I have my blog now since late 2012 and for me this is the first time I’ve been nominated for the Liebster Award. Lots of great bloggers where I’m interested in received such a nomination and I am therefore very happy with it. Thank you Wanda of Wanda wandelt, of whose blog I have been an admirer for a long while now, so go and check it out!, for nominating me and of course I accept!

What is the Liebster Award anyway?

The Liebster Award is sort of an encouragement award in the form of an online chain letter for bloggers who have a small amount of followers and/or for starting bloggers, both with ambition to grow.

If the award is accepted, a small number of obligations and a small amount of work have to be accepted too. For this the award provides publicity and attention for the blog of the nominee.

What are the obligations of the nominee?

That’s when things get more blurry. During the existence of the Award the rules for acceptance have been changed quite often and the Liebster Award has no official webpage indicating what rules are now in force.So I googled those rules and tried to meet an average of the different obligations that I encountered.

Now for those requirements

You make a blog post regarding the award in which you thank the nominating blogger for your nomination and in which you post a link to his or her blog in the blog post.
The recipient of the award receives 11 questions which he / she must answer in that blog.
Then this blogger thinks of 11 new questions and nominates a minimum of five to a maximum of 11 other smaller / novice bloggers.
The bloggers have to be informed of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Wanda came up with 11 fascinating questions for me:

1. Why do you walk?

I have a great job, but I’m sitting a lot behind a computer screen. I like walking, because it is healthy and because I like long days outside in nature, but it also helps to compensate for the long hours in an office behind a desktop screen. So being in fresh air, being able to look in to the far distance and hopefully lots of sunshine are my motivation. Besides that, I like to walk distances and most preferably in the mountains. I really like nature and travel photography. So while walking I combine both hobbies 🙂

2. What’s your favorite hike?

I love very much everything Scandinavian and my favorite hike is therefore the multiple day trekking from Abisko to Nikkaluokta on the King’s path (Kungsleden) (also called the Fjallraven classic). This walk is so beautiful because the nature is beautiful and varied and because when it’s summer you can make very long walks, because the sun never sets.

3. Which country should we really go walking visit?

If you ask me (and you did), that really should be Sweden, although there is competition. But the fact that the sun never sets and you are in one of the last stretches of true wilderness that can be found in Europe and the Allemans ratt which provides the opportunity of free camping wherever you want, make this country great for trekking. Perhaps the best feature is the extremely long twilight period because of which the light is perfect for photography. And then I have not even seen the northern lights. Sweden is also one of the few countries where I’ve been more than once and I still want to go back. In addition, China, Nepal and Norway are also heavy favorites.

4. What should absolutely not be missing in your backpack?

Good topographical maps, rain poncho, camera, two bananas and plenty of water.

5. Do you rather like to be alone or with other walkers?

It depends. I like both, walking slowly and making real distance, but I do not like crowded hikes, such as the “vierdaagse” of Nimwegen. Although I did walk the four-day walk of the hill country (“heuvellandvierdaagse) (28 km per day) and it was pretty tough because of all the climbing and descending. I prefer walking alone when I’m going to photograph animals and plants. I then usually walk very slowly and I’m more focussed on looking around then on the pressure to meet a distance. In addition, I walk every month in a walking club where I have recently organized a route myself.

6. What do you do in everyday life?

I am not a professional blogger, but a hobby blogger and I work full time for CCS (Combined Computer Services) / RoundCube which is an insurance administration software developer and supplier. My job is to manage, maintain and improve the documentation required for customers.

7. Can you describe yourself in five words?

Outdoorman, Wandelgek (Dutch for crazy about walking), backpacker, visually oriented, Burgundian lifestyle.

8. What is your greatest passion (besides walking)?

I initially wanted to say photography, but it’s really traveling and often combined with hiking/trekking and photography. I like to travel to countries that still appeal to the imagination and where tourism is not as massive (think of Namibia, Botswana and Vietnam) and which are preferably non-Western. This actually get me out of my comfort zone of daily habits. For me it works very relaxing and recharges the battery again. On the other hand, I absolutely love Scandinavia and although those are Western countries, nature is still so overwhelmingly present that I really like going there.

9. Why do you blog?

I blog to inspire people to make long walks, long journeys and to make them understand and empatize with people from countries other than our home country. The latter is now quite an issue because of the refugees on the borders of Europe. Mark Twain expressed what I mean best in this quote that I use as the motto for my blog:

10. What do you think is best about blogging?

Interaction with other bloggers on the blog, but also on twitter and instagram.

11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully I’ve then visited a large number of far away, exotic and beautiful countries and walked some beautiful hiking trails. Some phantastic pictures to add to the collection are not bad either. I think I visually quite know how to take a good picture, but in terms of technique of photographing I hope to learn a lot.

 

I nominate …

Because I follow a lot of good blogs, it was quite difficult to get a list of nominees and to make it a little easier I have not chosen five but eleven nominees. One reason for that is because I cover three of my hobbies with my blog: hiking, traveling and enjoying life. I tried to select nominees in all three areas. Next step was to exclude nominees that have won the Liebster Award before, but that’s an impossible task. Apparently I think that a lot of nominated blogs are really worth nominating (including yours Wanda) but I have not put you on the list again ;-). I also tried not to nominate any major bloggers (which excludes some very good blogs), but then again what’s the definition of major?

Conclusion:

I nominate:

1. staredownthebarrelofagun AND 64north by Linda: Very occasionally you come across a blog on which you just can not find anything you don’t want to read. That is the case with this little blog. This is not a blog that wants to please but that uncompromisingly describes the everyday life of the blogger and the scenery is Scandinavia. Wow! I’ve been a fan for quite some time now and this year the vlogs and the videos of the northern lights only made it better. Elsewhere on my blog site I have already written, “If, after reading this blog, you don’t get the urge to travel north, you already live there”. Well my desire to return to Scandinavia has been fueled considerably. And I have not even mentioned the sometimes literally chillingly beautiful photography (snowy mountains, dancing northern lights and frozen waterfalls). Hence this deserved nomination. This blog deserves attention.

2. karlijn travels by Karlijn: I’ve been following this blog for a long time and was initially attracted by the many destinations and the quality photography but two things were added to that this year. The blog reports are getting better and this year, the blogger is on a worldtrip including the Silk Road and the blogs are now at such a high level that it can feel like reading an exciting travel book. Furthermore, the blogger also proves her commitment to society, for example in beautiful, captivating blogs looking back on Iran, Turkmenistan and China, and sometimes even through the eyes of a local guide. Photography is still great. And I have a soft spot for the mountain photographs of Tajikistan. Finally, good practical information of which I benefited this year by buying the sublime packing cubes to create order in my backpack and keep it that way all the time.

3. wolfswandelplan (wolfs walking plan) by Rob: One of the best blogs in the area of walking from the Netherlands. I love the Netherlands even though I make trips to exotic lands. Some people think the Netherlands are flat and boring. But then you really miss its beauty. The Dutch countryside and cities are incredibly beautiful and there is much to learn about them. In the landscape you’ll see the past of the Netherlands and since this blog site is an ambassador for walking combined with keeping an eye on detail, culture and historic facts, I have given this nomination.

4. wanderersblues by Marijke: This magnificent newly redesigned blog combines blog posts about traveling in distant lands with wonderful blogs about Belgium, France and more recently the Netherlands. I am also very pleased with the not rushed atmosphere of the vlogs, that radiate peace and that fits very well with this blog. The blogger’s choice of subjects is very diverse and interesting, and that is also the number one reason why I’m a fan and also for this nomination. Furthermore, the blog is currently in maintenance. Meaning that the blog posts will be translated into English which I think will deliver more influx of readers. Another improvement to the site is that the emphasis is not only on chronology (the most recent blogs) but on getting older blogs back into the spotlight too. Finally, I must mention the photography because it is simply sublime.

5. we12travel by Antonette and Martijn: This is perhaps the ultimate blog for the mountain hiker abroad. I really would like to visit each destination on this site, because they are the most beautiful hiking areas on the planet. From New Zealand via the Andes to Canada and Alaska or to Scandinavia. Detailed hiking reports with practical links for overnight stays or other information combined with top photography that illustrates the beautiful walks and fuels the need to go there yourself. Alaska reports are very nice and varied. Apart from walking, there is also kayaking and glacier trekking!

6. reismicrobe (travel bug) by Nies: a socially very committed globetrotter is behind this beautiful blog written with fascinating stories of distant countries, but also about countries closer to my home like Ireland. The blog about the refugees who are on the borders of Europe hit the nail on the head. Furthermore, and how could it be any different the photography to support the reports is stunning.

7. bunchofbackpackers by Manouk: One of the first blog sites I started following and it still is one of my top favorites, especially because of the strong link with China and the amazingly beautiful photography. You can clearly notice that the blogger has spent much time in Asia because of the extensive and diverse expertise she shares with her readers. Even better are the upcoming travel plans to Southern Africa and the silk road. Not very common travel routes and therefore very worthwhile to continue to follow this site. It gets boring, but again the photography is superior. The latter is very important to me to find a blog appealing.

8. bruderleichtfuss by Timo: This blog site breaths adventure. Adventure at sea or in the mountains for example in Norway. The photography is very spectacular and ha an adventurous character often breathtakingly beautiful. In addition, practical information is correct as well. I have often seen lists of what to take with you on a mountain trek, but this list comes closest to what I myself would take and even offers me some surprises.

9. thetouristin by Dorothée: Super Cute blog with reports from many countries that really fascinate me, but with some extras for example in the form of eyewitness blogs where locals have been interviewed about the place where they live. Very original.

10. crossingthecity by Lisa: This blog site I discovered only a few months ago. The blogger writes mainly about all city-related topics. This is thus a goldmine for anyone who loves urban photography. The emphasis is on Berlin and Leipzig, and in this case less on the amount of different cities but more based on detail. The photography is stunningly urban and again so different from the other nominated blogs. It’s about a strange streetname sign or about a floor of an empty building, and then again about graffiti popping of a wall in many bright colours. Love it!

That’s it for the nominations.

I thought of the next few questions for the nominees to answer:

1. Why (purpose) do you blog?
2. What themes are often in your blog posts?
3. What’s your favorite blog post written by yourself and why?
4. Which blog post from another blogger do you recommend to read and why?
5. What are your favorite holiday / trip nations?
6. When do you get your inspiration to write a blog?
7. What is your biggest passion?
8. When and where do you feel completely happy?
9. What’s your favorite meal, including appetizer and dessert, drink and do eat dine fast or slowly ?.
10. What was the biggest lesson that blogging and / or communication regarding your blogs taught you?
11. Short answer: What pops to your mind when reading each of the following words: map / fog / beer / mountains/china/outdoors/water/your own country?

Good luck with answering the questions of this Liebster Award! I’m very curious for your answers.