22 countries in 24 months
The European Commission contracted Andy Round to explore Europe and write about his experiences. Dream job? Of course.
It’s December and I’m in Spain visiting the Madrid café where King Juan Carlos liked to eat fried eggs. A month later, I’m north of the Arctic Circle watching a couple get married in Sweden’s Ice Hotel (the bride wore thermal boots).
By February, I’m exploring an unexpected rainforest on the west coast of Ireland and in March, I fly east to Slovenia to track bears on Triglav Mountain.
Later in the year I commute from Latvia’s medieval forests to Vienna’s dancing horses and from Greece’s hidden villages to Lisbon’s classic architecture.
Soon I was meeting Milan’s new breed of fashionistas and being introduced to Germany’s secret islands. In Helsinki I got lost in the capital’s design district and in Prague came face to face with the city’s ghostly past.
When the European Commission created the Europe – Whenever You’re Ready campaign, the aim was to increase tourism from Brazil, Russian, India and China by showcasing the diversity and richness of Europe in all its glory.
I was commissioned to produce the text, which was used for travel articles, marketing collateral and broken down into soundbites for social in each of the BRIC countries.
It was an unforgettable experience and an incredible privilege.
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