Liebster Award (II)

A fortnight or so ago, Diana over at Handstands Around the World nominated me for the Liebster Award. It’s just a wee step down from a Booker Prize, and is given to bloggers by bloggers in order to celebrate emerging blogs (and perhaps help a few fellow bloggers to discover your site in the first place). If you don’t have the airfare (or air miles) right now, Diana’s blog is sure to have you adding American national parks to your bucket list at a rate of knots. Canyonlands, Craters of the Moon and Arches are just a handful of the immensely photogenic natural landscapes I’ve added to my list already . . . Without further ado, un grand merci to Diana for nominating my blog and let’s crack on with the award itself!

Rules of the Liebster Award:

• Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog
• Answer your nominator’s questions
• Nominate 5-11 blogs (or as few/ many as you feel deserve to be recognised) with less than 1,000 followers and let them know that they’ve been nominated
• Write a new set of 5-11 questions for your nominees to answer

My answers to Diana’s questions:

1. Where are you from and what is the most common stereotype or misconception about your home town/state/country?

I’m from the UK, and the stereotype that we’re a nation of tea-drinkers who love nothing more than having a good chinwag (that’s a chat, for non-Brits!) in RP over afternoon tea is certainly a stereotype that many foreigners seem to believe is true! I feel like I’m letting the side down a bit when I tell my students I don’t really drink tea.

2. What is your least favourite part about travelling?

People who don’t respect the natural landscape – it drives me round the bend seeing beaches strewn with litter and sweet wrappers littering the fells. Rivers, fields and oceans (and much more besides) are not bins, and they shouldn’t be treated that way.

3. What is your favourite animal?

As an eternal zoo-lover and regular watcher of animal-related shows it’s tough to narrow it down, but the giant panda always comes up trumps. I have an assortment of panda toys, panda-related stationary and PJs, and if I’m in need of cheering up, my video of one of Toronto Zoo’s pandas doing a forward roll is sure to put a smile on my face.

4. Summer or winter? Why?

Winter, because it encompasses more of my favourite things: PJ days, snuggling up with a hot chocolate (preferably topped with marshmallows and whipped cream), The Apprentice returns to the small screen (is there anyone else who thinks this year’s candidates are the worst batch ever?!), there’s the tiniest possibility of snow falling, enjoying crêpes and hot apple juice at the Christmas markets, decorating the Christmas tree (though I’m sure my family will do a marvellous job this year!), breaking out the board games, eating chocolate for breakfast on Christmas Day and spending (more) time with my friends and family.

5. What is the best food you’ve had while travelling?

Kobe beef, hands down; it’s expensive, but worth every yen. I’d go back to Japan just for another meal of it!

My nominees

Whilst I’m officially passing the baton to these four bloggers, I’d also like to show my appreciation for two award-free blogs – Joy from Joy Loves Travel and Marion from Love Travelling both run wonderful travel blogs (featuring both UK breaks and destinations a little further afield) which you should check out!

• Wales to Wherever | Rhiannon’s travel mishaps and musings never fail to brighten my day – her anecdotes across the globe have me in giggles and are, more often than not, served with a healthy side of sarcasm.
• Switchback Stories | Variety is the spice of life – and blogging too. Amongst hiking and food-related posts, Laura’s blog also documents her recent US road trip and her current adventures in South America.
• Like Her Type | Corin’s musings are refreshingly relatable – when dipping in and out of her life lessons, book recommendations and travel listicles, you can’t help but relate to them.
• As Told By Dana | Featuring extensive guides to navigating French bureaucracy, teaching in schools/ universities, and destinations in the Hexagon, Dana’s blog is sure to delight any Francophile and budding ESL teacher.

Questions for my nominees:

1. City break or countryside escape?
2. Which country could you never tire of visiting?
3. What’s your favourite dessert? (Because let’s face it, the last course is the best one.)
4. If you were your country’s Prime Minister/ President, what’s the first law you would pass?
5. Which holiday destination do you think is over-hyped?