I’m writing this from a little café beside the train station in Lisbon. After five adventure-filled days and nights on our first Adventure Society Expedition, On the Trail of the Templars, I’m tired, but in the best possible way.
Walking in the footsteps of Eden Black and her crew, our small group saw some incredible things, from medieval castles to fantastical gardens and an evening of soulful Fado. And somewhere along the way, we found the real treasure of the Templars…
When I set out to bring a group of readers together, I knew it was going to be fun. Quite how good it would be, though, I had no idea.
Every one of our adventurers first met me through one of my stories. Somewhere along the way, in an armchair, on a commute or late at night when they really should have been asleep, they got to know Eden and my other characters.
But this week, that connection went beyond sharing an adventure in the pages of a novel. People travelled thousands of miles from all over the world, arriving as strangers who shared nothing more than a love of the same stories, and they left as friends. It sounds cheesy, I know, but it’s true.
As I’ve shared many times, I started writing the kind of books I do because I wanted to share with you the childlike wonder I feel when I travel. I want you to feel as though you’re there with my characters, walking through the backstreets of Kathmandu or the hidden crypts of Paris.
This week, we shared that wonder and excitement in person, and it was truly magical. We scrambled over the walls of Almourol Castle, walked the echoing halls of the Convent of Christ where the Templars once prayed, and descended the spiral steps of the Initiation Well at Quinta da Regaleira. Glancing around each time, I saw people grinning like children who had discovered a secret passageway, or who truly believed that magic was just a step away.
It’s so inspiring that, despite the different ages, experiences and lives of everyone there, in those moments we came together as one group of adventurers, enthralled, amazed and intrigued by everything.
While we were in Sintra, we couldn’t resist a visit to the Pena Palace, which, although not a Templar site, is one of Portugal’s most famous landmarks, its red and yellow towers perched high above the forest.
That shared experience feels like so much more than a book. The story was just the start, but what we found this week was a real connection, and memories that I don’t think any of us will forget in a hurry.
It got me thinking that maybe the real treasure of the Templars isn’t a golden chalice, or a bag of jewels, but an experience that once shared can never be taken away.
If you’d like to discover the history behind the places we visited, from the Templar fortress at Tomar to the Initiation Well at Sintra, read my article On the Trail of the Templars in Portugal.
On our final evening, over dinner and Fado, I revealed to the group that we’re already planning the next adventure. This one won’t be in Lisbon, although we may return in the future.
We’re working on it behind the scenes now, and I’ll share more soon. It’ll be the same small group, with the same focus on bringing together lovers of travel to walk through the real places behind my stories. I think it’s going to sell out even more quickly than this one did!
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I write books that blend history, adventure, and suspense, taking you on a journey to foreign and exotic places like the Pyramids of Giza, the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, and the backstreets of Kathmandu. Whether you’re a history buff, a travel addict, or just looking for excitement, my stories are for you.
