Inspiration – natjtan

Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Nature, Weekend Friday Favourites

Weekend Friday Favourites

15/11/202015/11/2020by natjtanLeave a Comment

I hope you’re having a great weekend! I can’t believe that we’re half way through November! While I’m in a puffer jacket and only just started layering in the evenings a jumper underneath out, the cold hasn’t started here yet. In fact it’s still a little warmer than usual. November’s usually around 16C in BCN with this year midday temps 19-20C. I’m still running in shorts!

Anyway this week’s Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye recently.

Light

One thing I do like and perhaps the only thing I like about the chiller shorter days is the light. If you’re wrapped up warm the light’s magical.

Halloween Eve Blue Hunter Full Moon Rise

Birds Song

Catalunya from 06.00 Friday to 06.00 Monday has placed municipal weekend confinements to slow the pace of Covid-19. We’re only allowed to leave said towns and villages for work, medical, essential shopping if we can’t get in it in the said town or village, exceptional travel reasons. However we can walk, run, cycle across municipals. Stores are still open. It’s actually in effect from Thursdays 22.00 as Spain is under a nation wide curfew from 23.00-06.00 with regions able to change it an hour each side. It’s a pain at the weekends more so as the Zoo reopened this weekend and I can’t go. I can cycle around it, not visit. Monday I can! Anyway a bonus is before traffic picks up Sunday mornings you can hear birds singing.

Hanhan Official Scrunchies

A new store opened in the centre selling Miin Cosmetics. A new Miin store I didn’t know about?! It’s in fact Miin’s sister opening her own shop, Hanhan Official selling contemporary Asian costume jewellery and accessories as well a selection of Miin Cosmetics. The large jar of scrunchies at check out caught my eye. I needed to replace mine and was after ones that wouldn’t snag my hair. The material has to be smooth enough to do so without getting tangled up and pulling out hair. These looked perfect and they were. So much so I went back and got 2 more before they sold out!

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Animal Kingdom, Animals, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

City Wildlife #1

09/11/202008/11/2020by natjtanLeave a Comment

It’s no surprise on Instagram most accounts I follow are nature based. Lots of animals, rescue centres, shelters and organisations, landscapes, the seas and oceans. I get a little envious of golden misty foggy wood scenes as I grew up in the countryside. However I equally get envious, maybe more of beautiful seas and oceans waves and shorelines.

This year when out, more so at the zoo I tried to take less non zoo resident photos otherwise my photos are almost the same repeat each week. I look for the light, parrots, ducks at the park, birds flying, trees, nature cityscapes while trying to avoid taking photos of humans. Sometimes I don’t mind humans in them. If I can I like the focus on nature. She’s the star of this planet. Anyways, wildlife from July at the Barcelona Zoo, at the park: Parc de la Ciutadella , in the city.

Wrong camera speed. Wherever Mama duck went, they went. It was so cute when they started diving with their bums sticking up out the water

I think a crane nesting above an enclosure

I watched him/her land on the leaf and as soon as I said thank you silently for letting me take their photo, it flew away

This summer I saw so many butterflies! Colourful ones at the zoo. White ones while running along with dragonflies. A few moths too and hardly any mosquitos!!! I think mosquitos only bite me when they’re desperate however this year the apartment was almost free of them. That doesn’t mean I didn’t escape not being bit by bugs this summer. It’s almost as if the mosquitoes knew and let the other bug have its go. On holiday I got bite by a tick which got infected, ending up in ER as it wasn’t clearing up. The night before going in the skin around it started to swell up. The doctors were closed and I didn’t want to chance it over the weekend. A course of antibiotics cleared it up and I’ll be left once the redness has gone down another white patch of non pigmented skin to join the other assorted bites and cuts white patches.

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Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Nature, Weekend Friday Favourites

Weekend Friday Favourites

05/10/2020by natjtanLeave a Comment

Happy October!

Weekend Friday Favourites is back! Hopefully for longer this time!

How’s your weekend? I’m bitter sweet sad autumn fall’s here and it’s temperature early. The care free summer days are over until next year. This year mid autumn temps have hit 20/22C early. 20C’s chilly! You can keep your pumpkin spice, cosy knits and crock pots. This girl doesn’t do layers. She likes summer warmth and the wardrobe that comes with it. The sweet part, I get more stuff done I’m not tempted by the heat, beach, sea.

Anyways Weekend Friday Favourites, things that have made me smile or caught my eye the past few months.

Snorkelling

Photos from the P’s Go Pro. I’m working on settings

I mentioned in Summer I started snorkelling on holiday. I really thought that was it until next summer. Taking a dip at the beach I go to, I saw flash of silver. The next day I took my snorkel and couldn’t believe how many fish have been beneath me just off the shoreline. P recommended a beach he sometimes swims at, however after seeing that flash, I put everything together with the rocky bit just out at ‘my’ beach. It’s teaming with life!

As often as I can I’ve been snorkelling. I could go to other beaches, but this one I know, it’s safe and much quieter compared to other Barcelona beaches. I’m getting much better with my swimming and even now have a rashie (partly due to I spent too much time in the water and at the beach that day and burnt my back. Bonus of one, it keeps me warmer!)! P’s kindly lent me his Go Pro as I don’t think me believed me when I reported back what I’ve seen. It’s tricky trying to indentiy online, however I’m sure I’ve seen small mullets, for sure sea breams, flanders to name a few. My favourites are saddled sea breams. Always curious and say hi. The highlights: a cormorant diving and hunting. All the fish kept clearing fast. Out the corner of my eye I saw what I though first was a big fish or turtle (I know, how?) and then webbed feet. I thought maybe a duck as I tried to keep out of its way. When it surfaced I realised it was a cormorant. I felt so lucky to see it hunt and sorry for the fish. Another highlight an octopus! All this metres from shore! I ordered an Olympus Tough 6 which has only just arrived and sadly I’m not sure how I’m going to go when it gets colder. A wetsuit for sure, but it’s the logistics of belongings, people around if I get in trouble. I’m already convinced that the sea level is starting it’s winter level as the beach seems bigger if that makes sense. This girl might have to read weather and tides to go midday.

Aloha Collection Big Island Flower Collection

I’ve mentioned before my love for Aloha Collection pouches. On holiday I used them a lot and was surprised how much they pack. I wasn’t going to get any more. I had my eye on a few but said no. You have enough. That was until they released Hibiscus from their Big Island collection. My excuse I used them a lot travel and everyday, plus hibiscuses are one on my favourite flowers. My Aloha Collection pouches has grown and I’ve banned myself from the site 🙊 I can look but not buy.

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Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

Weekend Friday Favourites

26/07/202026/07/2020by natjtan1 Comment

I hope you’re having a great weekend!

Covid-19 cases have risen in Catalunya and Barcelona with the regional government closing gyms, amusement parks, clubs, cinemas, leaving open bars and restaurants at 50% capacity, libraries and museums for 2 weeks to stem the spike. My gym and climbing gym rebelled as long as they could arguing that health and fitness are vital essentials that need to remain open. Even the city council was on their side. Sadly they lost and most gyms are now closed until further notice. The zoo held out for as long as possible too, closing on Monday and reopening this Saturday after petitioning to remain open. They say it’s for 15 days, but I think it’ll be longer. Thankfully it’s not a full lockdown, we’re allowed out and shops are open. The only change face masks are mandatory in all public spaces even when we can social distance.

Anyway, this week’s Weekend Friday Favourites. Things that have made me smile or caught my eye this week.

Dietes Bicolor

Dietes Bicolor Lyon Arboretum, Oahu

Scrolling back through photos to edit for Golden Gate Bridge a flower I took in Lyon Arboretum, Oahu Hawaii stood out. It was the same flower I took at the zoo a few days ealier! After a little research it’s a Dietes Bicolor, a tropical iris native to South Africa!

Dietes Bicolor Barcelona Zoo

Aloha Collection

On holiday earlier this year in Oahu there’s a chain of shops Sandpeople which sell local art, craft and jewellery that I kept popping into. I kept being drawn to Aloha Collection, a Hawaiian and California brand that specialises in splash proof travel pouches, bags and hip/bum bags. I thought one would be be perfect for the summer stashing a wet bikini. Everything is waterproof bar the zipper and was created with stashing wet swimsuits, easy clean toiletry and make up pouches in mind when travelling that can be multipurpose and protect other items from spillages. The black with yellow hibiscus wasn’t the one I wanted, however I thought being dark coloured would be less likely to get ruined with suncream and from being thrown in a rucksack with everything else. When we got back I couldn’t stop thinking about the mini hibiscus With Love From Paradise X Aloha pouch for a purse and well, first order you get 20% off. They have designs for everyone and I’ve had to blinker myself from the new designs out (especially the new small Lei Lei Orchid prints. Like the blue and green below but in pink and purple and the mini in pink which has sold out 😦 ). None the less, if you want a pretty splash proof lightweight pouch to stashing wet bikinis, or a pouch you can wipe down easily I can’t recommend enough Aloha Collection. They are on the pricey side, but I can see them lasting a long time. The only con I have is print on the mini pouch is beginning to fade. I guess it adds to its character.

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Inspiration, Lifestyle, Nature

June 2020 Strawberry Moon

11/07/202011/07/2020by natjtan1 Comment

Strawberry Moon? I’m in! Strawberry Moon’s June’s full moon when one of my favourite summer fruits are ready! Give me a bowl of strawberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, grapes and some mango and pineapple with some soya yoghurt (I’ve just discovered Alpro’s lemon and lime soya yoghurt. Yummy!) and I’m a happy girl.

The zoo reopened in June too! Opening hours have changed due to covid-19. They’re keeping last entry winter schedule with official closing two hours later. It’s a little tricky getting there, the light only gets good when leaving nevertheless, I’m enjoying an extra hour not rushing around when there and that it’s virtually empty. The EU has opened its borders within Europe yet tourists are minimal. I never realised that most of the summer pedestrian traffic along the beaches, on the beaches, in the centre were tourists. It’s nice having a quiet city, thought there needs a balance as tourists bring dinero and Spain needs dinero.

Waxing Moon

Almost full

June 2020 saw two eclipses. A penumbral eclipse that occurs when the Earth, Sun and Moon are imperfectly aligned. The Moon crosses the faint outer edge of the Earth’ shadow, the penumbra causing part of the Moon to appear slightly darker than usual. It’s harder to see unlike full lunar or solar eclipses. The second eclipse, a Solar eclipse on the first official day of summer. This wasn’t visible in Barcelona however I was up just after Moonrise and before Sunrise. The moon shone extra bright almost like a star with light bouncing off it. It’s a bad photo, maybe the light was from the Sun chasing it from the horizon.

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