Berlin, City of Espionage

This is a new post in my City of Espionage series started in February this year, about cities associated with espionage, in history and fiction. And today, I blog about Berlin, a city I haven't visited yet. Berlin has been a centre for espionage for centuries, since at least the first two world wars, then the Cold War and is still now. I have seen it featured in a few spy thrillers through the years, you must have too. More recently, it was the main setting of Netflix spy thriller Unfamiliar, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I posted about it here. I might post more on the series, but I digress. I don't know if and when I will visit Berlin, but I'm sure I will see the city in the other seasons of Unfamiliar, if there are any, or in other stories.

Bleuets, framboises, fraises, crème...

Mon père aime les desserts simples et frais, surtout l'été. Alors il se fait ces temps-ci un mélange de bleuets, framboises, fraises, crème et sucre d'érable. Et il m'a envoyé des photos pour le blogue. J'avoue que je suis plutôt porté aux trucs plus riches, pour moi les fruits, c'est entre le repas principal et le dessert, justement. À moins qu'ils soient dans une tarte ou un gâteau. Mais bon, on va s'entendre, ça n'a pas l'air trop dégueulasse.

Augtober (You Are Here)

 I found this meme online and I thought I would share it. Because mentally, I'm here. It is not August, it is Augtober. Yes, it's not time to pick up pumpkins yet, but all the same, Halloween is on my mind: I am reading horror stories already and I am this close to decorate the house with autumnal stuff. It's far too hot, the worst summer we had in decades, nevertheless I am looking for signs of autumn. Anyway, that's me. And for you, is it Augtober too?

Chocolat aux bleuets (encore)

Cette photo n'a pas été prise sur la page Facebook des Pères trappistes. Non, c'est mon père qui a acheté des stocks de chocolats aux bleuets et qui a pris cette photo. Je la partage à défaut de pouvoir en manger et parce que c'est le temps des bleuets.

Great Britsh Folklore and Superstition MAP

On my last writing workshop, one of my fellow writers brought this Great British Folklore and Superstition MAP. You can find it, like other maps, on the Marvelous Maps website. I had a good look and I really, but really want one. The map is hard to read, but it gives you the whereabouts of many legendary creatures, haunted places, as well as a few monsters from fiction. It would be a highly valuable source of information and inspiration for my scary stories and for this blog during the countdown to Halloween. Even though I am terrible at folding maps.

Le retour du chocolat aux bleuets

Cette photo a été publiée sur la page Facebook des Pères trappistes le premier août. C'est donc officiel: leur chocolat aux bleuets est de retour. Je ne sais pas si c'était si tardif ou si c'est simplement qu'ils ont été en retard sur l'annonce, mais enfin bref, c'est officiel maintenant. Les meilleurs sont les bleuets enrobés de chocolat noir, si vous voulez mon avis. Enfin bref, je vous encourage à en acheter et en profiter, si vous êtes au Québec.

Bokken (Signature Weapon)

 This post is a new entry in my Signature Weapons series, about weapons that are or should be featured in crime fiction and other genres as signature weapon for heroes and villains. And everyone in-between, really, antiheroes and whoever else. As I was binge-watching a certain animated series with Wolfie (more on that later, maybe, I discovered a new weapon I didn't know about, at least the term describing it. It's the bokken, a Japanese wooden sword used primarily for training. That said, it can still cause grievous damage if used in real combat. It can even be lethal. It's one of these weapons that I think would be more suitable for a hero than a villain, if only because it is primarily meant to be a training tool. Maybe as a weapon of opportunity sometimes, but as it is in effect a wooden stick used by someone skilled in sword fighting (more specifically kentjutsu), I could really see a fighter either from Japan or with ties to Japan using the bokken as a way to subdue his adversaries without killing them. There is just something potentially ethical about this weapon which I like a lot. And it also has a sober elegance, even though in the end it's just a wooden stick. All the same, I love the bokken and I want to see it as someone's signature weapon.

De la verdure et des bureaux

 Je me promenais avec petit loup dans le quartier des affaires de notre petite ville. Les arbres qu'ils ont planté il y a un peu moins d'une dizaine d'années environ commencent à prendre des dimensions et avoir de l'allure. L'arbre que j,ai pris en photo est un Charme commun, enfin je crois. On l'appelle aussi charmine. Une chose m'est venue à l'esprit: les bureaux dans le coin sont vraiment bien, notamment à cause de la verdure autour. Je n'ai pas travaillé dans une entreprise de la ville où je réside depuis des années et jamais dans le parc industriel. Mais si c'était le cas, ça serait vraiment bien: les bureaux ne sont pas trop loin de chez moi et ça me ferait une petite marche de santé facile. En plus et surtout, il y a beaucoup de verdure.

Dracula on Stage at Whitby

Oh the cool things you are made aware of on social media. I found this picture on the Facebook page of Whitby Abbey. They are making a stage adaptation of Dracula by Bram Stoker. I know it has been adapted for theatre plenty of times, with various degrees of success, and this photo looks cheesy as hell, so this adaptation might be rubbish for all I know. That said, as Whitby and its abbey are closely associated with Dracula, so if nothing it could be a great immersive experience. Anyway, you can buy your tickets here. Don't think I can do it this year and Wolfie would be too young to appreciate (as in: he'd be scared). But one day (or one night), I hope I can watch a performance for my countdown to Halloween.

Des requins blancs dans le St-Laurent

J'ai blogué sur le sujet l'an dernier et avant cela en 2023. Mais je ne m'y habitue pas. Enfin bref, j'apprends que cette année aussi, il y a une présence accrue de requins blancs dans le Saint-Laurent. Ce n'est pas nécessairement une mauvaise nouvelle, au moins selon une experte. Moi, je ne m'inquiète pas tant de leur présence (je sais qu'ils ont une mauvaise réputation surfaite et que c'est une espèce en danger), que pour la raison de leur présence aussi loin au nord. Quand les eaux du Québec deviennent tropicales à cause des changements climatiques, c'est toujours inquiétant.

Lammas Day ("there comes an autumn sickle...")

 

And as the daylight's fading
When Lammas has come in
And gleamers go to work among the stubble
There comes an autumn sickle
To cut the summer's throat
Before the season knows it is in trouble

Martin Newell, Black Shuck

 We are Lammas Day, the first of August. As a tradition on Vraie Fiction, I quote this poem, maybe my favourite poem ever. A scary story in the form of a poem. Anyway, for me these verses remind me that autumn and Halloween are coming and they put me in an autumnal and spooky mood.

Les Bouquinistes et le 12 août

Photo prise sur la page Facebook des Bouquinistes. Nous sommes le premier août et dans moins de deux semaines, je vous rappelle d'acheter un livre québécois. Et pourquoi pas aux Bouquinistes, si vous âssez dans le coin.

Last Day of July

 We are the last day of July, at long last. How has it been for you? I have been hating July 2026, oh so much! I never like July, it is my least favourite month of the year. Because it's a summertime month, because it's generally the hottest, because it's prone to heatwaves. And we've had heatwaves over heatwaves this year. So I hated July even more than usual. Anyway, now at least it's ending. Yes, I know, the hot weather will not disappear by magic, but at least the evening will fall earlier and earlier. And we can hope that heatwaves will eventually end. Be that as it may, good riddance to this July.

Lulu et son chocolat aux bleuets

Je le savais déjà, mais la page Facebook de la Chocolaterie Lulu (d'où j'ai pris cette photo) m'a rappelé qu'ils vendent aussi du chocolat aux bleuets. Je ne sais pas si c'est aussi bon que celui des Pères trappistes, en général ils sont un tantinet moins bons (un juste pas aussi bons), cela dit je les essaierais quand même.

Sisters July and September

 If you are looking for horror to read during Summerween, something to get you ready until the real spooky season officially starts, I have a suggestion for you: Sisters by Daisy Johnson. This is what I'm reading at the moment. It's very much psychological horror, there is no monster or maniac lurking in the dark, unless you count the demons in the minds of the protagonists.  Before writing this post, I learned that it's been adapted into a film titled September Says in 2024, so pretty recently. I will try to find it online. The plot is about two sisters, July and September, born ten months apart, who are living in a remote family home with their single mother after an incident of school bullying. I don't want to give anything away, but said bullying is so far the most chilling part of the novel. You can tell why it's a perfect read for now, with the names of the protagonists. Halloween is also featured briefly. Otherwise, it's very much in the line of Shirley Jackson, a slow burn, slow built horror thriller that relies on unease, atmosphere and corner-of-eye occurrences to create terror.

Le chocolat aux bleuets, saison 2026

Ils ne font pas de grands sparages sur la page Facebook des Pères trappistes (je me demande d'ailleurs pourquoi) mais je crois comprendre via mes amis sur les réseaux sociaux que les chocolats aux bleuets sont maintenant en vente. Parmi mes lecteurs du Saguenay (ou même ailleurs au Québec), vous me direz si je me trompe, si vous visitez l'un de leurs points de vente.

Buck Moon

Here is a bit of news: today is the full moon, the Buck Moon as I learned the July full moon is called, thanks to this BBC article. Named after the male deer, apparently. It's a really cool name for a full moon. Anyway, I love watching a good full moon, so this evening I might go out and take a look. Hopefully it will not be too light outside and it will not be too hot. Anyway, I suggest you read the article I shared for more information.

Zoo de Falardeau

Les cousins de petit loup, mes neveux, sont allés au Zoo de Falardeau récemment. Ce qui m'a fait penser que je n'y ai jamais mis les pieds. Il faudra que je le fasse un jour, avec petit loup, tant qu'il aime encore les zoos.

"Where there's tea, there's hope"

I took this picture when I saw this teapot from the window of a local charity shop. I didn't buy the teapot, but I was very tempted. Alas, our cupboards are full, so it there would be nowhere to fit it. I love it though, it's very me and shows very much my state of mind as a tea drinker.

Salzbourg vu de haut

 Photo prise il y a un an dans le téléphérique menant à la forteresse Hohensalzburg. Je partage rien que parce que. Et désolé pour le reflet de mon bras dans la vitre.