This small quaint church the church of Santa Barbara in Llanera which was designed by Asturian architect Manuel del Busto in 1912. This Asturian temple of prayer, was abandoned for years and crumbling from neglect. Luckily, a group of enterprising individuals lead by a collective called the ‘Church Brigade' who with online donations and the help of a famous energy drink restored the church for new found glory.
The church was turned into a sacred skate park. As if having a skate park inside a beautiful abandoned church wasn’t enough, artist Okuda San Miguel was commissioned to cover the walls and vaulted ceilings with his unique brand of colorful geometric figures. Nearly every flat interior surface is covered with a rainbow of color, illuminated from every side by tall windows, making this a truly special place to skate. Check out the pictures made by Lucho Vidales, truly captured the skating spirit in this beautiful little church.
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Did you know....
There is a sustainable way of growing crop, one of the ways is Permaculture.
Permaculture is a system of agricultural and social design principles centered on simulating or directly utilizing the patterns and features observed in natural ecosystems.
The term Permaculture was coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in 1968. Yes in 1968... That long ago... I honestly do not know why because its the only excuse for not gardening every week that my wife wholeheartedly accepts... Yes, our garden is Permaculture and I do not get any grief....;). All jokes aside its quite a relief gardening plant species that are so compatible, or better yet complementary. So a "Ph" rich vegetation is planted next to another which absorbs it, For instance a tomato next to rosemary.
The there is the concept of layers. Layers are one of the tools used to design functional ecosystems that are both sustainable and of direct benefit to humans. A mature ecosystem has a huge number of relationships between its component parts: trees, understory, ground cover, soil, fungi, insects, and animals. Because plants grow to different heights, a diverse community of life is able to grow in a relatively small space, as the vegetation occupies different layers. There are generally seven recognized layers in a food forest, although some practitioners also include fungi as an eighth layer. That of course is a whole other level but that said you don't need a large garden to get going with Permaculture. As for farming this would mean farms sell greater diversity crop without the burdensome single crop agriculture that currently burdens our environment so much.
Why not give it a try!
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Did you know...
I had no idea when I found out that lemons around the 10th Century a.d. was used for decoration... I can hear you think; "OK.....". Although the history of lemons and lemon water dates back several centuries. It is said that between the 10th and 11th century, Crusaders started to bring the lemon plant back to Europe for exploitation and the first sips of lemon water were enjoyed... Fact or fiction there are clearly noted ship records where this fresh fruit eventually made the trans-Atlantic crossing to America in the latter half of the 1400s. Sailors realized that its benefits of this highly desirable and coveted lemon, and other Vitamin-C rich foods, were found in their ability to prevent scurvy on long voyages. Also its deodorizing effect worked miracles on the perfuming sailors and needless to say kept those chaps not only fresh and but clean as the lemon also helps disinfect.
Other great features of this fruity powerhouse are; boosts the immune system. Research proves that vitamin C gives the immune system a beneficial boost. A vitamin C deficiency causes you to be increasingly susceptible to virus and infections. Reduces infections. High doses of vitamin C used to be given regularly to treat infections according to the Riordan Clinic. Lemon not only has tons of vitamin C but natural antimicrobial properties that make it a powerhouse for reducing infections. Promotes wound healing. While adding lemon to a wound sounds painful, drinking lemon water can help promote wound healing. Research presented in the International Journal of Science and Research shows that lemon juice does speed up wound healing due to its antibacterial properties. Replenishes electrolytes. Post workout, don’t reach for a lemon sports drink full of artificial sugars to replenish your electrolytes. Instead, choose lemon water to restore electrolytes. With lemon’s abundance of vitamins and minerals, it is easy and cost effective to make your own post workout drink. Add the juice of a lemon to a cup of cold water with a shot of sea salt and honey... So you can imagine why we use the benefits captured in this little mellow yellow.... Check our beard oil, it like peeling one of these bad boys...
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Did you know that......
The Vanilla bean...This shrivelled bean is classed as a spice, non pungent of course as its heavenly scent is known to us all. The vanilla plant belongs to the family of Orchidaceae.
Although found in quite a few tropical locations around the equator its origins are found in Central America where ancient European were marveled by its scent.
Shortly after its spread in other tropical locations exploiters made a pretty penny on this tropical spice. Then Vanilla bonanza does not stop there as scientist, as the ancient Mayans, believe it contains benefits to stimulate sexual activity, can't wait to see the results on that...Ahumm, pardon my distraction.....
So, back to the science, this elongated bean contains B-complex groups of vitamins such as niacin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B-6. These vitamins help in enzyme synthesis, nervous system function and regulating body metabolism. Also vanilla contains minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, iron and zinc. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure.
And here I was thinking it just was a aromatic bean...
The City of Bath is home to one of the most famous and important Roman remains in Northern Europe.
The Roman Bath houses had not only bathing facilities but hot sweat rooms and massage rooms, where the Romans would indulge in massages with therapeutic aromatic oils. They also had rest rooms where they socialised, ate and read in the same way we use modern spars today. The Roman's bathing culture was incomprehensible to the unwashed Northern European tribes !
It's believed that the Romans gained the knowledge of cold extraction of essential oils from aromatic botanicals from the Egyptians when in 30 B.C. they invaded and took over Egypt from Cleopatra. They favoured aromatical botanicals such as bay laurel, marjoram, pine, cinnomon and juniper. After the essential oils were removed from the botanicals by cold extraction they were added to a carrier oil such as olive oil. Olive oil was mostly used because it preserved the quality of the essential oils for a longer period of time. Roman soldiers would carry marjoram balms with them to clean and heal any battle wounds.
But Hey! you don't have to be a Roman soldier to get the very best care!
The 100% natural essential oils we use in our skin, hair and beard care products can be enjoyed by you today!
Enjoy your Nature and Carpe diem!!!
]]>Bruce has certainly come up with something original and transformed the tools that create sculpture into the sculpture itself. He produces these tables that have a metal ball inside which trace spectacular patterns in layers of thin sand. Shapiro has named this project Sisyphus. Much like the Greek mytha metal balls that moves through the finest of sand and seems to be forever rolling and creating patterns. In Greek mythology Sisyphus cheated death and as the Greek gods were enraged with him they made him forever push a huge round rock up the hills to torment him.
Well unlike the tragic story of Sisyphus this coffee/gawking table brings a light hearted smile to any tragic character. Way to go Bruce so freaking original!!!
Check his work out, pretty cool stuff!!!.
]]>Ask your physician about it sure they'll be able to advice you well on the grand grapefruit. As for me, I just love the scent...
Also the American library for health and medicine published an interesting article proving that insects dousted in grapefruit essential oil were more lucky with the lady insects.... Not suggesting anything here but pretty good to know. I know what i will be wearing this weekend:)
We'll be having some special offers coming so stay posted.
Having been in the curious world of grooming for a while now I have heard so many opinions about the best way to shave, why, how, when and what to moisturize, that I decided to go out on quick investigation and share my findings with you. Now, because I have seen and heard so many ‘expert’ opinions I will not profess an absolute truth but will briefly summarize some of the findings for your consideration. Well here it goes…
According to the Cleveland Clinic it is said that the rate of your hair/beard growth is genetically determined. How frequently you need to shave, is subject to a plethora of factors. Genes, weather (hot/cold) and moisture levels of your skin, are all factors that play a part in follicle growth. It is not solely the frequency of our shaving rituals, which is different for each person, that define the growth cycle. Hhhhmm…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends a wet shave to be the safest an most likely way to reduce the chances of nicks and irritations (tax dollars at work). The higher the ability of the shaving gel is to lubricate and hydrate the skin the smoother the shave. Many if not most shaving gels, contain detergents to froth of your foam. This, what is also known as lathering, actually reduces the hydration of the skin even more dries the skin which makes the skin more prone to irritations. We would recommend a detergent free gel and there some smaller companies making detergent free shaving gel. It’s a really different shave and since I have been using the all-natural gels or creams and have not had a nick or irritation in years. So worth considering.
Now the other factoid, and again not professing anything here. But, shaving in the direction of the hair growth probably won't give you a close shave, but you'll reduce your chances of getting nicks, cuts and other types of irritation. Shaving against the hair growth won’t make the hair coarser, it just changes the angle of the cut on the hair. The latter in some cases may cause ingrown hair but then again good moisturizing and disinfecting goes a long way. I personally prefer, going with the follicle flow once and not grating the skin but that’s just me. Needless to say that a sharp and clean blade plays a role in this as well.
Ok Guys, as you most certainly know the shave is a personal ritual and only you know what works best for you. So enjoy you Nature (our credo;). We do however hope it was of interest and look forward to next collage of groomin’ trivia.
All the best,
Urban Nomads
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