The Accidental Pilgrim: Travels with a Celtic Saint

A travel book can be more than just a detailed chronology of logistics and fantastic sights that can't be missed along the way. David Moore demonstrates this unequivocally with his engaging account of an inspiring bicycle pilgrimage from Dublin, Ireland to Bobbio, Italy following the faint tracks of Dark Ages Irish monk, St Columbanus. Moore starts the book by drawing the reader into the dramatic climax of his trip with the harrowing details of his bicycle descent from Splugen Pass in the Alps to peaceful Chiavenna in the valley below. He then cleverly recounts the progression of events bringing him to that point in his life. Moore alternately educates, amuses, and delves deeply into his inner journey as he pedals across a continent and tries to reconcile the complexities of his identity, motivations, and life choices. Although well organized for riding with neatly packed panniers and an array of maps and plans, his `real' life as an Englishman living in Ireland after having spent considerable time in the USA seems less organized and more daunting. Earlier careers as a technical writer and a dot com era Internet whiz weren't satisfying and left him wondering about his life's direction. Moore seized on the idea of the pilgrimage and its promise to resolve his internal uncertainty but part way through the trip, events such as 9-11 and later the crash of an SAS jet at the Linate airport help him form a new thesis that life should be enjoyed while it can without guilt. This lightening of his soul is reflected in entertaining accounts of his experiences with a variety of eateries and hotels. Along the way he argues with St Columbanus about the dangers of religious extremism and admires the Saint's contributions that are still remembered to this day. The book ends without a clear picture of Moore's future but that's okay because it leaves room for a sequel. This reviewer can only hope he plans more travel and the development of another inspiring and entertaining book like the Accidental Pilgrim!