First of all I apologise.
I apologise to everyone who’s been worried about my whereabouts for the past months. I really really really needed a break from literally all and everything. Back in January, I packed a bag and left to look for healing from being terribly and unfairly hurt. In the end I found quiet places and a kind soul who took care of me but left me be when I needed it.

All things have two sides – pitch and toss, bright and dark, good and bad. Back in January things were pitch dark, evil and bad, but then I discovered a remedy for the pain and hurt and sadness.
That remedy is writing. For years I had been suffering from Writer’s Block and I actually had given up on ever being able to string words together to proper sentences again. The good thing that came out of this whole iniquitous bullshit load of ego-crap was my writing. Finally it came back. Suddenly it was with me again.
And so I’ve been writing a book. It’s not quite done yet, there’s still a few last alterations and additions to be made, but most of the story is told, and right now the characters are sitting behind me, lurking over my shoulders as I type.

Here’s what happened over the last months:

Winter was hard.

Then I borrowed a bike and started cycling again.

Also I travelled all over the place. I found this lovely café in one of my favourite cities, and I spent a lot of time there, writing, thinking and sometimes enjoying their delicious cakes and coffee.

I went hiking in the mountains and watched the colours coming back to life.

And I bought a new sturdy bike. This was its maiden voyage.

We started travelling together and became friends.

One of my exiles

… with a lovely view over the French mountains.

I’ve been cycling and touring by rivers and mountains, for example here.

In December 2013 my (then) lovely friend and I had planned a cycling tour, namely the Tour De Mulled Vino. We had intended to visit a few towns in the North of Germany and, as the title implies, their Christmas markets. When I fell off my friend’s priority list (pretty hard for that matter) the cycling tour was cancelled.
Now, with the new bike I was brooding over where to travel first. I remembered the Spekulatius packets I had bought back in December and that it would be a terrible shame to waste them. My next thought was of mulled vino which is not so easy to come by in spring time. But then France and Germany have lots of wonderful vino regions. So I pedalled down the Moselle river, from its source in the Vosges mountains, through the Moselle vino region, up to where it joins the Rhine, to make up for that fucked-up cancelled Mulled Vino Tour from last December – and, among many, I had a glass on that (then) friend of mine.

Mulled Vino Tour leftovers. It’s a bit weird to eat spekulatius in spring. Combined with a beer it’s nice though. Good cycling food. Not too bad for la taille.

“All those places feel like home” (that line’s been stuck in my head now, Tics hums it now and then )

… this one for example

… and this. I’ve been writing a lot in this café. It’s an inspiring place. And their vegan cakes are ace!

I am still on the road, trying to finalise the story and the book. I’ll be posting more again from now on. Just need to get back to the routine – and to the thought that I may have found a new or at least a temporary home in an unexpected place.
I’ll be back soon, I promise. Please forgive me for being so quiet. I hope you can – and that you’re all happy and well.
xx