1. My favourite season is autumn. I just love the vivid colours of the trees at that time of year. Take a walk alongside a river lined with trees, and it can be really spectacular. I never tire of it. I also like winter as I love snow. I don't like being cold, but a bit of snow is nothing a warm coat and an extra layer can't fix. But nothing beats those beautiful autumn colours for me.
2. My pet peeve is bad manners! A simple please or thank you, whether the person you're talking to is someone you know or a complete stranger, costs nothing. It just bugs me!
3. I can speak two languages. English, my mother tongue, and French. I lived and worked in France for four years and speak it fluently (although it's certainly a bit rusty now. I forget the silliest words at times). However, I live in the Netherlands so that doesn't help me very much. I understand a lot of Dutch, as long as its spoken slowly and clearly, but I just sound like I'm choking if I try to speak it, and I can't string an entire sentence together.
4. I have visited nine countries, which really isn't very many! Although I like travelling, the thought of getting on a plane deters me the most. So does having pets! With so many beautiful locations in Europe alone, I don't feel the need to jump on a plane as there is so much to see and do on my doorstep.
5. My biggest fear is spiders! I know it's irrational, but seriously, they have eight legs. Why would any creature need eight legs? That says it all really. They're just pure evil.
6. I'm a bit of a spelling and grammar freak. With social media and internet being so widely used, I see more and more English people using American spellings. There's nothing wrong with that, if you're American that is. But the English language is quite rapidly disappearing, and it's sad. That's our identity fading away. But that's one thing. Poor spelling and grammar is something else entirely. Honestly, if any readers spot any mistakes on this site, please do tell me, as I'll sleep better at night knowing and will prioritise correcting it!
7. My best friend is my best friend because we are so different. If we were alike, we'd probably have tried killing each other by now! I actually have two best friends. Two of us have moved abroad (different countries), but we all go back to childhood, and all three of us are very different. We haven't actually seen each other for nearly twenty years, but barely a day goes by that we don't chat. When the pandemic situation improves, we're planning a meet up. We did talk about doing it in Amsterdam, but that isn't decided yet. All I can say is Amsterdam had better watch out!
8. I actually hate the smell of freshly cut grass! Most people say they love it, but it irritates me and makes me sneeze. My favourite smell is of freshly baked bread. I also like the smell of petrol!
9. My favourite food (I'm going to sound really boring here!) is a good old fashioned English roast dinner. Lamb with mint sauce, roast potatoes and all the trimmings. I like plain, simple food mostly, but am also partial to Indian food. A nice balti curry hits the spot.
10. I'm really not that interesting!
You can check out my About page on my site too, although be prepared to see how boring I really am!