Meet Harald

I was born 28th of June 1958, in the NorthWest of Germany..

started life in a small town 50 km north of Cologne.

Already during my early pre-school years, I started painting, drawing, collecting frogs like most little boys do, and observing nature - probably in more depth than other little boys. It was later though, after school, when I served my time at national service between the age of 17 and 21, that I refreshed my drawing skills.

During military service, I perfected drawing with feather /spring and pencil as well as photography, wrote short stories and poems. Released from duties, and jobbing around, I decided it was time to return to school for studies of interior design at Duesseldorf University. The idea was to turn my artistic ambitions into a money-earning profession.

Finally in 1984 I started drawings for the furniture industry, developed a system of kitchen furniture in real wood, and set-up a small business selling my own product - designer clocks, beds, and furniture.

A proper retail outlet with focus on 'Healthly Living' followed in 1985 with expansion in 1987, and a second outlet for real wood kitchens in 1990 - accompagnied by lectures, articles for journals and presentations to school classes, and growing engagement for environmental and nature protection.

It was my studies of ecology that influenced my way of living. It led to my closing the retail business in 1997 to start travelling the world in 1998 - amongst others, my first bike tour to Marseille, and my first visit to CapeTown.

That is where my fascination for Africa got its spark - the idea was born to undertake a major bike tour to CapeTown crossing the whole of the continent.

Meeting Renata in Autumn 2000 helped - we soon decided to undertake our 'project' together, and have been preparing our travels.