General: Pilgrim's Progress Score -- Having a ball in Europe this year

There's an undeniable romance to the idea of skipping what passes for the Australian Winter and taking in the European Summer. Some go for the culture, the food, the history -- I go for all of these, but I also go for the sport.

The only thing better than watching the cavalcade of European tennis, golf, soccer and even cycling on TV is being there amongst the fans, in unknown cities with languages designed to baffle, where you really get to see the world through different eyes. Those nights sleeping in fields outside of Sunderland after going to Roker Park, or freezing on the terraces with a Manc and five dogs watching Oldham lose to Wimbledon, that's what defines England for me. Spain is kids kicking a football against some 14th Century neo-Gothic church in Salamanca. Dublin is millions of kids in Manchester United shirts -- Hell on Earth.

The planets are aligning and 2004 offers the chance of a lifetime for a sporting safari. It will see the first European Olympics in 12 years. The dollar is strong and it's much easier to find cheap airfares, including "Early Bird" specials available now. All the major events have their own web sites, security and anti-terrorism strategies. And an emerging sports travel industry can arrange tickets/travel/accommodation.

Even if you're not a sports junkie, you can easily add a sporting component or two to your trip. Here's a quick look at some of the European sporting highlights for 2004:

FA Cup Final soccer (22 May)

This is one of the world's great romantic sporting competitions, a knockout for hundreds of teams from across England. Cardiff's Millennium Stadium hosts the final, which often features one of England's big clubs (Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd or Chelsea) against one of the lesser lights - and hopefully 2004 will be the year of the underdog. Tickets are hard to get, but a number of sports travel web sites can help. Follow the early rounds online at www.the-fa.org

Monaco Grand Prix (23 May)

Not everyone's cup of tea -- Monaco, and Formula 1 -- but for those who can stomach the ostentation and the noise, Monte Carlo is the place to be seen on the French Riviera. Be warned -- very pricey! The official web site for Formula 1 is www.formula1.com and the Monaco tourist bureau's site is www.monaco-tourism.com

French Open tennis (24 May-6 June)

Held on the clay of Roland Garros in Paris, the defending champions are Justine Henin-Hardenne and Juan Carlos Ferrero. Roland Garros is located near two metro lines and is served by a multitude of bus routes, so you can stay almost anywhere in Paris and get to the tennis by public transport. Some of the best value tennis is found early in the second week, when the round of 16 and quarter finals will be held -- you're guaranteed a couple of interesting matches, unlike the finals, which are often lopsided and not value for money. The official web site is www.frenchopen.org European Soccer championships (12 June-4 July)

For the first time since the 16th Century, Portugal will have the eyes of the world on it. Played between the top 16 countries in Europe, this tournament is second only to the World Cup in importance. Games will be held in Lisbon, Porto and other cities. Prices are as low as 35 Euro for pool games, and only 85 Euro (about $140) for a seat at the final. www.euro2004.com has excellent information on ticketing and accommodation, and travel trips for the rest of Portugal. Standout games in the early rounds include: France v England in Lisbon on 13 June, archrivals Germany and the Netherlands in Porto on 15 June, and the "local derby" between Spain and Portugal in Lisbon on 20 June.

Royal Ascot horse racing (15-19 June)

Famous for its top hats and coat tails, Royal Ascot is the biggest racing carnival in Europe, but this year a pair of scrubbers from Newcastle, Paul Perry and Choisir, grabbed the headlines. The speed machine won two races over the carnival, gaining some revenge for Media Puzzle winning the Melbourne Cup. Ascot is just south of Windsor, about 45 minutes by train from London's Waterloo Station. Tickets start at 16 pounds (about $40), and there are no dress restrictions in the Silver Ring (the public enclosure), so pack the gorilla suit! The surprisingly egalitarian web site is www.ascot.co.uk

Wimbledon (21 June-4 July)

Wimbledon is the most traditional of the tennis majors, and Australians have a fantastic record on its grass. Wimbledon is in South-West London. Tickets can be hard to get, although you can generally queue for outside courts on the day. www.wimbledon.org has all relevant details. The best way to get to Wimbledon is the Tube. Interestingly, you can also work at Wimbledon, especially in cleaning, administration or catering.

Tour de France (3 July-25 July)

The 2004 Tour kicks off in Belgium and traverses 3360km of France up and down mountains, through historic villages and all the way back to Paris for a hair-raising sprint on the Champs Elysses. American Lance Armstrong plans to win a record 6th Tour and then retire, but he'll face strong opposition from Jan Ullrich, Joseba Beloki and Alexander Vinokorouv. Australians Robbie McEwen and Baden Cooke have won the last two Green (sprinting) jerseys. The best way to savour the occasion is to find a cute village in the Pyrenees or the Alps, partake of the local hospitality and watch the stage unfold on the TV, go outside to cheer the field as they pass and then go back to the bar and watch the finish. The full itinerary is available on www.letour.fr but some suggested stages are: 8 July - the stage ends in Chartes, and you can visit the amazing cathedral with its exquisite stained glass windows; 16 July - a time trial up L'Alpe d'Huez, one of the great traditional climbs of the Tour and possibly the stage that decides the race; 25 July -- the final stage around Paris, be early to get a good view.

British Open golf (15-18 July)

In 2004 the Open will be played at Royal Troon, located near Glasgow on the South-West coast of Scotland. Troon has hosted the Open on sevven previous occasions, most recently in 1997, but is probably best known to Australians as the site of the 1989 "Great Troon Robbery," when Mark Calcavecchia snatched the Open from Greg Norman in a four-hole playoff. The best days to go are the Thursday and the Sunday, leaving the Friday free for the excellent Glasgow nightlife (check out the live music at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut), and the Saturday to recover. From 1 May, Scotrail will sell an excellent Golflink ticket, which includes rail travel from Glasgow to Troon, bus transfer and course admission. All details via www.opengolf.com

Cricket Test at Lords (20-24 May and 22-26 July)

Lords in London is the home of cricket and a small, intimate ground. New Zealand play a test there in late May, but the best atmosphere might be in late July, when Brian Lara and the West Indies, cheered on by London's very large Caribbean community, take on England. Venue details can be found at www.lords.org

Il Palio (3 August)

One of the most bizarre combinations of sport, history and culture, Il Palio is a horse race around the main square in Siena, perhaps the most famous and picturesque town in Tuscany. Il Palio has been held for more than 700 years, and each Contrade or neighborhood is represented by a horse and jockey in traditional colors. Rules are few and far between, and the celebrations in the winning neighborhood have to be seen to be believed. One of the best sites to research the race and local accommodation is www.terresiena.it

Summer Olympics (13-29 August)

Nobody in Sydney had ever experienced anything like the 2000 Olympics. It was time of dreams, of happy neighbors, good weather and reliable public transport. That's all gone. Athens, home of the ancient Olympics and the first modern Olympics in 1896, will do it differently, but if it gets too hot, smoggy or crowded, there's the odd island or World Heritage site nearby. Some of the lower profile events are very cheap and easy to get tickets for - and people still rave about the handball, volleyball and softball games they saw in Sydney. www.athens2004.com is the official site. Some suggested events are:

400 metres freestyle (Ian Thorpe -- 14 August) 1500 metres freestyle (Grant Hackett -- 21 August) 100 metres track women (21 August) and men (22 August) Women's and men's cycling track sprint (24 August) 400 metres hurdles final (Jana Pittman -- 25 August) Women's hockey final (Australia are defending champions -- 26 August) Women's soccer final (27 August) Men's Marathon (29 August)

On top of all these well-known events, there are numerous men's and women's golf tournaments, surfing along the Bay of Biscay, harness racing in Norway, cycling tours of Switzerland and Italy, Golden League athletics in Zurich -- more sport in more exotic locations than anyone could handle.