Fans of Dan Brown's page-turner can follow in its hero's footsteps, taking in everything from the Louvre to Lincoln Cathedral, where the makers of the film version used a little artistic licence, writes Tony Clayton-Lea
We're about to find out what it's like for rock stars to play in three countries in three days. Exciting, yes, but also, we suspect, tiring. This is no rock-star trip, of course. Instead, over a few days, we are to visit Paris, London, Lincoln and Edinburgh, and we can blame it all on Dan Brown.
Brown, as you doubtless know, is the author of The Da Vinci Code, the ripping yarn that has become one of the best-selling books ever. Ostensibly the story of a modern quest for the Holy Grail - the chalice that Jesus is said to have drunk from at the Last Supper - the book suggests that the Grail is not a physical entity but a 2,000-year-old secret that could destroy the foundations of Christian belief.
With his book's bunch of conspiracy theories, as well as its anagrams, acrostics, red herrings and clues littered throughout, Brown threw several hungry cats among very excitable pigeons. Since the book's publication, in 2003, he has been on the receiving end of a caterwaul of abuse - not to mention a recently thrown-out accusation of plagiarism - and more royalties than may be healthy for one person.
So Brown, bless him, is the reason we're standing in the Louvre, looking at the astonishing Leonardo Da Vinci paintings Mona Lisa and The Virgin of the Rocks. It's the first stop in a tour whose organisers hope will promote each city through its connections with The Da Vinci Code, the film version of which, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, opens in a fortnight.
Even if you believe that the book is more cod than code, there's no denying that it has prompted a surge in interest in art, religious architecture and history, due in no small part to the number of tourist-friendly attractions Brown tied into his story. Add a few conspiracy theories and a rake of inconsistencies between Brown's "faction" and real life, and you've got yourself an entertaining and informative few days.
The Louvre is our principal destination in France; we also journey south of Paris to Château de Villette. It was once home to Count d'Aufflay, Louis XIV's ambassador to Italy, and is now a sumptuous private residence (open to guests for a sizeable fee). Owned by the US Francophile Olivia Hsu Decker - friend of Sharon Stone, Lenny Kravitz and others - it's no Versailles, but, guided by Decker's Paris-based assistant, Wicklow man Andrew Ryan, you can see how historic chateaux such as these appeal to people with as much a sense of history as an apiration to the high life.
Excuse me, but did I say high life? Our next stop is the Ritz Paris hotel - Brown had the decency to have his character Robert Langdon stay here - and as a far-from-it-we-were-raised treat we are ushered into the Coco Chanel room, where we sip champagne and nibble on the kind of unfamiliar delicacies that Chanel probably ate every day. If you can afford several thousand of your hard-earned euro, the suite is yours for the night. If you can't, then it's off to London with you on the Eurostar.
The next morning, in the company of Blue Badge guide David Jordan - screamingly funny and utterly inspiring - we find ourselves outside Westminster Abbey. In the book, it is here that Langdon and his cryptanalyst friend Sophie Neveu discover the identity of the Teacher, The Da Vinci Code's villain.
But Westminster Abbey refused the film- makers access, which is why, the following day, we are shown around Lincoln Cathedral, a prepossessing Gothic church noted for its decorative carvings. The cathedral is starting Da Vinci Code exhibition and tours, the income from which will help to keep the building open for worshippers and visitors alike. The dean denies that the book is offensive to Christians; instead, he says, it is far-fetched. "Some of what is said in the book about the church and its teaching is heretical, and is based on ideas put forward rather late in the church's history . . . [The book] stimulates debate and the search for truth, and we are glad to be part of this process."
After a scoot around Burghley House, a splendid Elizabethan stately home nearby that is used for scenes involving the film's papal plot, it's off to Scotland to pay our respects to Rosslyn Chapel, the setting for some of the book's most dramatic scenes.
Rosslyn? Rose Line? Brown ties together various traditions of rose symbolism without high regard for the truth - part of what makes his book the page-turner it is. When you look around Rosslyn Chapel, however, some of Brown's more speculative notions take on a peculiarly realistic tone. Perhaps this conspiracy lark is finally getting to me.
Whatever the reason, the chapel exudes a particular hold over even the most cynical of imaginations. Long associated with Grail legend - some have suggested it stands on a pre-Christian pilgrimage route - Rosslyn houses richly allegorical sculpture that draws on Christian symbolism, as well as featuring incredible examples of figurative work and pagan imagery.
What can it all mean? We are left with little more than a Da Vinci coda: for centuries, Rosslyn has been known as the Chapel of Codes. How spooky is that?
Tony Clayton-Lea took the Da Vinci Code location tour courtesy of VisitBritain, Maison de la France and VisitScotland. See www.visitdavinci code.com; The Definitive Guide to the Da Vinci Code: Paris Walks by Peter Caine is published by Orion, £7.99 in UK
KNOW YOUR CODE
London is where the story unfolds. See www.templechurch.com, www.westminster-abbey.org, www.nationalgallery.org.uk.
Lincoln is where the film crew spent a week shooting scenes in one of Europe's finest Gothic cathedrals, in Lincoln, and Burghley House.
See www.lincolncathedral.com, www.burghleyhouse.co.uk.
South of Edinburgh, at Rosslyn Chapel, is where the closing section of the book takes place. www.rosslynchapel.org.uk.
Eurostar is the train service from London to Paris, Brussels and Lille via the Channel Tunnel; up to 17 services daily. Journey time from 155 minutes. Fares start at £59 (€87) return. www.eurostar.com.
Grayline offers Da Vinci Code walking tours in London, Paris and Edinburgh, working through Citirama in Paris and Goldentours in London. A two-hour walking tour in London costs £6. www.goldentours.co.uk.
BEHIND THE SCENES
PARIS: Stay Novotel Paris Les Halles, 8 Place Marguerite de Navarre; double room from about €160 a night. www.novotelparisleshalles.com.
Eat Le Café Marly, Cour Napoléon, 93 rue de Rivoli (00-33-1-49260660). Beside the Louvre and not as pricey as you might think.
LONDON: Stay Le Sofitel St James, 6 Waterloo Place (00-44-20-77472200). Novotel also offers special Da Vinci Code packages. www.novotel.com.
Eat The Mint Leaf, Suffolk Place, Haymarket (00-44-20-79309020); Indian food to salivate over in a series of alcoves. Intimate chat is something of a no-no, however, as it's all a bit loud.
LINCOLN: Stay White Hart Hotel (00-44-1522-526222), www.whitehart-lincoln.co.uk.
Eat Old Bakery Restaurant, 26-28 Burton Road (00-44-1522-576057). Da Vinci Code director Ron Howard and actor Sir Ian McKellen visited - think good, old-fashioned English comfort dishes with contemporary touches.
EDINBURGH: Stay The Scotsman, 20 North Bridge (00-44-131- 5565565) www.thescotsmanhotel.co.uk.
Eat The Witchery, Castlehill, a 16th-century building at the castle gates. Special food, too. www.thewitchery.com.