natjtan The past few weeks during time slotted exercise hours I switched the coast for the park. As much as I love the sea I needed some greenery!
It was a little emotional my first ride cycling past the zoo and around Parc de la Ciutadella. After 7 weeks lockdown indoors, 2 week cycling up the coast, then being hit with greenery, birds singing and flying everywhere, I nearly burst into tears. I had missed what being outside surrounded by trees not just the sea felt like, how I missed being surrounded by nature. Now we’re in phase 2 the beaches are open to sunbathe and take a dip, exercise hours dropped save the over 70’s time slots, we’re allowed to go outside as many times as we want. That said the park only has it’s peaceful magic in the mornings. The afternoons and evenings the place gets loud with humans. When I can I’ll still take my early morning bike rides to the park for its quietness. I get to see the sea up close cycling there and back. That is until the zoo opens where when everybody’s at the beach if you time it right it’s like you have the place to yourself (my view on zoos here) when I can do both the beach and zoo. A little balance of both.
The ducks and geese early morning like to preen and sunbathe as do the turtles. Later on in the day I’ve noticed they either hang around the easy spot for food or take a nap.
The Pigeon Tree!
The Geese Family
The Duck Families. Initially I thought there was only 1 duck family and she’d lost one. However there are 4 families and she didn’t loose one! 8, 7, 6 and 5 babies!
The Turtle Residents
Duck and Geese Residents. Other residents: herons, bats, rats and goldfish.
The Greenery!
[…] in June I shared photos from my morning phasing out of lockdown time slotted freedom bike rides to Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona’s most famous […]
Great pics as always! I don’t think I’ve been to this park, it looks very pretty!
Thank you!
It’s the main park in BCN and the prettiest!
This would have been extremely challenging for you Natalie during this lengthy lockdown and so glad you can now get out in nature. Also so pleased for those quiet times first thing in the morning. Spain had such a hard time during this pandemic. Glad things are opening up! 🙏 😀
It was challenging during the lockdown not being about to get outside apart from the supermarket or bakers. It took me to a dark place. Not the darkest but a dark room none the less. My first bike ride up the coasts I had to hold back the tears! It was like Christmas morning as a kid!
Next week the State of Alarm ends with control back to regional governments. We’re free then to travel the whole of Spain! Masks will be in use in closed public areas and when we can’t social distance but to be outside and have some sort of before life back is a great feeling.
I didn’t hear much about Canada and Covid-19 only that the USA has been hit bad. I hope if you had a lockdown you were allowed out to exercise! And that Canada didn’t get badly hit. I’m glad too things are opening back up!
Hi Natalie. Compared to the USA, Canada has fared better. Tighter restrictions and more gradual opening up. We have had over 8,400 deaths. At 35 million we are slightly a smaller population than Spain, but not by much. I am so fortunate I live in the country. We are allowed still exercise outside as long as it socially distanced. Being where I live, it was very easy to do that. That would have been so difficult for you during the lockdown.
It’s good they let you exercise outdoors. They had to let us towards the end. Children supervised under 14 were allowed out first followed by the rest of the country. I think we were all about to go crazy in our own ways. I had a giggle at one of the richest areas in Madrid protesting about the the lockdown as they couldn’t ‘work’. It made you realise and notice which types of work and jobs are essential and how lucky they are to be working when the rest of the country can’t if can’t work from home. I’m hoping people realise this and give more respect to those jobs and of course nature. I’m not sure though if people now appreciate nature again after being back to ‘normal’. I’m hoping they do but human memory is short.
It was hard 7 weeks inside. I think everyone developed weird routines and habits. I’ve got my fingers crossed the virus is now contained, monitored and controlled as I don’t want to be under lockdown again! I wear my mask when required, use loads of hand sanitiser out (most places you have to use it before entering) and try to keep a 1.5meter distance. The 1.5 meter distance is the hardest!