Because of the rainy summer this next post will cover perhaps one of the best Bond vacation spots in the Mediterranean. Corfu is filled with beautiful scenery and Bond locations and hence a very convenient summer destination. The Island has been popular by the European Jet-set and Royalty for decades, even though that feeling is a little lost today.
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| 2 Greek nuns are passing Bond and Melina |
When Bond is traveling to Corfu after some skiing in Cortina, he meets with Melina at Mouse Island or Pontinkonisi outside of Corfu town. The famous view was used as an establishing shot over Corfu and Bond picks up Melina at the narrow jetty where the boats land. Pontikonisi is home to the monastery of Pantokrator, probably one of the smallest monasteries in Greece. The small island is located just behind the airport in Kanoni and the airplanes landing at Corfu are flying over the monastery, not providing a very peaceful atmosphere for the inhabitants.
"I radio telephoned the Triana and they told me you were coming ashore."
-Bond-
Unfortunately Pontikonisi is popular by tourists and probably one of the most photographed sites on the Island, therefore you can't count on spending time here alone. And sometimes balloons or other nonsense can ruin your pictures... A good idea is to have a drink at the appropriately named 'Hotel Royal' just above the small island. From here you have an excellent view over this beautiful Bond location and you can also spend some time plane spotting with a glass of ouzo or white wine in the sun.
"I'll come straight to Corfu I promise..."
-Bond to Melina-
Even though the action early in the film, taking place outside Madrid, was filmed on location in Corfu the shot over Pontikonisi establishes Bond's first visit to the Island. Sir Roger is wearing a
double breasted blazer to this location and the summer would not be a very good time to wear something similar in Corfu. Perhaps in the evening, otherwise the more appropriate season for a blazer in Corfu would be early spring or late autumn.
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There is normally a possibility to spend time alone on an overcrowded place of tourists, but you have to go very early in the morning to your place.
ReplyDeleteThere is normally a chance to visit and photograph an overcrowded place of tourists and you could yet be alone. You only have to come very early in the morning to such locations.
ReplyDeleteBy the way: the walls of the small Vlacherna monastery look very beautiful at dawn.
It does look pretty appealing. Yes, this film was limited to locations in Italy and Greece (with, as you mention even the "villa near Madrid" being a villa on Corfu) but Corfu is one that I'd like to get to myself. Wouldn't the timeframe be Spring rather than Summer (although filming was most likely Sept/Oct 1980)given the plotline and his apperance on foot of skiing making the blazer ok. Anyway classic Bond liked to be jacketeda lot of the time, weather regardless. For example, http://thesuitsofjamesbond.com/?p=124
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