Paris – Berkeley Square Barbarian

Indoor Parkour / Freerunning Session with Fabrique Royale in Paris

May 12, 2024 No Comments

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 […]

France, Paris, Travel, Where to stay

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

April 22, 2024 No Comments

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 […]

France, Paris, Paris restaurants

My experience eating French fart sausage (5A Andouillette)

April 9, 2024 4 Comments

I’ve always been interested in French food, and in particular in the more exotic dishes. Frog legs, snails, sweetbread (lamb’s or calf’s pancreas), calf’s head, head cheese, sheep’s testicles, lamprey, pig’s trotters, sea urchin, whelks, beef tongue, tripe, calf’s brain, that kind of stuff (not all of which I’ve eaten yet). So on my journeys of exploration I had come across French fart sausage. Some call it smelly sausage. Apparently their official name is andouillette. JUST A SMALL ANDOUILLE? ‘Andouillette?’, I hear you say, ‘but that’s just a small version of an andouille, the standard French smoked pork sausage, no?’ And until the mid-19th Century you would’ve been spot on, that’s what it was. All pics (c) BerkeleySqB, except where otherwise mentioned. 1st pic (c) Food & Wine Magazine. 2nd pic Very Gourmand. NON NON… MUCH MORE DELIGHTFUL AND/OR ABOMINABLE However, gradually it developed into something much more delightful and […]

France, Paris, Travel

41 Unusual Things to do in Paris – PART III

April 7, 2024 No Comments

Due to its length, I’ve split this blog post into three parts. This is part III. For part I, click here. For part II, click here. 41 UNUSUAL THINGS TO DO IN PARIS PART I [1] Go on a Balloon Ride [2] Do an Indoor Parkour / Freerunning Session [3] Sing some Chansons [4] Go Climbing or Bouldering at the World’s Biggest Indoor Climbing Gym [5] Do an Absinthe Tasting Session [6] Go inline skating with thousands of others on public roads with Pari Roller [7] Visit the oldest English bookstore on the Continent [8] Check out Paris’s best hot chocolate [9] Have a bite at a traditional Paris Bouillon [10] Keep your eyes open for the street art everywhere in town [11] Explore the street art at a formerly illegal artist squat [12] Into stuffed rats? (And who isn’t.) Look no further. [13] Enjoy a stroll […]

France, Paris, Travel

41 Unusual Things to do in Paris – PART II

March 28, 2024 2 Comments

Due to its length, I’ve split this blog post into three parts. This is part II. For part I click here. For part III click here. 41 UNUSUAL THINGS TO DO IN PARIS PART I [1] Go on a Balloon Ride [2] Do an Indoor Parkour / Freerunning Session [3] Sing some Chansons [4] Go Climbing or Bouldering at the World’s Biggest Indoor Climbing Gym [5] Do an Absinthe Tasting Session [6] Go inline skating with thousands of others on public roads with Pari Roller [7] Visit the oldest English bookstore on the Continent [8] Check out Paris’s best hot chocolate [9] Have a bite at a traditional Paris Bouillon [10] Keep your eyes open for the street art everywhere in town [11] Explore the street art at a formerly illegal artist squat [12] Into stuffed rats? (And who isn’t.) Look no further. [13] Enjoy a stroll […]

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