TRAVEL THROUGH MOVIES AND SERIES

When we do not have the opportunity to travel, we can sometimes mentally do so through series and movies. So we put together some of them.

Choose your destination:

GREECE

MAMMA MIA

It premiered in 2008 directed by Phyllida Lloyd and is an adaptation of the original live show musical released a decade earlier. The music is from the famous Swedish pop group ABBA.

The fictional name of the island where it takes place is Kalokairi, where Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) lives with her mother (Meryl Streep) and is about to marry her boyfriend Sky (Dominic Cooper). Sophie invites three men who could be her possible fathers (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård) in order to find out who the real one is.

We see crystal waters, villages with the typical white and blue houses. Through this film you will be able to travel to some paradisiacal locations in Greece such as:

- Skopelos Island: In the western Aegean Sea, it is one of the many islands of the northern Sporades. As soon as it starts you can see the church of San Nicolás. Among the most relevant beaches in the film we find the Glysteri beach, where Sophie reads her mother's diary with her friends. Also Kastani beach, where Sophie and Sky sing.

- Sciathos Island: Its old port that appears on several occasions is actually where the ferries to Skopelos leave from.

- Pelion: The pier that appears when Rosie and Tanya arrive is actually located in the Mouresi area, on the coast of Mount Thessaly. Several of these mixtures of places were made, for example, in some beaches in the Damouchari area, numerous shots were used to mix with the rest of the main locations in Skiathos and Skópelos.

- Glossa: It is a small town on the island of Skopelos where the Chapel of Agios Loannis Prodromos is located. The interior of this scene in the chapel was actually filmed in the studios because the ascent of 110 steps is through a narrow path that is super steep and dangerous.

Part of the film crew stayed at the hotels: Skopelos Village, the Prince Stafylos Hotel, the Adrina Hotel and the Aeolia Hotel. Others rented private villas. Unfortunately "Villa Donna" does not exist.

Other spots of the film outside of Greece:

- Marrakech: At the beginning of the film we see Bill on a motorcycle crossing the famous "Djemaa el Fna" square, that shot is filmed in this Moroccan city and not in Greece.

- London: The first scene in which we meet Sam appears as if it was Manhattan but in reality it is in the city of London next to the Lloyds building.

Let's travel to Greece with some photos:

CROATIA

GAME OF THRONES

Game of Thrones is a television series created by David Benioff and D.B Weiss, produced by HBO. It is inspired by the novel series "A Song of Ice and Fire" written by the American George R.R. Martin.

It tells the story of conquest and experiences of different noble families on the fictional continent of Westeros. The purpose of each of them is to get to have the Iron Throne and rule the seven kingdoms.

Although big part of King's Landing was filmed in a studio, some exterior shots include locations in Croatia such as: Dubrovnik and Split. The same goes for scenes in Braavos, where Arya Stark arrives to train with the "Faceless Man" in season five. This was filmed in Croatia in a historical city called Šibenik.

ARGENTINA

DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA (The Motorcycle Diaries)

It is a biographical film based on the travel diaries of Che Guevara (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna). It was directed by Walter Salles and won an Oscar® for Best Original Song in 2005 ("Al otro lado del Río" by Jorge Drexler) and several other international awards.

For those who need more background on these real life characters: Ernesto "Che" Guevara was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary. A major figure of the Cuban Revolution. His nickname "Che" is due to an Argentinian common expression. Alberto Granado Jiménez was an Argentine–Cuban biochemist, doctor, writer, and scientist. He was also the youthful friend and traveling companion of Che Guevara during their 1952 motorcycle tour in Latin America. Granado later founded the University of Santiago de Cuba School of Medicine.

The film recounts the trip they made through South America in 1952, in which Guevara discovers himself transformed by what he observes of the life of the poor indigenous peasants along the way. This experience presents them with the true image of Latin American identity and changes their lives forever.

One of the South American destinations they travel to is Argentina. We see scenes in Plaza Once in Buenos Aires and others in Miramar, on the coast of the province, when they go to visit Ernesto's girlfriend (Chichina).

Then they continue on their way and we see landscapes of Villa La Angostura and San Carlos de Bariloche (where Ernesto gets sick and they spend the night before crossing into Chile).

CHILE

DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA (The Motorcycle Diaries)

After passing through different destinations in Argentina, Ernesto and Alberto leave for Chile. We see when they cross Lake Frias and arrive at the city of Temuco. Other shots are filmed in Lautaro, from where they are expelled after an incident.

They then pass through Valparaiso, Santiago (where Ernesto receives very bad news) and the Atacama desert, where the plight of a communist couple deepens his awareness of injustice.

We also see them pass through Chuquicamata east of Antofagasta before continuing on to Peru.

PERÚ

DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA (The Motorcycle Diaries)

We continue with this film and its passage through Peru starting in Cusco. Most of the scene was filmed in the town of Ollantaytambo in the "Valle de los Incas" (Incas' Valley) on the way to Machu Picchu.

If you come to visit Peru, take the opportunity to visit the fortified temple of Ollantaytambo, the only Inca stronghold that resisted the attack by the Spanish.

After that they continue through Machu Picchu and then to Lima.

UNITED STATES

LA LA LAND

It is an American drama and musical genre film that premiered in theaters in 2016, written and directed by Damien Chazelle. It's a modern take on Hollywood musicals starring Emma Stone (Mia, an aspiring actress) and Ryan Gosling (Sebastian, a jazz pianist). They meet and fall in love in Los Angeles, California and we see different locations in this city throughout the film.

The opening scene is a 6-minute musical number in which the actors sing and dance to "Another Day of Sun" in the middle of the traffic (typical of this city). This is where the main characters cross paths for the first time. The exact place is called Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange, you can see the Downtown buildings and the mountains in the background.

Another key moment in the film is when Mia discovers Sebastian's talent for playing the piano. The fictional place is the Lipton restaurant, but in truth it is called Smoke House Restaurant in Burbank and is frequented by actors, producers and other entertainment figures. It's located at 4420 West Lakeside Drive across from the Warner Bros. Studios since 1949.

In the film, outside the Lipton restaurant, you can see the "You are the star" mural depicting Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin and others, which is actually on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Wilcox Avenue in Hollywood.

The most iconic scene in the movie (which is what we see on the film poster) is when they both dance to "A Lovely Night" after another encounter at a house party in the Hollywood Hills. This takes place in Griffith Park from where you can see the San Fernando Valley. Cathy's Corner is close to the famous Mulholland Drive, but if you get there you won't see the bench and post lamps, they were set up for the movie.

"Not much to look at, huh?" Sebastian tells her, referring to the view… “I’ve seen better,” Mia replies.

The Griffith Park Observatory is where Mia and Sebastian continue their date. Named after philanthropist Griffith J. Griffith, this place has been a tourist attraction since 1935.

Sebastian is the one who introduces Mia to jazz in a bar (The Lighthouse Café) and shares with her the dream of opening his own jazz club. Then he gets a job here playing piano where some legends like Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Cannonball Adderley and Dizzy Gillespie played. This bar is located in the port of Hermosa Beach and is where Sebastian sings "City of Stars" for the first time, a recurring song throughout the film.

Jar is the restaurant where Mia dumps her boyfriend, Greg, on a double date. This place opened its doors in 2001 and since then it has been a chosen set for different TV shows like Ray Donovan and Modern Family. It was ranked as one of the best restaurants in the city. As soon as Mia leaves the restaurant, we see her walking north on Harper Avenue.

The Rialto cinema is where the couple meets to see "Rebel Without a Cause." It is a single screen cinema that opened its doors in 1925; there are hardly any of these left in southern California. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video was filmed here as well. In 2007 it closed and plans are rumored that it might reopen.

Another chosen bar for La La Land is El Rey, where Sebastian plays for the pop-jazz band "The Messengers" fronted by Keith (John Legend). Here we see the first sign of the success that his career will have. This Art Deco-style bar opened in 1936 and was a movie theater and nightclub before becoming a music venue in the 1990s. Artists like Bob Dylan and Johnny Marr (former Smiths guitarist) used to come here.

And we have another bar called The Blind Donkey located in Long Beach. Spoiler alert!

It's Sebastian's jazz club at the end of the movie (which he calls Seb's), where he and Mia have that rare encounter. In real life it is not a jazz place.

(Mia's pink apartment is also located in Long Beach, at Rose Towers -1728 E. 3rd St., Long Beach-).

GOSSIP GIRL

Gossip Girl is a TV series that shows us the lives of different upper-class families on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and a family from Brooklyn who begin to connect with each other through different experiences . We see how the worlds are mixed and the learnings of each one of the characters. The series is narrated by a voice-over that is the one responsible for "gossip girl", an online site that constantly reveals the secrets of all of them. Nobody knows who she/he is and suspicions are changing until we know the truth in the last chapter of the last season.

It was based on the novels of the same name by Cecily Von Ziegesar and created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. It premiered in September 2007 and ended in December 2012.

The voiceover of "gossip girl" is narrated by Kristen Bell, who does not actively participate in the series, only lends her voice to give entity to this secret being and who we only see in the last chapter playing another character as a cameo.

It all revolves around: Serena Van Der Woodsen (Blake Lively), the popular blonde girl who has a brother (Eric) and they both live with her single mother Lily Rhodes on the Upper East Side. Lily had several failed marriages and around the story she will have different love stories, one of them with the father of the Brooklyn kids, Rufus Humphrey. Serena will also have several affairs and relationships, one of which is with Dan, Rufus's son.

Blair Waldorf, her best friend and also the queen of the Constance school, lives with her divorced mother Eleanor Waldorf (a well-known designer in the fashion world and who has her own multimillion-dollar brand) and with the maid, Dorota, who is like another mother for her and friend to Blair. She constantly struggles between her dark nature and her maturity, going through some very difficult times.

Nate Archibald, the perfect and only child from this family who constantly suffers from his father's bad decisions. He is the good and cute boy that everyone wants by his side.

Chuck Bass, Nate's best friend, a rather dark character, son of Bart Bass (millionaire businessman) owner of several properties, including The Palace Hotel. His love story with Blair will have you laughing and crying throughout the series.

On the other side, in Brooklyn, we have Dan Humphrey, who lives with his sister Jenny (who dreams of belonging to the elite) and his father Rufus (a not very successful former musician). His platonic unreachable crush is Serena.

This series was filmed in New York and the sets are A LOT (lots of spots in Manhattan, Brooklyn... they even spend time in The Hamptons).

We are going to travel through some of the places where a few of the most iconic scenes took place:

The first of all is at Grand Central Station, when Serena returns home after a long time away at a boarding school in Cornwall, Connecticut. Here we also see Dan's first appearance on the "gossip girl" blog cataloged as the "outsider" and he exposes his love for Serena and his illusion that she has returned.

Several moments were filmed at The Palace Hotel, especially in the first season since Serena's apartment is being remodeled, she and her family live there for a while. Also, being one of the Bass hotels, we will see them here a lot.

The steps of the MET ("Metropolitan Museum of Art") are a key spot in the series. It is where the girls of the school usually have lunch and spend time after class. No one can sit higher than Blair, as that would challenge her authority... "Little J, could you move down a couple of steps?"

The exterior of the "Museum of the City of New York" is the facade of the school where the main characters study, "Constance Billard School for girls and St. Jude School for boys".

The place where Nate and Serena betray Blair in the first season, takes place in the Campbell Apartment bar, which is located inside Grand Central Station.

What we see as the facade of the building where Blair Waldorf lives is located exactly at 1136 Fifth Avenue, at the corner of 5th Avenue and 95ht Street, on the Upper East Side. It was built in 1925 by the architect George F. Pelham Jr. and overlooks Central Park. The interior of her apartment is filmed in the studio.

The house where Nate lives with his parents is located exactly at 4 E 74th Street.

Another chosen hotel is the Empire Hotel. In Season 3, Chuck invests in (and moves in) this hotel, which is located right across from Lincoln Center. In real life, in addition to accommodation, it has a bar and rooftop with a drink inspired by the series.

How can we forget the scene at the Empire State where Blair was late for the meeting with Chuck...

The most beautiful thing about that chapter is how she sees this building from all places, even being in Brooklyn, showing us all the possible ways and places from which to see this iconic building.

Veselka is one of Dan Humphrey and his friend Vanessa's favorite places to eat pierogis located in the East Village. It's also where Blair and Prince Louis (of Monaco) go on a date when he visits New York and doesn't want to be seen by the media. It is an Ukrainian restaurant opened more than 60 years ago.

The elegant Russian Tea Room is one of the second season spots where Georgina Sparks (the enemy) this time helps the group by cheating on Poppy.

Many scenes take place in Central Park, some of them near the Bethesda Fountain. Like in the first chapters, when Blair and Serena re-connect, or when they did the photo shoot...

Spoiler alert!... It's also where Blair and Chuck get married.

Before this, Blair marries Prince Louis, in St. James Church.

When Blair goes to Tuscany, she's actually in New York, at the Oheka Castle Hotel & State. 135 W Gate Drive, Huntington, NY.

We also remember those episodes filmed in The Hamptons that gave us a break from the city thanks to their summer vacation.

INTO THE WILD

It is a biographical drama genre adventure, written and directed by Sean Penn. It is based on the homonymous book by Jon Krakauer and tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who, after graduating, goes on a trip across North America to Alaska.

The cast consists of Emile Hirsch, Jena Malone, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, William Hurt, Kristen Stewart, and Hal Holbrook. It was nominated for two Oscars ® for Best Editing and Best Supporting Actor (Hal Holbrook). It also won a Golden Globe® in 2008 for "Best Original Song" (Eddie Vedder, Guaranteed).

Travel through the landscapes of Oregon, Arizona, South Dakota and Alaska.

LOST

The iconic Lost series was filmed almost entirely on Oahu, Hawaii. This ABC series is about the survival experiences of a group of 48 people who suffer a plane crash (Oceanic Flight 815) and the plane crashes on an island (somewhere between Sydney, Australia and Los Angeles, California) where they are totally cut off from communication and must find a way to return home. The island has a lot of history and hides many secrets that will make things even more difficult.

Many scenes in the first season were filmed exactly at Mokule'ia Beach on the North Shore of Oahu.

As Jack, Kate and Charlie make their way onto the island, the other survivors are on the beach and hear the sound of the "monster". We see Claire looking out over the island from this beach. This is also where Jack operates the "Marshall" that took Kate to the USA for arrest.

In the second season, we see several shots in Police Beach near Haleiwa.

We also see numerous other scenes filmed in the Ka'a'awa Valley on the Windward Coast, Oahu. For example, in episode 3, where Sayid, Charlie, Kate, Shannon, Boone, and Sawyer camp out for the night after hearing the "French Woman" on the radio. It's also where we see Hurley and others play golf.

This place was also chosen for some movies like 50 First Dates, Godzilla, Pearl Harbor and Jurassic Park. The only way to venture into this valley is with the permission of the owners of the Kualoa Ranch. They themselves make you a horseback guide and show you the different movies and the Lost series main spots.

Other scenes were filmed near the Turtle Bay Resort, for example when Jack, Kate and Charlie find the plane's cockpit and see something take and eat the pilot.

If you are not staying at this hotel, you must pay for parking. Once you park, head over to the horse barn side and follow the signs to the "west/green trail" which will lead you to different Lost locations.

Nearby, you can see the typical trees ("banyan tree") that are shown several times, for example in episode 11 of season 1 when Charlie is taken by the neck; or in season 14 when Walt hides inside this tree because of the polar bear. This is the Māona Falls area.

In Season 1 Episode 6, we see a flashback to Jin and Sun's engagement with a temple in the background. This was filmed at the Byodo-In Temple in the Valley of the Temples in Kane'ohe.

What supposedly is the facade of the Sydney airport (from where the plane leaves), is actually the Hawaii Convention Center.

In episode 20 of the first season, we see a flashback to Jack's marriage to Sara. This was filmed at the Kahala Hotel & Resort east of Diamond Head in Honolulu. There is a gazebo for weddings in real life.

Another flashback we have is that of Hurley, when he wins the lottery and buys his mother a house that goes up in flames in episode 18 of the first season. This house is located in Kahala, on the side of Oahu, just east of Diamond Head. This area is home to some of the most luxurious houses on the island.

The port behind Desmond and Penny's picture is the same one where Boone and Shannon fight in Australia, where Ben wants to kill Jenny, where Charlie is almost killed, and where Sun points a gun at Ben. Actually these scenes were all filmed in the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor.

Spoiler alert! When the "Oceanic 6" manage to leave the island, they are later persuaded to return. For this, they take Ajira Airlines flight 316 to Guam. In episode 6 of the fifth season, Hurley and Kate appear near the waterfall. Jack goes to his rescue from above it. There are other scenes with Kate and Sawyer at the same waterfall. This is located in the Waimea Valley and was considered a sacred place in Hawaiian history for over 700 years.

Spoiler alert! The beach where Ben kills Jacob, and where we see an Egyptian statue is actually Mākua Beach. The base of the statue was built and taken down each day of filming.

When Kate and Sawyer are kidnapped by "the Others" and taken to Hydra Island, they are locked up in bear cages. This place is actually Paradise Park in Mānoa and it was a bird watching park that is now closed to the public.

If you've seen the show, you surely remember the village of "the others" (the Barracks). It is where the Dharma Initiative settlement was located and where Ben and the others lived. Many scenes from Season 5 take place here. The Dharma Processing Center is actually the Assembly Hall for YMCA Camp Erdman and is located near Mokule'ia Beach on the North Shore of Oahu. It is private property, if you make a donation it is likely that they allow you to enter.

Spoiler alert! Sacred Hearts was the location chosen as the church where everyone gathers in the last chapter.

FRANCE

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

How nice it is to travel through Paris by the hand of Woody Allen. He wrote and directed this Oscar-winning comedy for "Best Original Screenplay" and it premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) is a successful but disillusioned Hollywood screenwriter and is married to Inez (Rachel McAdams). He is a dreamer who feels that he should have been born in another era and that in this sense he is not understood by his wife. His walks through the streets of Paris will lead him to live experiences and encounters out of the ordinary.

Some locations that we can see are:

The Hotel Le Bristol, where Allen also stayed during the film's production. We see the lobby, restaurant and rooms in many scenes.

Monet Gardens, where we see the couple kiss on the bridge. These gardens are on the outskirts of Paris and inspired many renowned impressionist artists.

A tour with Inez's friend Paul is given through the Palace of Versailles.

After a long day with Paul, the group has drinks on the terrace of the Le Meurice Hotel with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

The restaurant Le Grand Véfour is where they eat with Gil's parents in-law.

Rodin Museum is also chosen for many shots.

We also see them walking around Musée de L' Orangerie.

We see several scenes around the Saint-Etienne du Mont church. It is on this steps where we see Gil drunk and he travels to 1920 to continue experiencing part of that life that he dreams of so much.

It is in the Le Polidor bar where Gil meets his idol Ernest Hemingway from whom he also receives advice. This place was really a meeting point for some well-known writers of the 1920s.

On his third trip back in time, Gil shows up at the Musée des Arts Forains, meets Adriana (whom he begins to have feelings for), and spends a fun night with her and her literary group.

After a night out with Hemingway, Fitzgerald and the rest of the 1920s gang, Gil and Adriana take a walk down the Quai de la Tournelle. The romantic walk ends when they meet Zelda Fitzgerald in a tragic episode on the way under the bridge arriving at Quai des Orfèvres. Gil also takes a daytime walk around this place.

At Maxim's, Gil declares his love to Adriana after traveling even further back in time (from 1920 to 1890). There they meet Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin and Edgar Degas before going to the Moulin Rouge.

When they seem to be inside the Moulin Rouge, they are actually inside La Cigale.

In this scene we see Gil drink a coffee at Café L’île de France.

The famous book store from this shot is Shakespare & Company.

Spoiler alert! In the end, when Gil finally decides to move to Paris and meets the girl from the antique house Gabrielle, they take a night walk on the Pont Alexandre III. It is there that he realizes that she is her destiny, when it starts to rain and she tells him: “I do not mind getting wet” and adds... “Paris is the most beautiful in the rain. ” The phrase he usually used.

AMELIE

Let's continue traveling through Paris, this time with Amélie.

This French film was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and is a romantic comedy that tells the story of Amélie Poulain (Audrey Tautou). She is a waitress at a café in Montmartre, very observant and a dreamer who finds a little box and decides to find the owner. On her tour she will take you through different places in Paris, with Yann Tiersen's music on the background.

We start with the café where Amélie worked as a waitress, it is the Café des Deux Moulins. It is located in the heart of Montmartre on Rue Lepic. We see her a lot walking through this area and going through the markets, in one of those walks she helps the blind man to cross the street.

The Canal Saint-Martin It is where we see her playing with rocks, one of her favorite spots.

One of the most iconic scenes is that of the "photo booth" inside the Gare de l'Est station. Anyway, today it's a bit different but you can still take your picture in the booth. It is exactly in the Salle des pas perdus.

In that booth she sees a man who collects people's forgotten photos. She finds these photos, goes to the Foire du Trône fair (where he works) and they go on a date.

Montmatre is the main neighborhood of the film. Another scene was filmed by Sacré-Coeur, in the telephone booth that today is marked with arrows so that you can recognize it, you can also see the carousel in the background.

At Notre Dame is where we see the memory of Amèlie with her mother, where they always went to light a candle and pray for her brother. One day, leaving the church, a tourist jumps from the roof and kills her mother.

If you walk down Rue Lepic, in Montmartre, you will recognize several of the food places. You can find the famous Au Marché de la Butte nearby, at the intersection of Rue des Trois Frères and Rue Androuet.

ITALY

LETTERS TO JULIET

This romantic film directed by Gary Winick is inspired by the book "Letters to Juliet" by Lise and Ceil Friedman which chronicles the phenomenon of letters addressed to Shakespare's romantic heroine Juliet Capulet.

It tells the story of Sophie Hall (Amanda Seyfried), a writer who works for "The New Yorker" as a fact checker. She and her husband Victor (Gael García Bernal) go to Verona, Italy for their pre-honeymoon. He's more focused on doing research for his cooking project than spending time together, so Sophie is forced to do her own things. In one of her lonely walks, she comes across a mural at the tourist spot: "Casa Di Gulietta", where tourists leave letters telling stories and asking Juliet (from Romeo and Juliet) for love advices. These letters are answered to each of them by "Juliet's secretaries". Sophie volunteers to help them when she discovers an unanswered letter from 1957 written by a woman named Claire Smith and decides to reply to her. This act will take her to live an unforgettable adventure and while touring some of the most fascinating landscapes of Verona and Tuscany with Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) and her grandson Charlie (Christopher Egan).

Just a few fun facts before we begin: The office of "The New Yorker" where Sophie works in New York is located in the Conde Nast Building in Times Square (42nd Street); but the entrance used for the film is by 1st State Street Plaza, which is actually on Whitehall Street just north of State Street going down to Battery Park.

The building where Sophie lives is at 202 Elizabeth Street (between Prince and Spring Streets), SoHo. Victor's restaurant is located at 116 West Houston Street, Greenwich Village and is actually a French patisserie called François Payard Bakery.

Now yes, let's travel through Italy:

In the first Verona scenes we see several spots such as:

Castel San Pietro

Piazza delle Erbe

The 14th century fortified bridge, Ponte Scaligero, over the Adige River.

The Arena di Verona, large amphitheater located in Piazza Bra that is currently chosen for different musical shows.

In Scaletta San Marco is where we see Sophie looking up at the balcony where her husband, Victor, is.

This stone stairway going up from Via Pellicciai is to the west of Piazza dell Erbe and what you see is the building used as their "Pensione Verona hotel" in Vicolo San Marco in Foro.

Going south from Piazza dell Erbe, in Via Cappello 23, is where one of the most important tourist attractions of the city is located, Casa de Giulietta (Juliet's house). It is there that you can write your letter and leave it for "her response".

The brick that Sophie removes is from a wall added for the movie, as there is no way they would really touch such a historic place. The entrance to this patio is free, but if you want to tour the house and visit the famous balcony you must pay.

On the opposite side of the balcony you have the hotel Il Sogno de Giulietta, where you can stay.

The restaurant in the movie "Trattoria Lettere a Giulietta" from where "Juliet's secretaries" supposedly answer the letters does not really exist, its scenes were filmed in an empty building in the southwest corner of Piazzetta Pescheria, next to a real restaurant , Trattoria Pescheria I Masenini. It is a few blocks east of Julieta's house, towards Ponte Nuovo.

The path that Sophie takes to the restaurant does not exist either, that alley in front of "Juliet's house" is the entrance of a building.

On their journey to find Lorenzo, one of the addresses they visit is a palace of a certain "Count Lorenzo", which is actually the Villa Arvedi, Cuzzano in Grezzana, some 5 miles north from Verona. It is used for conferences and events.

The luxurious hotel where they stay for the night is the Relais Borgo Scopeto in Caparzo, a few miles north from Siena. They actually give you the chance to stay in Sophie's room.

Sophie and Charlie take a walk through Siena and visit the famous 13th century square, Piazza del Campo, the heart of the city.

Where we see the "gold plated" mime is Piazza Tolomei, in front of the St. Christopher church.

The ice cream scene was filmed in Piazza San Giovanni, in front of the Battistero di San Giovanni, the east face of the Duomo di Siena (Siena Cathedral).

Spoiler alert! The final location of this dream trip in which Claire meets the real Lorenzo (Franco Nero) is the Caparzo Vineyard near Montalcino.

SPAIN

VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

Directed by Woody Allen, this movie was shot almost entirely in Spain (there are a few other scenes in New York). It stars the Spanish actors Javier Bardem (Juan Antonio) and Penélope Cruz (María Elena), the American actress Scarlett Johansson (Cristina) and the British Rebecca Hill (Vicky).

Vicky and Cristina are two young Americans who travel to Barcelona to spend a summer vacation. Vicky is sensitive, rational, and intends to get married; Cristina is passionate, she looks for exciting adventures and although she doesn't know very well what she wants, she knows exactly what she doesn't want. In Barcelona, both find themselves involved in an unconventional relationship with Juan Antonio, a well-known painter romantically linked to his ex-wife María Elena.

With this film we can travel through Barcelona and Oviedo through Woody Allen's eyes.

Let's review some locations:

In Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia, Miró museum, Casa Mila (La Pedrera), El Quatre Gats restaurant, the airport, Marsella bar, Dragon Stairway, Plaza de Sant Felip Neri, part from Monte Tibidabo's park, EEUU's consulate in Spain, Hospital de Sant Pau (where Vicky takes some classes), the Nacional Serra de Collserola park, Parc de la Ciutadella, Café Vienés, La Flor de la Rambla, Port Olimpic, National Art Museum of Catalonia, Taller de Tapas, and lots of streets of this amazing city.

In Oviedo: Hotel de la Reconquista, Iglesia San Julián de los Prados (church), Parroquia de San Nicolás de Bari Aviles (church) and a bit of San Francisco street; Mercado del Fontán, Confiteria Camilo de Blas, iglesia de Santa Maria del Naranco (church), Faro de Avilés en Asturias (lighthouse), La Corrada del Obispo restaurant, Ferrera Park in Áviles.

GAME OF THRONES

The Martell house in Dorne is actually located in the Alcazar of Sevilla, in Spain.

The Daznak fighting pit in the slave bay of "Meereen" (we see it in episode 9 of the fifth season), is where Sir Jorah fights for the queen's honor. In real life, this is the Plaza de Toros de Osuna, also in Sevilla.

In the fourth episode of season 7, we can meet Altojardín ("Highgarden"), the Tyrell house that unfortunately is taken over by Jaime Lannister. This location is the Castle of Almodóvar Del Río, in the province of Córdoba, Andalucía.

ICELAND

GAME OF THRONES

This show also shot part of its scenes in Iceland:

In season 7 episode 6, when one of the fights beyond the wall happens and Daenerys and her dragons show up to save (almost) everyone from the "Night King" and the "White walkers", this happens in Kirkjufell.

In general, the scenes beyond the wall were filmed in different places in Iceland, such as: the Myrdalsjokull glacier, the Hverfjall volcano and the Vatnajökull glacier.

We all remember the iconic scene where Jon Snow spends an intimate moment with Ygritte. This happens inside a lava cave called Grjotagja.

IRELAND

GAME OF THRONES

When Ned Stark's children find wolf pups in the winterfell woods, this was filmed in Tollymore Forest Park in Northern Ireland.

"The Iron Islands", home of the Greyjoys, it is actually the "Ballintoy Harbour" in Northern Ireland.

The "Dothraki Sea" is actually "The Glens of Antrim" in Antrim County in Northern Ireland. The funny thing is that if we base in the real locations, the Dothraki would live next to the Starks...