Vågå Sunday evening

Vågå is a tiny little village up in the Norwegian mountains, not far from the country's highest peak Galdhøpiggen (2469 meters above sea level).
This is also the location for the Norwegian air sports centre and right now, the venue for the Nordic Open in paragliding. So that's why I am here, to compete in my first paragliding competition ever.
Nordic Open is an International competition with more than 110 participants this year. But it is also the Swedish Championships.

I am here to watch and learn, to have fun and of course to write about it in Hypoxia. Today was the first day of competition, and I am doing really well. In fact so well that I am sharing first place in the comp right now! Of course, it might have something to do with that the flying was cancelled today due to strong winds. But I see it as a good sign :-)

Next Hypoxia on its way

Late yesterday night I uploaded the next issue of Hypoxia to the print shop. This is the last issue for this year, but I am very happy to say that I will produce the magazine also during 2010. Here is a peak on the front page.

Femke is off to London today, but only until tomorrow. And I am going shopping! Well, researching shopping in Amsterdam for a story that is.

Sailing in Eastern Netherlands

Just a quick entry while Femke is sleeping next to me – don’t want to wake her up with the clicking of the keyboard.
We have both worked a lot lately, Femke worked all Saturday and I was busy with the layout of Hypoxia until 2 o’clock this morning.

But today, our holiday started – yippee! And what a start. Blue sky and brilliant weather greeted us when we arrived ro Herwen in Eastern Netherlands. Here, we are visiting Cor and Anneke, relatives to Femke.
After a nice fika in their garden, we went sailing in a lake with their boat. Lovely! Then a witbier on a terrace, later some delicious food and an evening walk in Elten in Germany, which is just a short drive away from Herwen.

Tomorrow we are continuing to Nijmegen.

Hypoxia 2-2009 is out

Today, the latest issue of Hypoxia reached the readers. Hypoxia is the Swedish paragliding, hang gliding and paramotor magazine, and edited by nonetheless than myself.

You can download a PDF version for free from the web page.

Cocktails, paragliding and family

The last few days, I’ve been busy working with the next issue of Hypoxia, the Swedish paragliding magazine I am editing. Now, I am almost ready, just have to do the proof reading and write the editors letter. Feels good!

Meanwhile, work continues on other freelance assignments. Today, I visited the cocktail bar (and restaurant) Herrie for a story to a Swedish bartenders magazine. I interviewed one of the bartenders and tried one oh his compositions. Sometimes life is hard… ☺ And I still have two more bars to visit for this story.
Having said that, it is not that easy to find good cocktail bars in Amsterdam – this is beer country, with some wine thrown in.

Tomorrow evening, my mother arrives to Amsterdam, and so does my sister and her daughter the day after. I am really looking forward to have them here over the weekend.

Back again

Cat and kid in the old city of Dubrovnik.

City walls of Dubrovnik

Baba Stanija invited us in for lunch in her little
hut on Krnovo High Plateau. Lovely.

Robin playing with his glider at Krnovo.

A little lady that lived in the even smaller
hut all summer to tend her cows.

I know, I know, I have been terribly absent here. My only excuse is that my Swedish MSN Blog have taken all my blog energy. But today was the last day of that contract, so now I am back!

I am also back in Amsterdam, after nine days in the Balkans. Started off with a weekend in Dubrovnik (Croatia), where I met some nice people from Australia, New Zealand and the UK at a hostel.
You will find some of my photos from Dubrovnik here.

Then, I spent a week paragliding in Montenegro together with Robin Brown, the owner and manager of Montenegro Adventure Centre. I had a great time, seeing quite a bit of this little country and doing some relaxing paragliding. It will all end up as a story in Hypoxia, the Swedish paragliding magazine I am editing.
Photos from Montenegro are here.

Femke has been in Kenya the last two weeks, arranging a conference about climate change for African parliamentarians. But right now, she has a well-deserved weekend off and is enjoying a safari in Masai Mara. She will be back on Tuesday.

Hypoxia another year!

Yes! Tonight, I got to know that I will work as the editor of Sweden's paragliding magazine Hypoxia for at least another year. I am so happy with that – I really enjoy doing this.

The next issue of the magazine is at the printing shop now, it should come out in the end of February.

Weekend!

Finally, the next issue of Hypoxia is ready. For those of you who do not know this magazine, it is the magazine of Sweden’s paragliding association. I happen to be the editor of it, a job that I take very seriously. And that I highly enjoy!
This morning, I sent my third issue to the print shop. It should reach the readers the 7th of December.

It has been long hours for me, finishing the layout of Hypoxia, so the weekend is more welcome than usual. Femke has also been extremely busy, and still is. But this afternoon, she is driving up to our favorite B&B in the Galilee together with three of our friends (Anna, Magdalena and Ruby).
And tomorrow morning, one of my best friends in Sweden, Anders, is arriving for a weeks visit. We will promptly head north to join the girls. On the way, we are planning to do some sightseeing on the Golan Heights, and maybe do some paragliding, weather permitting.
Sunday, we have booked a wine tasting at a smaller vineyard up in the north.
So it does look like we are going to have a great time!