Why sit here sipping on my decaf tea, driving myself mad fretting over the economy, when I could be sipping cocktails in the crystal blue Caribbean, driving along a perilously snake-like Italian mountain road in a bullet-riddled Aston Martin, and making some sinister bad guys regret they ever double-crossed my path.
I’m not Bond, James Bond. I can tell because I drink my martinis stirred, not shaken; I fly coach, not private jet, and I can’t expense my travel receipts to Her Majesty’s Secret Service. But watching the Bond films always makes me wish I was Bond. (Yes, even the collapsing scaffolding parts.) I want the yachts, the cars, the gadgets, the beautiful clothes, the abs, and most of all—the spectacular backdrops.
In the latest Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, Bond chases bad guys—and revenge—around some seriously spectacular backdrops in Europe, and Central and South America. Living Bond’s globetrotting lifestyle would cost you a pretty penny, but who’s to say you can’t borrow his dangerously delicious lifestyle for a few days every now and then by vacationing in his favorite places.
Austria
Photo source: A&A2005 on flickr (cc)
According to storylines and press previews, an important scene in Quantum of Solace takes place in and around the stunning Opera House and unique floating stage of the Bregenz Festival in Austria. Bregenz is a picturesque town in the westernmost province of Austria, famous for its annual summer opera festival, and soon to be famous for its Bond connections. Bond saw the passionate opera Tosca, by Giacomo Puccini, while he was in town, but next year’s festival and stage will host Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida from July 22 to August 23. The festival already attracts thousands of opera lovers each year, and with this kind of publicity, it might attract a few Bond lovers next year, too. Reserve your tickets at Bregenzer Festspiele, or just check out the webcam.
This Is for Your Eyes Only:
Hotel Weisses Kreuz, just minutes from Lake Constance and Bregenz’s floating stage, is a good base for exploring the historic town. It’s also rumored to have hosted the cast and crew of Quantum of Solace while on location there.
Panama
Photo source: Wikipedia
The twenty-second film in the Bond series sees Bond return to Latin America (he was last there as Roger Moore in 1979’s Moonraker) and will likely influence tourists to consider Panama over other more obvious/popular Central American destinations, like Guatemala and Costa Rica. Quantum of Solace includes scenes shot in Panama City’s Unesco-protected World Heritage Site, Casco Viejo (Old Town), which doubles as Bolivia for the movie. Founded in 1673, Casco Viejo was the heart of Panamanian life for nearly three hundred years and is protected for its unique legacy of Spanish, French, and American colonial, neoclassical, and art nouveau architecture. Today, it’s home to some of the best sidewalk cafes and restaurants of Panama City.
Another “hot” spot to seek Bond-like solace is Panama City’s National Institute of Culture, which is dressed up as the Andean Grand Hotel for the movie. (Spoiler: the sultry mix of Latin rhythms and rum cocktails works its wonders here for Bond and his new lady-agent friend!)
Filming also took place on the other end of the Panama Canal, in Colón (representing Haiti) and on a private island off the Caribbean coast.
Heck, You Only Live Twice:
British tour operator, Journey Latin America, offers a “Bond In Panama” tour that includes three nights at the Canal House (where Daniel Craig stayed), tour of the Casco Viejo, half-day transit of the Canal, and time at “Bond-style” lodges on the Caribbean and in the rainforest. The package last eight nights and costs from £2,372 ($3881) plus flights to the UK)—still considerably less than Bond’s monthly dry cleaning tab.
Alternately, Latin America Collection offers an eight-day “Best of Panama” tour that hits all of Panama’s beautiful sights including Panama City, the Panama Canal, Boquete, and Bocas del Toro, for $1,315.
