London - It’s the kind of fantastic voyage most children dream of and it came true for one little girl.
A message in a bottle thrown into the sea in Spain by a British four-year-old is believed to have made a 5 000-mile (about 8 000km) journey to end up in Russia three weeks later.
Taylor Powell tossed her bottle into the water at Santa Susanna near Barcelona – and hoped it would float with mermaids and sharks.
But even her young imagination could not have predicted the journey it would take.
Taylor included a photo of herself, her father’s mobile number and a note reading: "If you find this picture, please respond with a name of your country and a picture."
She was amazed when her father Ritchie received a text from a couple named Sasha and Alex who said they found the bottle in Moscow’s Moskva River.
They sent a photo of Taylor’s note along with a Google Maps image showing their location and a note signed "From Russia With Love".
The bottle was dropped in the sea in Spain on May 19, is said to have arrived in Moscow on June 7.
Experts say it is just about possible the bottle made the 5,000-mile journey from the Mediterranean, past Gibraltar, Portugal, France and UK, then into the Baltic and on to St Petersburg – or perhaps around the top of Norway and on to Arctic Russia.
However, it could also have been picked up by the well-meaning Russians a little closer to its original location and taken home to delight the young girl.
Car salesman, Ritchie Powell said Taylor was thrilled to receive a response. He added: "Her face completely lit up – she was so happy. I asked them to send proof and received a pin of their location to my phone. We were absolutely ecstatic.
We told Taylor her the bottle will pass by mermaids and sharks – for it to turn up in Moscow is magical for her. She’s so excited."
The father and daughter, from Somerset were on holiday with Powell’s girlfriend Milly Templeton-Browne, 22, who helped Taylor write the letter.
It read: "Hello my name is Taylor Powell. I am four years old and on holiday in Spain with my daddy. If you find this picture, please respond with a name of your country and a picture. Love Taylor xxx"