18 days, 11 destinations and 52 new
friends- my Contiki European Whirl tour was by far the most rewarding
experience of my life. I have no idea how I am going to condense every memory
and accomplishment into this post, as I enjoyed every single second! Meeting
new people, seeing the highlights of Europe and proving to myself just how far
I have come in terms of my recovery, the smile that adorned my face during day
one is still engrained right to this very moment.
After checking in with the tour
manager-Adam- in London at 6am on 27th July, I found myself waiting
nervously amongst a group of fellow travellers for the coach to arrive. As the
cases were loaded I embarked the vehicle and scanned the seats to decide where
I would place myself. My gut instinct was to sit next to the female traveller
just in front of the door; consequently, this was the best decision that I
think I made throughout the entire trip! Chatting to this lovely Australian
lady completely put me at ease, as I soon came to realise that I was not the
only solo traveller on the trip. Crossing over to France on the ferry, I had a
further opportunity to meet a few of the other group members and the nerves
seemed to completely drift away. My mind was completely clear of negative
thoughts- no compulsions to restrict my eating, no doubts about my capabilities,
just excitement and anticipation of the adventures that lie ahead.
Following a round of speed dating on the
way into Amsterdam, I quickly came to realise that not only was I part of a
minority group in terms of being a non-drinker, but I was also the only British
traveller! This could not have turned out any better- it enhanced my travelling
experience so much more, as I learned about the Australian lifestyle as well as
that of mainland Europe. They were all incredibly friendly, relaxed and made my
time on the tour a league above what I could have ever expected. I genuinely
think that having a good bunch of people on a group tour could literally make
or break your entire trip, so I was extremely fortunate to have found myself
travelling with this fantastic crowd.
Amsterdam was the first stop on our tour
and after visiting here last year, I was intrigued to explore the city from a
new perspective. The experience was entirely different- pacing the streets with
friends that I had only known for 6 hours, finding out new places from other
knowledgeable travellers and thinking about how best to plan your time in order
to prepare for the next activities that were lined up. I had already decided
that I was not going to waste a single opportunity that I was given on this
trip, so I did all of the included and optional activities. Therefore, in
Amsterdam I did a canal cruise, a bike ride around Edam, learnt how clogs and
cheese are made, developed new friendships over a dinner in Volendam and
something that I definitely did not expect to be doing- watching a ‘cultural’
show. Now I have heard of a few icebreaker activities in my time, but this was
on a whole different level. I will leave it up to your imagination as to what
the evening’s activity was, but it was definitely a good conversation starter
for the next few days.
Berlin was destination number 2! As we all
seated ourselves on the coach it was time to hear our ‘wake up song’ for the
first time- HandClap. At first I thought there was no way I was going to be
able to listen to the same song every morning for 18 days, but the uplifting
impact it had on the group was brilliant. Even the biggest drinkers would
somehow find the strength at 7am to clap along. It became the highlight of
every morning and you needed it if you knew you had a long day of travelling
ahead. In Berlin we had the option to do a 3 hour walking tour, which I
thoroughly enjoyed. We saw so many of the iconic structures and learnt so much
about Berlin’s history. The tour guide was fantastic and so incredibly
knowledgeable that it was hard not to be interested in the facts and
information she was giving. I think it is admirable how the German’s are so
open about their history and willing to expose all aspects of their actions
through memorials and preservations in order to learn from them.
Prague was next on the list. I wish I had
have spent more time exploring the city, but as I mentioned earlier, I wanted
to do all of the optional extras. I do not regret doing the canal cruise or the
bunker tour, but I would have liked to see more of the beautiful architecture,
cobbled streets and learnt more about their culture. I suppose that is just the
nature of the tour though and now I know that Prague would be somewhere that I
would like to visit again in the future. However, in contrast to that seemingly
negative statement about the tour, the positive aspects are that you end up
doing and seeing things that you may not have necessarily thought of taking the
time to see. For example, one of the highlights of my trip was spray painting
on the John Lennon Wall, and I know that this was an opportunity that was only
brought about because of our fantastic trip manager-Adam.
Next stop was Munich. This city was
beautiful and had an amazing atmosphere; I was so upset that we only had the
chance to spend one afternoon here. As soon as we arrived it was time to head
into the city centre for a bike ride with Mike’s Bike’s. Cycling through the
streets with everybody was a brilliant experience and another chance to make
more memories. My favourite area of Munich was the Chinesischer Turm in one of
the parks. The setting was incredible and the food was unreal. I devoured a
half roast chicken and a pretzel with some salad and it was amazing. It was
quite expensive, but for the amount you got it was so worth it. We all ate our
meals on picnic benches, the majority with a stein full of beer and if I am
honest, I think this was the point when it hit me how far I had come in terms
of my recovery. To be enjoying a spontaneous, huge meal, with a group of people
I had known for a week, and not experience the negative force of my eating
disorder- it was an incredibly rewarding feeling. As we cycled back to the
starting point of our adventure I felt completely elated and could have burst
with pride. A few of my roommates were aware of my mental illness, but there
was nothing that I wanted to do more than share my happiness with my family. I
was having the time of my life and I could not wait to tell them about it all.
Austria was by far one of the most
beautiful places I have ever visited. After a short drive from Munich, we once
again took to the bicycles and headed for the hills. This was most definitely
the day that tested my fitness and I have to admit I struggled. The constant
heat with little breeze did not work in my favour, but there was no way that I
was not going to complete the bike ride and I am so glad I endured it. The
views were absolutely exceptional. The scenery was so picturesque that it did
not feel real. Every home was in pristine condition and there was nothing at
all to spoil the landscape. I tried to capture as many photos as I could, but
was continually frustrated as not one single image portrayed the beauty just as
I had witnessed. Lunch was a jacket potato, coleslaw and sausages- not a meal I
was entirely thrilled about. However, this was when I noticed a change in my
mindset- I needed to eat to live. I had exhausted my body from the bike ride
and I knew that I needed to refuel, particularly as I was about to paraglide
off the edge of a cliff. That afternoon was probably the most standout moment
of my entire trip. Stepping into the cable car to the top of the mountain, it
had not quite registered what I was about to do. As I watched the paragliding
equipment being laid out on the side of the mountain, it still had not quite
registered as to what I was about to do. Only when I was buckled in and the guy
yelled, “RUN!” did it suddenly dawn on me what I was about to do. Gliding through the air, mesmorised by the
magnitude of the views I was observing, the whole experience did not feel real.
This time last year I was sat in a wheelchair gazing out of a window in Grimsby
hospital, now I was paragliding- soaring above Austria. If that does not
encourage anybody suffering with a mental illness to fight for recovery every
single day, I do not know what will.
The following day we headed to the start of
the whitewater rafting! Again, another activity I have never done before and I
thoroughly enjoyed it. The weather was lovely which consequently made the
scenery look stunning. When we reached the bottom we had to take off our
wetsuits, meaning I had to strip down to my bikini. This really did not affect
me at all, after coming to know everybody in the group, I knew that there was
not going to be one single person that was going to be scrutinising my body or
making any remarks if they saw my tattoo. I am proud of how far I have come and
would have been more than happy to discuss my tattoo should it have been
mentioned- I am not ashamed of my journey, it has made me the person that I am
today.
After another 5 hours on the road, we
arrived at the campsite in Venice. This was the day that I completely lost my
voice and the ‘Contiki Cough’ started to make an appearance. I had heard of
this allusive illness, but I did not realise the scale of the epidemic once it
hit. Fortunately, I got off lightly in terms of it having an impact on my trip,
although, I did use it as an excuse to have plenty of gelato whilst in Italy!
Our first activity was a gondola ride and this was something that I really
enjoyed. It was so relaxing and even though we did not have a singing
gondolier, it was still a lovely experience. We then did a walking tour past
all of the iconic Venetian sights such as the Bell Tower, St. Mark’s Square and
the Doge’s Palace. I was in no way disappointed with any of the Italian cities
that we visited, but I was definitely surprised at how busy they all were. I
would definitely return to all of them but at a different time of year, but
again that is the beauty of doing a tour like this, as I managed to see all of
the highlights and take note of where I would like to go back. I vowed that I
was not going to leave Italy without having a pizza dish, a pasta dish and some
gelato- they did not disappoint and I have no regrets for indulging in these
regional delicacies. We also decided to go to the top of the Bell Tower during
some of our free time and the views were incredible. Unfortunately, we made it
up there just as a storm approached, but ever the optimist, I managed to get
some beautiful photos as the black clouds came rolling in. However, it then
dawned on us that we had to run back through Venice to catch the boat back to
the campsite whilst the rain absolutely saturated us.
Rome was our next destination and if I am
honest, I did not quite know what to expect. I was hoping that the Colosseum
would be everything that I wanted, but besides that I did not really know what
Rome had to offer. As we spent time exploring the city, I was very pleasantly
surprised. Every street led to an unexpected piece of architecture or a lovely
square housing a beautiful statue. The scale of the buildings was extraordinary
and the attention to detail was fascinating. Again it was a shame that the city
was so busy, however, I can now see why everybody visits. We also had the
amazing opportunity to watch the Pope read a blessing in St. Peter’s Square.
People from all around the world had come to listen to the event and although
the heat was exhausting, the atmosphere was surreal.
Our final Italian city was Florence, which
to my disappointment, we only had the pleasure of staying for one evening. We
did a walking tour in the afternoon and managed to experience just a snippet of
what this beautiful city had to offer. The architecture was exceptional, the
statues were remarkable and the cleanliness of the city was impressive.
Unfortunately though, it seemed that as soon as we arrived we had to leave
again, but all the more reason to return! That evening we attended a
traditional Tuscan dinner, which although the food was not great, it was again
another opportunity to socialise with the group. This was what I loved about
this style of tour, was that like-minded people- people that want to travel
surrounded me. It was exciting to hear of their adventures and future plans, it
has given me a lot to think about in terms of where I want to visit in the
future. Unsurprisingly, Australia is right at the top of the list!
From Florence we visited the stunning Swiss
Alps. Due to the weather, I decided not to participate in the train ride up to
the top of Jungfrau Mountain. Therefore I had the perfect chance to walk around
the town and absorb the striking backdrop. With delicate waterfalls and snow
topped mountains, the scenery so picturesque and a world away from the bustling
Italian cities. Being from the countryside myself, I found that Austria and the
Swiss Alps were a particular highlight of my tour. I loved exploring the
cities, however, there is something incredibly comforting and relaxing about
being surrounded by nature and greenery. After a morning of discovery, I headed
to the Adventure Park to have some fun on the high ropes, wooden obstacles and
zip wires threaded through the forest. As somebody that has continually
suffered with a fear of heights and lack of control, I think it would be fair
to say that this tour has changed me. I have done activities that I would have
never done before and this high ropes course was no exception. Perched on a wooden
pallet amongst the trees and latching my harness onto the wires, I was not
really aware of the enormity of what I was doing in terms of challenging my
fears. The activity was fantastic and was the perfect way to finish off my time
in the Swiss Alps.
Paris- our final destination of the tour!
After an entire day on the coach, we did a drive around of the city and saw the
majority of the iconic buildings. Knowing that we had a free day coming up, I
was excited to spend more time at each of the legendary hotspots. Venturing
into the city centre we decided on a few of the landmarks that we wanted to
explore. We started off at the Sainte Chapelle- a gothic building embellished
with kaleidoscopic stained glass windows. Moving further down the street we headed
into the Notre Dame- a peaceful setting filled with religious decorations and
tales. At the other side of the river we walked through the lesser-known areas
until we arrived at the Eiffel Tower. I wish I had have taken the time to see
this structure on an evening, as I am sure it would have looked far more
captivating. As a child I remember this area to be clean and well cared for,
however, this time I was not as impressed. I suppose this is just one of the
downsides of tourism, but I know that it cannot be helped. On the other hand, I
was still pleased with the time that I spent in Paris and as I have mentioned
before, I did not want to waste a single opportunity on this trip. That evening
we all attended a traditional Parisian meal then headed to a cabaret show. It
was sad knowing it was our last night together, but after reminiscing about all
of the notable moments of the trip, it made me realise just how much of a great
time we all had together.
The 13th August was by far the
worst day of the tour. As some of us embarked the coach, we waved goodbye to
those that were staying behind to either fly home or continue on with their
travels. It was only at this point when I realised just how quickly the tour had
flown by. Now that I think back, it was
as though as soon as we hit Italy, everything seemed to run at 100mph. I cannot
even pick one moment that was a highlight- every single second was a new and
notable experience. I am incredibly sad that it has all come to an end, but the
friends and memories I have taken away from the past 18 days will be something
to treasure forever.
For those that were with me on the tour, I
cannot thank you enough for making my entire experience everything I could have
dreamed of and more. I do not think any of you will realise just how much this
trip meant to me in terms of my motivations and recovery journey, but you have
made the past couple of weeks the most rewarding and memorable of my life.
Next stop...Australia!
