Back in the States!
Back in Washington DC.
Second day here but also already been back to Ben’s Chilli Bowl.
I LOVE Ben’s Chilli Bowl.
Dear God – it is SO bad, but SO good!!!
Off to my next happy thing with a smile on my face and extra pounds on my other side, around the back, bit lower.
Uhm, anyway.
I also LOVE serial killers and spies – especially spying during the Cold War era.
I had already been to the International Spy Museum in Washington DC before.
Didn’t stop me from going again – love that place!
Did you know that they have ‘Meet A Spy’ events where you actually get to meet real, actual, living spies? Guess who totally lucked out again?
I got to meet the lovely Sandy Grimes – the lady at the CIA who was a part of the team that nabbed the infamous Aldrich Ames! WOW!
In case you haven’t heard of him (tsk, tsk), here is who Aldrich Ames is.
As homework, prior to my arrival, I had gotten the book that her and her colleague, Jeanne Vertefeuille, wrote, Circle of Treason (click here to buy it now), read it (with great pleasure) and planned my visit to the Museum to coincide with her book signing day there.
So glad I did!!
I wanted to try to catch her before my walk around the museum.
The people at the ticket counter told me she would be at the book/gift shop.
Glad I went there first as there was hardly anyone at that point and it took me 2 minutes to reach her then it was just the two of us.
I guess I kinda expected a serious CIA retiree who would somberly answer my questions, place a tagging device on me when I wasn’t looking, then send me off with a hand-bruising handshake.
Man, was I wrong!
That smile, that warmth, that beautiful energy…
It was the second time I got to talk to an author directly about a book they wrote – it really is such a rare and exciting experience.
I asked her everything I wanted to and she happily answered all my questions. Seems Aldrich (‘Rick’) was an average typical nice guy who was a good laugh to be around.
Who would have thought he had so nonchalantly sent so many people to their deaths.
Amazing what a wife’s handbag obsession will do…Ha!
She said that the main reason they so wanted to write the book was to tell the stories of the victims that had lost their lives.
The conversation led to many other things and I ended up giving her my email address.
Long story short: no matter what a bad-ass spy catcher you are, a mother will always be a mother with the softest of hearts and human worries. Lovely lady <3
Finally in the museum.
We are first led to an area where we pick a secret identity from many and we have a few minutes to memorize our false identities.
I picked Carol.
Then they let us into the main area. This place is fascinating, fascinating, fascinating!!
Let’s start with this charming little piece.
Guns disguised in all sorts of places: inside umbrellas, cigarettes, flashlights. Compasses hidden in buttons; real and deadly weapons used by really brave (and possibly really evil) people.
This one really gave me the chills.
I just don’t have blood that cold to do something like that.
My stories of courage usually end with, ‘Then I rewarded myself with ice-cream’.
This is a bit different.
Love! Pure, undiluted love!
One of my FAVORITE cases of hardcore espionage: The Cambridge five!
Read it here.
And if you enjoy that buy the SpyCatcher by Peter Wright and read it! Oh drool *sigh*
Fiction = walk in the park.
Reality = walk in the amazon jungle.
Makes sense??
The Man Who Never Was – in the hierarchy of crazy true spy stories, espionage and disinformation campaigns, this one is definitely my favorite: Operation Mincemeat. Read the story here.
If you like that story, buy the book here, it’s really well researched and written by the master-captivator, author Ben Macintyre.
I loved his storytelling so much that I also bought his other book about another real double-agent, Agent Zigzag. Buy it – it’s just a click away, right here.
Amazon should have me on their payroll!
This gives me a chuckle every time! Can’t believe anyone would fall for this one – sorry for laughing my beloved America 😀
There is a big section on James Bond – all the movies, villains and heroines. It was seriously lacking a life-sized photo of Daniel Craig without his shirt on though… FAIL!
There were also many stories about daredevil spies who risk their lives, famous actors and actresses that also lent a hand where they could. There are also interactive spy-games, ongoing mini-documentaries on big-screens all around the museum amongst many other fun things there, but I’m gonna leave some for you to discover for yourselves when you go. And you definitely should!