Before I go…to the U.S.

My French tutor sent me a news article she thought might interest me. Of course she knows about my Russian neighbor because she reads my blog posts, and we have discussed him (in French, of course) many times. The article is based on a report by a Latvian intelligence service which includes a list of tips for spotting potential Russian agents within its borders. A practical guide like no other!

Besides being re-published by Le Parisien, the information was reported by the Associated Press and The Guardian. Latvia is a member of the European Union and NATO, but it is increasingly concerned with the threat from Russia, with which it shares a border of nearly 270 kilometers. The Baltic country is warning its citizens of the potential presence of spies sent by Moscow. Taking this information to heart, I have applied it to my Russian neighbor.

The first piece of advice given by Latvian intelligence is to monitor the suspicious person’s physical appearance. They say that a slovenly appearance and “insufficient hygiene” could be telltale signs of a clandestine saboteur. My Russian looks clean, although I haven’t gotten very close to him. Their second clue to spotting a Russian spy is to assess the agent’s behavior. Intelligence reports suggest an increase in “overly indiscreet conversations with locals, or equipment inconsistent with their claimed occupation.” I can’t speak to that, but I do know that his behavior is unusual, merely based on the comings and goings of the different cars, people, and dogs into and out of his house and garage. And the third clue is that the agent may sport a short, military-style haircut. BINGO!! My guy definitely has very close-cropped hair. The Latvians warn that Russian agents have recently improved their strategy by using disguises to make them harder to detect. “Their members may no longer visually correspond to the classic profile of a reconnaissance-sabotage group,” explains the report. They say if a Latvian citizen believes they have identified an agent, they should not intervene and should contact the police or the military, who are better qualified to act in cases of suspicion. I’m still monitoring…

But I do feel pretty justified now in my suspicions!!

I knew about the vessel above – I’ve seen them around. Apparently this simple olive oil receptacle found in virtually every Catalan kitchen, is considered an icon of Catalan design. The Marquina non-drip bottle (in Catalan: setrill antidegoteig de Marquina, in Spanish: aceitera antigoteo de Marquina) is traditionally a transparent and conical glass cruet designed to contain oil without dripping or dirtying, and was designed by a Catalan, Rafael Marquina, in 1961. The premise of the anti-drip-system bottle is that the little cone catches the drips and returns them to the reservoir in the bottle without leaving the bottle greasy or a spot on your table. Its success has led to countless copies of the design in metal and plastic as well as glass. I learned about them in my Catalan class along with other Catalan “inventions” such as the Chupa Chup. I recently tried the ever-popular Coca-Cola flavor, but they come in other fruitier flavors.

I was hoping to report on a fantastic celebration of St. John’s Day on June 23, also the summer solstice. I wrote about this day in an earlier post, “So Many Holidays.” https://susiessenioryearabroad.blog/2022/07/02/so-many-holidays/.
Begur’s celebration paled in comparison to the one I went to by accident, basically, a few years ago in Arties, a small town in the Pyrenees. It was still fun to be out amongst my fellow Begurencs. You can see the flames from the bonfire through the trees. Not a big crowd!

That’s all for now, folks. I leave for the U.S. from Paris on Tuesday, in keeping with my customary summer schedule. This time, besides visiting friends and family, there will be medical tests to check on the progress of my stomach cancer, or hopefully the lack thereof !

See you in September, unless something interesting happens! You never know!