easy feat when you’re not going north/south (I would be travelling East/West and not through London) and I know I wouldn’t be able to cope with the frustrations! So, I would just enjoy the meander along the route going through areas I love.
I might take a train to France from London. Hire a car and drive to Normandy to Mont St Michel. It’s a beautiful place and I would want to take my time there. From Normandy, I would spend the next 10 days meandering through France to Carcassonne in the Languedoc region using the time there to absorb the atmosphere of where the Cathars were persecuted. From there, I would head across to Piedmont to Sacra di San Michele high on the top of Mount Pirchiriano.
Still driving, I would make my way down Italy as the fancy took me over the course of about 2 weeks sampling the delights of my favourite European country. I honestly cannot think of a better way to spend 2 weeks (or longer if possible) just meandering through the beauty that is Italy until I reached Apulia and the Sanctuary of Mont Sant’Angelo sur Gargano. I would finish my Italian idyll in Naples, flying from there to Rhodes. I would spend a few days exploring Rhodes before taking the boat to the island of Symi for the Monastery of the Taxiarchis, staying on the island for another few days to simply enjoy the atmosphere of Greece. Upon returning to Rhodes, I would fly to Haifa in Israel to visit Stella Maris at Mount Carmel and, if possible, spend a few days exploring Israel as far as I could including to Jerusalem if I had the time.
Eventually, I would return home. After around 2-3 months of travelling some of the most beautiful sceneries I wonder if I would be able to settle before planning another cross-European adventure or some other travelling excursion. I know I would love to criss-cross America and Canada at my leisure (perhaps in a few years’ time when it might be more accommodating to someone like me). I would also love to explore New Zealand, Australia and Thailand. All in one go, why not?
The pilgrimage across St Michael’s Sword is not an if, it’s a when. I have some plans to visit Europe this year though possibly not the Sword until it is safe to do visit Israel again. But I will be taking a range of different travelling modalities and I can’t wait to start!
Louisa Simpson 