In the spring of 2002, the Sun was shining. The squirrels dashed happily through the forests. Leaves rustled in the breeze in a gentle, slightly hypnotic manner. The birds sang their songs; an enchanting and lovely melody that probably came from a Rogers and Hammerstein musical. Even the skunks - daring not to spoil this Utopian scene - tucked their tails beneath their bellies and watched from a distance.

I, however, was oblivious to it all as I sat at my desk, slaving away at my final school project. Over the past 24 days, I had written 21,576 lines of code and suffered over a dozen all-nighters in the process. I had lost all distinction between day and night. Fresh air was a luxury, the world outside my window seemed like a movie that progressed inconsequentially to my own personal universe, end even sleep itself was a mere fairy tale; a myth some guy told me in an email once during a fantastic halucination of a life less burdensome.

On a fateful April morning, at long last, the task was complete. I could finally close the book on that project and look forward to graduation coming just around the corner. The first thing I thought as I took my first few breaths of freedom was "I need a drink". This I did in immense quantities and slept off its effects for an undetermined amount of time.

The next thing I thought when I regained consciousness was "I need a vacation".

A friend of mine had been taunting me with the tours from a company called Contiki, and one particular tour caught my eye: London to Athens. For years I had dreamed of visiting historic places like Rome and Athens, and this tour gave me the opportunity to see them both. So, with only minor regard to the financial consequences - knowing that I would likely never get the chance to take a trip like this after getting a full-time job - I gave them a call...

The rest was a whirlwind adventure to some fantastic places, with some interesting people, and a lot of great stories - an awesome jolly good time.

Come and explore Europe with us, as Chicken Noodle gives you the low-down on the fun and adventure, and George the Large-Footed Monkey pops in with some helpful info from time to time.

So, follow Chicken Noodle as he guides you through Europe - from London Town to Ancient Athens, sampling the cuisine, the atmosphere, and - of course - the drinks.