Record-Breaking Traveler

It is probably everyone’s passion to travel as many countries as they can. However, for some people, this passion stays only as a thought in minds, but not for André Brugiroux. He traveled so many times that he became a record-breaking traveler!

(Wagner, 2021)

Who Is André Brugiroux?

He is a Parisian author and traveler, born in 1937 in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges and he spent his childhood in Seine-et-Oise with his railwayman father and accountant mother. However, lack of work opportunities led them to move to Paris.

He is known as a World citizen since he is the one and only person who can travel all countries of the world.

His love of travel comes from his mother who had some travel before getting married. She gave him the taste for travel and by enrolling him as a scout, she wanted to make him develop his future versatility. He received the nickname “fouine babillarde”, which means chattering cunning beech martens, as a scout.

Where the Real Journey Starts

His travels that made him the record holder began when he went to Scotland for an internship when he was 17. With the desire to travel and learn different languages and cultures, he continued his travel with Germany, Italy, and Spain.

(Wagner, 2021)

Since Europe got narrow and his desire to expand, he started to work in part-time jobs to save up money for his travels. After his military service in the Congo, he worked as an interpreter in Canada for 3 years and saved enough money to travel the world without working in 6 years. Thus, this is the point where the real journey starts. The first years of his journey lasted by hitchhiking including ships, yachts, and even planes. At that time, he was spending only 1 dollar per day to continue his travel.

However, the endless journey was not fascinating always. Brugiroux was imprisoned seven times, almost killed, deported, and robbed. He met with head-hunters in Borneo, Buddhist monks in Bangkok, hippies in San Francisco, gem-smuggling business in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and refugee camps in Cambodia. But among these scary and deterrent experiences, he never thought about ending this path.

(Wagner, 2021)

During this journey, he experienced a lot of things and wanted to learn by approaching without prejudice. After many years with different cultures, different people, and with the happiness of seeing the world, now he is home, in Paris! After publishing his first book and making his first documentary film, Brugioux set out to spread the teachings of the Baha’i faith that changed his perspective (ayaeş, 2019).

His last stop was the newest country, South Sudan. Brugiroux, who is currently living in France with sociologist Rinia Van Kanten, whom he married in 1984, and their daughter Natascha, is waiting for the birth of new states for new travels.

(Wikiwand, n.d.)

( Wikimedia Commons, 2020)

He published his documentary film and book with the same name  “La Terre n’est qu’un seul pays” (The Earth is but one country). This film is a conclusion of his journey of 135 countries of every continent lasted 18 years. Then, Brugiroux made the English version of the film which is named “One People, One Planet”.

His Books

• André Brugiroux (1988). La Terre n’est qu’un seul pays(in French). (The Earth is but one country)

-André Brugiroux (1977). La tierra es un solo país (Spanish).

-André Brugiroux (1991). One People, One Planet: The Adventures of a World Citizen. (English)

• André Brugiroux (1978). La Route et ses chemins. (The road and its pathways).
• André Brugiroux (2006). Le prisonnier de Saint-Jean-d’Acre. (The Prisoner of Acre).
• André Brugiroux (20 October 2009). Les chemins de la paix: La grande aventure des années soixante. (Pathways to Peace).
• André Brugiroux (2002). Bloc-notes d’un enseignant itinérant. (Notes of a Travelling Teacher).
• André Brugiroux (2006). Une vie sur la route: chroniques d’un sac à dos. (A life on the road).
• André Brugiroux and Jérôme Bourgine (2014). L’Homme qui voulait voir tous les pays du monde. (The man who wanted to see all countries in the world).
• André Brugiroux and Jérôme Bourgine (2016). Le Monde est mon pays. (The world is my country).
• André Brugiroux (2017). Victor Hugo et l’ère nouvelle. (Victor Hugo and the new era).

References

Wikipedia Contributors. (2020, March 28). André Brugiroux. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Brugiroux

Andre Brugiroux kimdir? (n.d.). Www.biyografi.info. Retrieved May 7, 2021, from https://www.biyografi.info/kisi/andre-brugiroux

ayaeş. (2019, June 25). Andre Brugiroux Gözünden Bir Yaşam Biçimi Olarak; Seyahat. Medium. https://medium.com/@ayaes/andre-brugiroux-g%C3%B6z%C3%BCnden-bir-ya%C5%9Fam-bi%C3%A7imi-olarak-seyahat-ffb812caee77

Yeryüzündeki Bütün Ülkeleri Gezen İlk ve Tek İnsan: André Brugiroux | Kafa Bi Dünya. (n.d.). Www.kafabidunya.com. Retrieved May 7, 2021, from https://www.kafabidunya.com/tr/andre-brugiroux/

File:Affiche du film d’André Brugiroux version anglaise.gif – Wikimedia Commons. (2020). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Affiche_du_film_d%27Andr%C3%A9_Brugiroux_version_anglaise.gif     (File:Affiche du film d’André Brugiroux version anglaise.gif – Wikimedia Commons, 2020)

Wikiwand. (n.d.). Www.wikiwand.com. Retrieved May 7, 2021, from https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Andr%C3%A9_Brugiroux    (Wikiwand, n.d.)