There's absolutely no middle ground with an adventure park ride like the Hurakan Condor at Port Aventura in Spain. As soon as I describe it to you, you'll know instantly whether you will want to go on it or whether you would run a mile to avoid it. But, before I describe it, can I just say I loved it? Basically, the Hurakan Condor is a tower, some 99m (325ft) high, roughly two-and-a-half times the height of Grey's Monument in Newcastle. You get taken to the top of it in a motorised seat. This takes around 40 seconds, which gives you plenty of time to drink in the stunning views across the coast, and also to notice that you are going up considerably higher than any other object visible on the horizon. And then you drop. It takes around two-and-a-half seconds, rapidly accelerating to speeds of up to 70mph. This gives you very little time to notice anything other than the air rushing out of your lungs and the ground rushing up to meet you. Then, just as you're frantically thinking you're not going to stop in time, you do, about six meters (20ft) from the bottom. You stop dead, without any jolting or jerking, it's all done with electro-magnets, apparently. I met the engineer responsible for the ride minutes before I went on it, and he explained exactly how it worked but I didn't really understand all the technical talk. He promised it was very safe and that was enough information for me! You will then spend the next 15 minutes buzzing from the massive adrenaline rush the ride causes, as you try to negotiate your way around the rest of the theme park, on legs as wobbly as those of a newborn foal. A little later still, you will want to have another turn on it, and will urge others to share the drop of doom with you. And that's the Hurakan Condor experience. Fancy giving it a go? Port Aventura, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, is also home to the incredible Dragon Khan rollercoaster. This looks like it was based on a child's drawing of huge, random loops and circles across a photograph of the sky. The theme behind Dragon Khan is that the rollercoaster acts in the way that the angry dragon would if a human tried to sit on his back. The initial, accelerating vertical drop after the long climb to the top of the ride makes my palms tingle even now. It then takes you into a break-neck ride of corkscrew twists and reversed 360? loops that can't take much more than a minute to complete, but what a minute! For the more faint-hearted or cautious visitor, there are plenty of other rides that are far gentler and calmer than these two beasts, like the ride that takes you to "rescue" dolphins on an underwater submarine mission. Also, just down the road, you'll find the Costa Caribe, a Caribbean-themed water park, packed with pools of all sizes and waterslides galore. One of the great things about Port Aventura is the option of staying at one of the three different four-star hotels within the grounds of the park itself. I was most amused to be greeted by people in Betty Boop and Popeye costumes when I checked into the Hotel Port Aventura. There's also the chance to take your kids to "character breakfasts" in the hotel, which are hosted by a different cartoon hero each time. 
The park is set out to represent different parts of the world . . . Mexico, China, Polynesia, the Old West of America and the Mediterranean, with themed restaurants and bars reflecting this in each area. Even the food sold by the many snackbars is a cut above your average fairground fare. The chilli hotdogs were a personal favourite. If you're in the mood for venturing further afield, the lively seaside resort of Salou is only 3km down the road. Salou has long been a popular destination for Brits and there are over 50 hotels in and around the town, catering for all budgets. There are also any amount of bars and restaurants, with the food ranging from traditional Spanish dishes to popular British meals. As with most places in Europe, children are welcome - and visible - in nearly all of the bars around the seafront area. The promenade on the seafront is an impressive sight. Pairs of enormous palm trees stretch away in regimented lines as far as the eye can see. I really enjoyed this trip. It took years off me and I spent a happy few hours being a big daft kid. I'm not sure how I got to my age without visiting a theme park, but I'm glad I went to Spain for my first trip. There's something about spending the day screaming with mock-terror as you stumble from ride to ride that demands constant sunshine, and there's no shortage of that in Port Aventura. Five things *Invest a few extra euros in a queue-jumping express pass for the busier rides in the park. *Get a good soaking on one of the park's water rapid rides . . . the glorious weather means you'll be dry again in about 30 minutes. *Visit the virtual Caribbean world of the Costa Caribe, the only themed water park in Europe. *Make for the beach at Salou and sit among the palm trees on the promenade with an ice cream. *Try out the themed bars in the Old West part of the park and drink sippin' whisky with the cowpokes. Fact file *Ettrick flew from Newcastle to Barcelona with easyJet see www.easyjet.com for more details. Fares from #40.98 return, including taxes. *A seven-night stay at the Hotel Port Aventura costs between #558 and #930 bed and breakfast. *A One-day pass to the park costs from #24 for adults and #13.50 for children, visit www.portaventura.es/ or telephone 0207-7953 7470 for a brochure. | 
