Night writer

Olive oil

dripping from my chin

feeding your wooden floors

make them shiny make them know

I've been here

writing on my knees

I can do whatever I please

fill up my midnight cup of wine

wake up in rushing waves

of ocean salt

you walk out call out 

coffee is boiling over 

light a cigarette

pass it on

let's share

days and nights

will never be the same.

Barefoot Byron mornings

I'll spoon the foam 

off your coffee 

put it on my lips 

turn my mouth 

into a cloud 

chocolate macadamia slice 

sticks to the roof 

where my tongue won't reach 

still it makes life taste sweet.

Got the blues

Blind Boy Paxton

playing his blues

it seeps through my pores

straight into my blood

I feel it rushing to my heart

makes it beat slower

and stronger

healing music

it feels strange

to see the sun is out

I have to get back to work soon

but when I close my eyes

I close reality's curtains

I'm in a late night

smoke filled

New Orleans

blues bar

women drink whiskey

men smoke cigars

I don't know if I'm sleepy

tipsy or high on music

my breath slows down

feel the liquor warm me up

it's hot outside

or cold

day or night who knows

I don't care

the blues has got me hypnotised 

I might have been here 

for as long as I live

I don't remember

life being anything

else than this.

People clap and cheer

bring me back 

to daytime

clear skies

Byron Bay Bluesfest.

Byron Bay lovin

It happens every time I visit Byron Bay. My body loses all sense of time, in the blink of an eye four weeks have passed. It's the unmistakable scent of endless summers. Lovingly cooked meals straight from farmers markets in the pan. Fresh laid eggs by happy chickens. They carry colourful feathers and names which suit their personalities. 

Warm rain showers make plants turn almost glow in the dark green, like the phosphorescent during night time ocean swims. We dance until our heads spin, take off all clothes and wash away the sweat under starlit waves. Covered in happiness we drive our salty bodies home. Blossoming flowers, mosquito repellent, pulled pork in any possible way. The aroma of home. 

Sweet Byron, where wedding dresses cost three coffees. Waves are big enough to lose both parts of your bikini in a split second. Monday is just a second Sunday. A picnic is never just a sandwich. Music is played all day long. Barefoot is the way to go. Sunflowers make women smile. Moods are high even when the sun is low. Men wear sarongs and roll cigarettes. Sundown is mosquito happy hour. Big wall spiders are a part of the house. Byron is a part of me.

Sundown love

Oh the sweet smell of home

where life is lush like

rainforest flowers

blossoming under morning dew

mosquitos biting time traveling

we play cards under the stars

teacups glow crickets buzz

it's time for red wine

flip the record

pass the joint

sing songs til we can no more

all we have is here

it's all we need

hearts full of love

under the sunset tree

    

Souvenirs from Thailand

I'm going to be honest with you. My first day in Australia I spent in the hospital. Thailand had been good to me, a bit too good maybe. I came back with more souvenirs than expected. Mosquitoes loved my sweet Belgian chocolate blood, a spider bit me and turned my foot into a purple balloon and last but not least: a lovely parasite decided to make his home under my skin. How wonderful. 

After hours of playing musical chairs in the waiting room, my brain automatically switched to Grey's Anatomy's channel and all I was wishing for was a devastating dish of doctor deliciousness to run through the door, grab me by the hand and prescribe me a tablet of white chocolate three times a day and as many weddings as possible to heal my skin. Instead a woman walked in, pointed at my boyfriend and yelled with a thick Aussie accent: JOKE THE ROCK, you're up! We were all confused but she gave me a tetanus shot and antibiotics and that was that. 

She told me to keep my purple foot lifted to stop the swelling, what I translated as a demand to binge-watch old movies with my balloonfoot on a pile of pillows. I decided I felt better and after one day on the couch we ran to the beach for fun kiting times and camping under the supermoon. Oh how good it feels to be back in Australia! Catching up with friends in and around Byron Bay, singing songs while dancing around in fairy dresses, drinking fruit punch, finding snakes in the bushes, painting flowers on houses and swimming in creeks with no clothes on: home sweet Straya! :)

Big spender

Foodies and friends of the chocolate addicts community ahoy! Welcome to the Byron Bay market, where sushi rolls scream your name and colourful dishes from all over the world are waiting to get on your plate. I was over the moon when I discovered my favourite food was being served: Belgian chocolate goodness. Oh, the joy!

But the magic of the market goes further than just edible happiness. In between vintage finds grandma would be jealous of and dresses that look just right for twirling around and singing with animated bluebirds, I found a beautiful hula hoop. It didn't occur to me I will have to carry it all around Australia, together with my backpack and tent. I also forgot that I can't actually hoop. So I bought it.

Rest assured, I know what I'm doing. All I needed was an outfit to make the hip shaking easier so the hoop would stay where it's supposed to be. The universe must have heard my thoughts because a couple of minutes later I found a pair of red fluffy hula hoop shorts. Yes, it is and existing thing. Shorts for hula hooping. They fit perfect with my brand new shiny hoop. That's what the lady in the shop said. Stop looking at me like that.

Gooning about

Whenever I felt a bit overwhelmed by the amount of beards on Bluesfest, I would run to the Gourmet Goons for my daily dose of magnificent moustaches. And when my face turned purple from dancing like the queen of boogie, they would calm me down with fabulous plates of kangaroo or tofu. If you are in desperate need of an extra pair of legs to dance with, awfully funky dress up costumes and food so good it makes the fat kid inside of you do push ups so it can eat even more, go see the Goons. They have a magic hat filled with recipes, rainbows and unicorns to make your life look all shiny. I'm not sure whether it was Jerry's 8-shaped moustache or Max' tight yellow Kill Bill outfit, but I can tell you one thing: I want to marry them both. And not just for the Australian passport.