Germany, NWP Expedition, Travel

My home town’s newspaper, Burghauser Anzeiger, has published an article about the Expedition

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My Bavarian home town’s newspaper, Burghauser Anzeiger, has published an article about the expedition and about me taking part in it. Very good of them. I really can’t thank the newspaper’s editor, Ms Richter, enough for taking the time to meet me for a chat ten days ago, when I visited Burghausen, and for writing this lovely article. The below translation has been done by myself. The copyright for this article (in the original language or any translation) is with PNP/Burghauser Anzeiger. Any requests to use all or part of it should be directed at PNP/Burghauser Anzeiger or via me (I am happy to forward requests).   FORMER BURGHAUSEN RESIDENT ROWING THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE   1,950 kilometers in ten weeks or less: Stefan Hacker is part of a unique expedition. Greatest danger: polar bear attacks. by Johanna Richter   “I was surprised that I was selected.” Surprised and overwhelmed. It […]

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Activities, Paris, Runs, Travel

Indoor Parkour / Freerunning Session with Fabrique Royale in Paris

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During our recent Paris trip, I finally got to do a parkour / freerunning session. I had had this obscure extreme sport on my radar for a very long time. For one reason or another, I never got round to doing it. INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS COMPARATIVELY BETTER VALUE I booked the 1.5h individual (1:1) session with Fabrique Royale via the booking portal Manawa. It was €55, compared to €35 for a group session, so seemed better value for money to me. FABRIQUE ROYALE, FRENCH FREERUN FAMILY, FRENCH FREERUN ACADEMY Fabrique Royale is a promotion agency focused on street art, urban practices, and sport. The French Freerun Academy, where the training takes place, is one of their many projects. Since 2015, it is being operated in collaboration with the French Freerun Family (an association of professional freerunners) and the Paris City Council. ALL FITNESS LEVELS WELCOME People of all fitness levels are […]

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Norway, Travel, Winter

Ice Climbing in Europe’s Ice Climbing Capital: Rjukan, Norway

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Ellie & I did some ice climbing in Rjukan, Norway, earlier this year, in mid-January. And we thoroughly enjoyed it. We booked the two-day climbing course and accommodation via SkyHook (£340 per person), with whom we had previously done some hiking on Mount Toubkal. FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORT IN NORWAY NOT INCLUDED Several of the other participants came in groups. They were old friends, work buddies, and there was one other married couple. The flights from London and bus transport or rental car from Oslo to Rjukan and back had to be booked privately by all participants, which is fine, of course. Same with any additional accommodation in Rjukan & Oslo. INSURANCE NOT CHEAP We learned only afterwards, that insurance can be bought much cheaper than the £90 per person that we had spent. Mind you, though, it will never be cheap, and you can bet that the regular travel […]

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Fun, Norway, Travel, Winter

Snowshoeing in Rjukan, Norway

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Ellie & I recently did some snowshoeing in Rjukan, Norway. We had arrived one and a half days early for our ice climbing beginners course, with some time to kill. For a long time we had been planning to give snowshoeing a try, but every time an opportunity seemed to arise, it never worked out. During our trip to Spitsbergen there was not enough snow. Another time, in Austria, the gear rental place didn’t have any snowshoes left for hire.     OLD SCHOOL We felt lucky when the Old School (Dale Skole) in Rjukan, the ski school cum hostel where we were staying, had two brand new pairs of snowshoes available. We paid the hiring fee of €25 per person, walked to the snow-covered hilly area behind the building, then put the snowshoes on.   OUR FIRST FEW STEPS A few minutes later we were casually walking around and […]

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France, Paris, Travel, Where to stay

Our Stay at the 4-Star Hotel Litteraire Arthur Rimbaud in Paris

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Ellie & I recently spent five nights at the 4-star Hôtel Littéraire Arthur Rimbaud in Paris’s Gare de l’Est neighbourhood in the 10th arrondissement. North of the city centre. Half-way between Notre Dame and Sacre-Coeur. BEST WESTERN SIGNATURE COLLECTION The hotel is part of the Best Western Signature Collection. I hadn’t realised that there are 16 different brands under the BWH umbrella, including the regular Best Western, of course, but also seemingly unrelated ones such as WorldHotels, Aiden, or Sure Hotel. BW Signature Collection are marketed as affordable, 3- and 4-star ‘homes away from home,’ that have been “thoughtfully designed to reflect the unique atmosphere of their destination” and “where no request is too big.”   All pics (c) BerkeleySqB, except where otherwise mentioned. THE LITERARY HOTELS The Hôtels Littéraires were created independently from Best Western by the collector and bibliophile Jacques Letertre. His vision was to share his passion […]

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