My Thrilling European Adventure

I won a trip to Spain in a contest held by Viator.com and used this great opportunity to explore Europe from November 12, 2010 to December 5, 2010. My itinerary comprised of United Kingdom: London - Spain: Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo - France: Paris - Italy: Venice, Rome, Naples and Pompeii - Germany: Hanover and Bremen - Netherlands: Amsterdam - Belgium: Brussels - Greece: Santorini - United Kingdom: London.

To enter this contest (http://travelblog.viator.com/contest-win-tickets-for-a-4-day-spain-tour/) sponsored by Viator.com, one had to post a reply to a blog entry answering the question, “Why should Viator give YOU a pair of tickets for the 4-Day Spain Tour: Cordoba, Seville, and Granada from Madrid?” in 10 words or less. My response was “Because it would make Paul the octopus sad otherwise”. Spain had just won the FIFA Football/Soccer World Cup 2010 and Paul the psychic octopus had predicted Spain’s victory in the finals correctly and my response really nailed the spirit of the competition and put me over the top. I entered my response on July 15, 2010 and was declared the winner on August 2, 2010.

I had never been to Europe before and always wanted to explore. The Spain tour that I won was fully guided. I travelled by air, train, car and by bus on my own to the other countries. It was amazing how everything came together so perfectly. I had the best three weeks of my life getting to discover countries that I had always dreamed of visiting. Each country that I visited had its own charm. Experiencing the history, culture, traditions, people, architecture and cuisines in these countries was an absolutely thrilling experience.

The Spain tour that I won included entrance fees, guided visits in Seville, Cordoba and Granada, three nights accommodation in 4-star hotels, transport by air-conditioned coach and meals. When a good friend of mine found out that the airfare was not included, he redeemed his miles to get me a business class round trip ticket to London. Also, my employer approved my request for a three week long paid vacation. These factors made the already exciting adventure even more exciting.

Experiencing these magical destinations first hand after reading so much about them was a dream come true.