Tag: Travel

Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling. Information Signs Oahu, Hawaii

by natjtanLeave a Comment on Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling. Information Signs Oahu, Hawaii

Part 1 of Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling was all Californian information signs. Part 2 of Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling is Oahu, Hawaii information signs, general signs and notices.

Star Wars droidesque parking meter

Just like the Cali ones and info signs all over the world, in the shortest, most concise way information signs let us know what we can and can’t do in all languages with or without words. No sh*t Nat! The psychology behind them is something too. Designers know we don’t look up walking or only a little head. Picture info signs can leave you guessing alternate situations to what they want to say or meanings lost as your imagination runs a little wild. When it’s Hawaii that mystical place that does exist when you get there, none of this matters as it’s Hawaii. All signs, notices, parking meters are just cool.

Diamond Head State Monument
Diamond Head State MonumentDiamond Head State Monument Pinch me I’m in Hawaii beers. I initially thought these were cat food. Cat food always has a cute happy cat on the label. Does this beer do something else? Continue reading “Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling. Information Signs Oahu, Hawaii” →

Lifestyle, Photography, Travel

Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling. Information Signs California

by natjtan1 Comment on Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling. Information Signs California

It’s amazing the things you notice travelling outside your natural habitat. One thing that stood out for me on holiday earlier this year in California was the information signs.

Signs I’d seen a million times in photos and on TV in a pinch me moment I’m seeing in person. Universal information signs that need no words, but sometimes leave you guessing optical illusions or alternate different meanings. The for real am I here info signs? Or anywhere in the USA if you live outside of the USA. The psychology behind them. Knowing most people look down or only a little ahead walking. The grammar’s different too. I find the USA English uses a more formal language with signs than UK English making them seem at times a little old fashioned and proper.  

One of my favourite signs that caught my eye were No Dumping signs next to road drains. I’m a sucker for animal designs so of course I noticed these. I think every town has a different design. I didn’t get all train spotting looking out for them. Just when I came across them.

San Francisco Continue reading “Nerdy Stuff You Notice Travelling. Information Signs California” →

Lifestyle, Photography, Thought, Travel

San Francisco: Pier 39 and Russian Hill

by natjtan4 Comments on San Francisco: Pier 39 and Russian Hill

One thing I noticed in Northern California aside from few wearing coats in February was around 19.00 it’s almost like San Francisco streets emptied. In Barcelona the streets are still full of bustle and hustle at 19.00. Even the residential streets walking along from San Francisco’s city centre to Pier 39 were quiet. Pier 39 had a little more energy as did the centre, everything in between left us asking where everybody went.

The buildings walking down to Pier 39 in the more residential streets were amazing. While each building was more of less the same, the facades were the stars, the steps the main stars in the older part of the city. I’d have loved to see them in daylight but maybe I wouldn’t have noticed them with people around. Many town houses are spilt into apartments and there’s no way I’d want a basement apartment no matter how pretty the steps. I need sunlight!

DSCF9743 Who looks up at street sign names? The rest of the world apart from San Fransisco and probably the rest of USA.

Pier 39 turned out to be tourist kiss me quick almost like a village theme park. If you’re left Continue reading “San Francisco: Pier 39 and Russian Hill” →

Animal Kingdom, Fitness, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Thought

March 2020 Catch Up

by natjtan1 Comment on March 2020 Catch Up

I wasn’t sure if to do March Catch Up this year. Half of it has been spent in Covid-19 lockdown. Spain called the State of Alarm on the 14th March. Unless an essential worker, everybody’s only allowed out for food, pharmacies, doctors or work. We’re now in our 4th week of lockdown with another 2 more weeks to go. Possibly another extension until the 10th May and beyond! Who knows! I’m hoping come the end of April the Spanish government eases the lockdown confinements. Even if it’s just we’re allowed out to exercise! Greenery and seeing the sea close up is what I miss. I will miss the quiet outside and cleaner air.

I’m sure many of you are tired reading and hearing covid-19 news, so I’ll try to keep the 2nd half of March to a minimum focusing on the freer first half. Back when I could cycle, run, climb, pop to the shops with no worry of will the police believe me I’m only getting bread or a weekly shop! I never knew how much I travelled in the city looking back at photos. My world was small then, now it’s even smaller. Do I have more time to do stuff I didn’t back then?

Not even a day or 2 old already running, jumping, exploring!One patient Mangabey monkey mum. She’s a good mum. I think as monkey hierarchy goes, one of the higher ranking mums. Late winter early spring life

Erm, I got a wheel blocker for my bike so I’m trying to do as much cycling. Gym workouts are now at home, run days are Popsugar Fitness dance classes. Climbing hours I don’t know where they went. Maybe more phone. One thing I have noticed is my skin tone has improved as I’m not wearing make up. There’s no point if I’m not going out. I’m still washing my hair every day as it’s still getting as greasy. And for sanity. My hair’s so fine grease shows in an instant. If clean hair gives me a sense of normality in a crazy time, Continue reading “March 2020 Catch Up” →

Animal Kingdom, Nature, Photography, Travel

San Francisco Botanical Gardens 

by natjtan2 Comments on San Francisco Botanical Gardens 

9,000 different plants from all over the world at San Francisco Botanical Gardens take you on a journey across the globe. You can’t just look in one direction ahead! Looking up magnolias, redwoods, looking down camellias, herbs, moss. Each twist and turn of the paths takes you almost if there’s no one around a secret garden on the other side of the world. Or down the road in the California garden!

We had enough of the city, wanting some fresh air when we visited San Francisco earlier this year. The botanical gardens and Japanese Tea Garden were a few places on our list of places to go thinking they’re in the same garden. The Japanese Tea Garden is in the same park, Golden Gate Park but not in the same garden if that makes sense. Golden Gate Park while it looks close to the centre or downtown San Francisco isn’t. For some reason looking at the map of San Fransisco bay area I thought it was like a European town with everything more of less in walking or a metro distance. Err, no! You need a car to get around, unless you want to do multiple buses, taxis or Uber. A car worked out cheaper than Uber. We stayed just outside San Francisco in Belmont, Redwood Shores and I think the garden was a 40 minute drive away. We’d thought we’d have enough time to do both however the botanical gardens were bigger than we’d expected. By the time we’d left (after a who’s right which way back to the entrance! I think we both compromised and worked it out) it was 16.30 winter closing hours.

Bamboo gardenDSCF0072Puffer fish!

We could have easily have spent more time in the gardens. It’s split into Californian indigenous plants within their own geographic location and into South America, Asia Africa and Europe. The Mediterranean Garden features native Californian plants along side plants from South-western Australia, Chile and South Africa all grouped within their own geographical location. The Mild Temperate Climate features plants from Eastern Australia, New Zealand and a Japanese Moon Continue reading “San Francisco Botanical Gardens “ →