wildlife – natjtan

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

Parc de la Ciutadella #2

03/09/202003/09/2020by natjtanLeave a Comment

Back 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 city park and my favourite park.

When the lockdown down ended, my gym still wasn’t open. To make up the distance there and back and to get some greenery and wildlife I cycled to the park after the beach in the afternoons (afternoon in Spain ends around 8-9pm)/early evenings. When my gym, climbing gym and zoo reopened I tried to make the park a few times a week. While I miss the quietness of the mornings the park’s back to being less busy in the afternoons now everybody’s at the beach, work or still staying at home. The early evenings during lockdown freedom hours it was the bar and pub replacement local hangout. It has now a different kind of quietness to the mornings. Ducks and geese are getting ready to nap with the water less busy. I’ve only just learnt ducks can sleep on the water, head tucked under a wing and are diurnal being active at night. I’ve even seen some rats climb up and run along railings.

Sadly the nights are getting shorter and soon my rides to the park becoming less as gyms have reopened after the 2nd lockdown (recommended to stay at home) ended. I still try to get there once a week to cycle around now around dusk for greenery, hearing birds sing, watching the ducks and geese, cycling with the bats (yep, nerdy!). Beach is first if I can get there before the sun sinks behind buildings. I can’t go before 15.30 even at the weekends as the sun’s too strong. I’ve now started snorkelling (In the sea, not in this mini lake! I’d get arrested! I wouldn’t want to anyway. It gets so dirty they have to empty it every now and then and refill). I get to see what the ducks, seagulls, cormorants see when they dive.

Most of the photos were taken in June and July when the light was nice and bright and of the boating lake. I used to like watching out for the ducklings checking the Mamas didn’t loose any. I don’t think they did! As usual, I’m a sh*t editor posting way too many photos. Enjoy!

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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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Animal Kingdom, Nature, Photography

The Magic of Parc de la Ciutadella

15/06/202014/06/2020by natjtan7 Comments

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.

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Animal Kingdom, Nature, Photography

Early Spring

15/04/202015/04/2020by natjtan2 Comments

While many of us are watching spring from our windows this year and celebrated the official first day of spring inside, nature doesn’t do dates. She does arrivals. Spring started saying hello at the end of February back when we were allowed out in freedom. While summer holds a place in my heart as my favourite season, spring is very close second by a fraction. Watching everything wake up after winter gives a warm feeling of longer warmer days ahead.

The sun come the end of winter has a warmth to it. The light’s bright, trees start getting dressed, people and animals start to hang out more in the sunshine thanks to the longer days. Finding a sunny sheltered spot out of the wind is heaven! Anyways, early spring photos at the zoo and running errands. Apologies if there’s too many or if you’ve seen here them before.

Cherry blossom’s always spring. This is all the blossom I saw this yearThe same for Jasmine one of my favourite flowers and scents. All the jasmine I saw this year Plane trees starting to get dressed while shedding seed pods. Continue reading “Early Spring” →

Animal Kingdom, Lifestyle, Nature, Photography, Travel

World Wildlife Day

03/03/202003/03/2020by natjtanLeave a Comment

Happy World Wildlife Day!

In honour of World Wildlife Day some of my favourite wildlife photos taken this year! Can I go back to Hawaii and California please?! Seriously though, the UN’s World Wildlife Day is to raise awareness to help conserve our biodiversity. Everything is connected making Earth stable no matter how big or small. Nature likes balance and without wildlife our world would be turned upside down for the roles they play. Every little thing we can do to help conserve wild fauna and flora no matter how small. Our planet is filled with beautiful treasures if you take time to look or just be patient to see what will say hi 🙂

DSCF9394 Blackbird drying off after a bath! Continue reading “World Wildlife Day” →