More Quirky Things to do in Paris

I’ve written a series of three blog posts about 41 Unusual Things to do in Paris, which you can find here. Due to popular demand, I will continue to write about quirky things to do in Paris.   [1] Find Paris’s tallest waterfall and a cool cave 63 Rue Manin, 75019 Paris, France [NE]   In Paris’s 5th biggest park, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, in the Northeast of the capital, you can find the city’s tallest waterfall (20m/65ft) and a ginormous cave of roughly equal height. Both are man-made. The most famous feature of the park is the Temple de la Sibylle, a miniature version of the ancient Roman Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Italy. It stands on the rocky Belvedere Island in the middle of a lake.       [2] Check out the half-timbered houses of Paris A.o.: 11 Rue François Miron, 75004 Paris [Centre]   Despite Baron Georges-Eugène […]

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One of the World’s Best Luxury Hotels: Schloss Moenchstein, Salzburg

Two weeks ago, just before the Christmas holidays, Ellie & I spent a night at the absolutely outstanding luxury hotel Schloss Moenchstein in Salzburg. Apart from a last-minute short stay in Paris with friends, this was the first trip together since my return from the Arctic, so we thought we’d splash out a little (€620/£515 for the cheapest double room).   All pics (c) BerkeleySqB except last three pics in this blog post, which are (c) Hotel Schloss Moenchstein. HOTEL SCHLOSS MOENCHSTEIN WON BEST LUXURY CASTLE HOTEL IN THE WORLD 4X We had done our research and our expectations were sky-high. During the last year, Hotel Schloss Moenchstein won prizes in several categories of the World Luxury Awards, including Best Luxury Castle Hotel in Western Europe (previously: 4x best in the world) and Best Luxury Romantic Hotel in Western Europe, as well as Best Luxury Small Hotel in Austria. Moreover, […]

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

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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Indoor Parkour / Freerunning Session with Fabrique Royale in Paris

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

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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