Tag: adventure

Food, Lifestyle, Thought, Travel

San Francisco: Downtown and Chinatown

by natjtan1 Comment on San Francisco: Downtown and Chinatown

Our first day of our California, Oahu holiday vacay was spent in San Francisco! We stayed outside of San Francisco at the Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores residential hotel in Belmont purely for the reason they had a gym and kitchen. We tend to stay if possible self catering as it saves money, allows more time to explore not being tied to finding vegan restaurants, check out supermarkets and we get to have breakfast of our choice. The gym because P knew I’d go crazy if I just did hotel room workouts for 2 weeks. His ears would hurt.

Another reason why we stayed outside was after calculating Uber costs it was cheaper to hire a car which worked in our favour over the next few days. P reserved parking ahead and there was a little culture shock driving to the parking. He picked one of cheaper carparks which was I think in the one of the roughest inner city neighbourhoods. He didn’t know! Neither of us did! $25 all day parking. Others were $35 plus. Lots of homeless people (there are homeless people in Barcelona but not to the extent of San Francisco. This was a whole other level of homelessness) lining the sidewalks, a lot high. I think it was the open drug use and it’s affect that was the eye opener. It was hard not to stare which I knew was the one thing I shouldn’t be doing. While I was curious how they ended up homeless, I got a feeling most were looking out for each other as tents lined the sidewalks. Yes, it made me uncomfortable and at the same time I felt safe. There I said it. The parking turned out to be only a few blocks away from the centre or downtown San Fransisco. Google Maps you know everything!

Driving into San FranciscoDowntown posh part

Okay. I got photosnappy. The chances of visiting San Francisco again are low to never, so I snapped away. It took awhile Continue reading “San Francisco: Downtown and Chinatown” →

Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

February 2020 Catch Up

by natjtan2 Comments on February 2020 Catch Up

It’s nearly Spring already and the end of March! One of the longest months aside from April. How did that happen?! 

February this year was a good month purely for the reason I was still on my holiday vacay!

Welcome to the jungle. Manoa Falls, Oahu Hawaii

The first few days in February were spent in Oahu, Hawaii before flying back to California to explore the Big Sur and see Bill Burr in some random outback country town part of California. Driving to the venue we were rubbing our eyes if what we was seeing was real. We drove through a mini Danish town right down the black timber architecture lit up with fairy Continue reading “February 2020 Catch Up” →

Animals, Fitness, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

January Catch Up

by natjtan2 Comments on January Catch Up

One thing that’s never going to get easier is not having Mr AJ or Mr D, the boys, the cats around. January was the first full month without coming back to a happy face at the door. The first month without looking after a furry being. I’m still not used to being told it’s breakfast or dinner time. No one to keep me or my routine in check. No gentle or knock you over head butts. No purrs, just an empty silence. If I’m honest I feel lost without those 2. I have too much spare time on my hands.

New Years Day sunrise 

A friend asked if I’m enjoying the freedom. I wasn’t sure how to take that. I know she meant well, but they were never a burden. If you’ve never spent part of your life with a cat or dog, you’re missing out on so much. So without pi**ing her off with a blunt f you answer I answered with, a lonelier freedom.

New Years Day Sunset

Most of January was quiet. Spain celebrates King’s Day on the 6th January so things don’t start to get back ‘normal’ until around the 2nd week of January. P asked if I wanted to get away. At first I was hesitant. There might be lots of changes this year (thanks Brexit) and I was concerned about money. Initially I thought of Portugal then cheekily suggested the Big Sur I’ve always wanted to see. Suddenly we found ourselves 2 weeks later on a plane to Continue reading “January Catch Up” →

Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

Basque Country Road Trip 2019. Part #1

by natjtan3 Comments on Basque Country Road Trip 2019. Part #1

Last month P, D the cat and I took a last minute weekend road trip to the Basque Country! In Part #1 I’m sharing our weekend adventure with Parts #2 and #3 more photos as there’s way to many for one post. You might want a cup of tea for this one.

We didn’t know the Bilbao Night Marathon was that weekend making most places that allowed pets sold out both in and outside of Bilbao booked up. We initially thought San Sebastian but everywhere that was reasonably priced was sold out included self catering that we usually go for. We found a great pet friendly hotel, Petite Palace in Getxo up from Bilbao along the coast.

The Guggenheim Museum The Guggenheim Museum’s a must see visiting Bilbao! Designed to pay heritage to Bilbao’s shipping past the exteriors are a play on boats. The famous spider’s the other side of the museum along the river. Initially I thought we had to pay to see Continue reading “Basque Country Road Trip 2019. Part #1” →

Fitness, Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

Hiking in Parc Natural Montsant

by natjtan1 Comment on Hiking in Parc Natural Montsant

A few weeks ago I asked P for a day to myself. I wanted a few hours of doing my own thing. P was cool excited for motorbike trip. That was until I found out where he’d planned to go. Parc Natural Montsant. Catching up on blog posts, maybe indoor climbing, the beach, a few hours for me vs my inner Indiana Jones and ZhenZhen (Rim of the World) exploring rope bridges, trails, warmer temps and the sound of nature silence. Parc Natural Monsant won.

P initially planned a 4 hour hike, but as I was now coming this was reduced to a ’70min’ 5km hike The Soul of Montsant to an old hermitage in the Priorat region of the park. Continue reading “Hiking in Parc Natural Montsant” →