natjtan Hello! I want to share with you my go to escape sanctuary, where I check out from burpees, cats that think I’m their feeding machine, a phone home screen that looks different, but you can’t work out which apps you deleted by accident. Seriously I can’t!
Everybody has a place where they escape to, a place to checkout from life for a bit. A place to recharge, think, just for a while be. In France I had a great National Park on my doorstep. It wasn’t by far the biggest National Park, but it was enough. A 25 minute bike ride down the road and less than 100 metres from the beach, it was like stepping into another world. Always full of birds, friendly ducks, freezing the in winter, packed cicadas in the summer and if you were lucky green woodpeckers. I spent many late afternoons trail biking around it or towards the end of the my stay in France, running the trials. It was very hard to say goodbye when I left as I knew I wasn’t going to have a place like it so close again!
I was brought up in the countryside and now I’m back in a city, I still like to get my nature fix. It keeps me grounded, lifts me up when I need a boost and if I close my eyes and imagine hard enough I could be in my tropical paradise. Where is this place you ask in the city? Barcelona Zoo!
For an animal lover and vegan, visiting a zoo probably isn’t in keeping with vegan beliefs. The way I see it, done right, they do a lot conservation work, helping save endangered species. There are some exhibits like the bears, ponies, bison and big cats, I wish they’d give a far larger enclosure or place in a sanctuary. I wish some people would abide by the ‘don’t bang on the glass’ or ‘don’t feed the animals’ signs, but most of the animals seem happy. They’re currently renovating a huge chunk of the zoo and I’m interested in the final enclosures. I like to go during the week, an hour or two before closing when there are few other visitors around and the animals are more relaxed. In the summer when everyone is at the beach, it feels like at times, I have the whole place to myself! As I have a years pass, I virtually get in for free every time. Single adult entry is €19.90, a years membership, €41 and can go as many times as I like!
Please enjoy some of my favourite photos from my now not so secret sanctuary!
My French Sanctuary, Parc de Vaugrenier. Probably the only thing I miss about France! 
Do you have a place you go to escape? The beach is another place where the day disappears for a moment or two! What’s your view on zoos? I believe their intentions are in the right place.
Oh, I love this. I’m personally on the fence with the whole zoo debate, because on the other hand, some (admittedly and sadly not all) zoos are helping save endangered species from predators, habitat destruction, poaching etc. And they can teach people about animals and the need to respect nature. But I know what you mean and agree – so many sad stories for every good one. But those animals look well cared for and not unhappy at all. I want to pet and hug all of them! The lion almost looks like he’s smiling while sleeping.. haha 🙂
He does doesn’t he!
I agree with your zoo view. It’s sad to think one day, if we continue the way we do, a zoo might be the only place to find currently endangered animals like polar bears. A very sad thought.