Praia do Guincho – Estoril

The Portuguese part On Her Majesty has a singular charm, intimately linked to the region itself — and it is fully recognised when travelling on the spot.
The film opens on an unknown rolling dawn on a coastal road. This introduction contrasts sharply with those of Connery at the casino, or Dalton, Brosnan and Craig, often plunged into Action. Bond, if we believe the story, is then in search of Blofeld.

On the screen chain the now mythical sequence of the beach, then that of thehotel James Bond. The ensemble, bathed in a particular charm, was shot in the region of Greater Lisbon, aroundEstoril and CascaisOn the Atlantic coast.
Let us remember that it is Estoril the production had installed its base camp.

After a great day at the Sintra National Palace — where parking proved to be a nightmare, despite the beauty of the place — we started our return by the coastal road EN247... the same as that borrowed by Bond in the very first images of Pregeneric.
Although the route has not changed fundamentally since 1969, the vegetation very dense has now transformed the reading of the landscape.
But, with a good eye (and some sometimes a little perilous stops on the side), all the location remain perfectly identifiable.

It includes the famous terminal 247-91, visible on the screen as Bond discovers the beach.
Or mill — now transformed into a relay antenna — in the background just before the scene tipped towards Action.

It's the cameraman. Alec Mills filming the sequence at the back of Aston Martin DBS with a portable Arriflex camera. During the descent to the beach, he had to avoid sticking his eye to the viewfinder, for fear of hurting himself during shaking.

The portion used for shooting does not exceed two kilometres and travels very quickly. This place has been identified by my friend Thomas Gleitsmann, which I actually discovered during the preparation of this trip.

Five minutes after passing this mill, still on the EN247, we come to the mythical Praia do Guincho...just like James Bond.

Located only 6 km from Cascais, the Praia do Guincho is a vast wild and spectacular expanse. On the day of our passage, wind gusts were of rare intensity and the Atlantic was particularly agitated — a raw atmosphere that perfectly corresponds to the mythical opening ofOn Her MajestyWhen Bond saved Tracy before facing Draco's men.

Peter Hunt also found it very difficult to find a beach that could offer such a dramatic setting: most of the sites he visited had too small waves and too quiet a sea. But not in Guincho, near the Boca do Inferno ("The Mouth of Hell"), famous for its powerful waves its violent wind. The place perfectly matched the visual impact he was looking for. Since then, the area has become one of the Mecca kitesurf !

The 13-14 May, the team turned the whole sequence, in part on American night to reinforce contrasts. When tracking, George Leech noticed several elements on the beach — boats, oars, nets — which served as improvised accessories to combat. Tracy's rescue was one of the most delicate catches: Lazenby remembered that Diana Rigg, weighed up by her wet dress, was not easy to wear in the ice waves. The anecdote tells that Lazenby and Terence Mountain hesitated to plunge back into cold water, until Hunt motivated them... with Portuguese brandy.

With more 40 camera angles and an epic montage, Hunt really did everything possible to create a spectacular action scene designed to establish the credibility of the new 007. On the spot, angles selected by Peter Hunt are easy to find. The combat zone is easily identified, even if the late afternoon light did not capture the exact framing towards the sea.

The Praia do Guincho remains a must for any enthusiast wishing to walk in the footsteps of Bond.
My advice: borrow the same coastal road as 007 to get there, and avoid the high season. You'll enjoy the place better... and take the most beautiful shots.

On the way back to Setubal, we made a stop at Cascais, close to the very chic Estoril. This charming seaside town combines retro elegance and authentic urbanism.

The short plan where Bond starts his Aston Martin DBS in the first moments of the film was shot on the Parada da Artilharia Anti Aérea, a small street behind the ramparts of the citadel History of Cascais.

The day of our passage, a maintenance site waste a little the magic of the place, and the photo is not the most successful. But the palm trees and facades immediately recognizable is enough to plunge us back into the atmosphere of film opening.

We didn't get the chance to go back there at sunrise... But I'm sure the atmosphere would still be there. more bondage.

Since our visit the square has been completely modernized, there is no more parking road, no palm .... You can almost say that the place has disappeared...

At the end of April 1969, the casting and the film crew left Switzerland for Portugal, and more precisely for Estoril, where they settle in Palácio Hotel. This place will serve both as a location, of Press Briefing Room andaccommodation.

After a morning spent in the lower Lisbon, with the visit of the Tower of Belém and Monastery of the Hieronymites, we go to Estoril to discover The hotel of Bond and Tracy. This place occupies a special place in the world of Bond hotels: while remaining a luxury hotelhe knew preserve and maintain the memory of the film. It also has a story related to James Bond well before the shooting ofOn Her Majesty.

During the Second World War, Palácio served as reference point for spies. In 1942, Ian Fleming stayed there, visited on casino in Estoril, lost to Portuguese players (later described as German spies) and s first novel, Casino Royale10 years later.

Once we are there, we are immediately charmed by the human dimension of the place. Nearby parking is easy, and it is easy to photograph the outside, where only the neighborhood has changed. Inside, the lobby Quickly evokes the scenery of the film.

The concierge José, which appears briefly in the film by giving the key to Bond's room to the hotel manager, still worked at Palácio during our visit (unfortunately absent on the day of our visit). Very proud of his participation, he still exchanges with the fans and willingly lends himself to photos inside the hotel. What other Bondian institution can we live in? To take pictures, just take ask and specify that it is for James BondWe simply asked not to photograph the clients... Nothing more normal.

The 30 April 1969, after obtaining all the necessary authorizations, the production organised a Public rehearsal of wedding scenes Bond and Tracy to generate advertising. The Tracy's wedding dressDesigned by Marjory Cornelius, was revealed there for the first time. Several scenes were staged, including the cut of the three-storey wedding cake and petal rain on Lazenby and Rigg during their race to the car.

The images broadcast in the press gave the impression of a shooting, but the cameras were actually disconnected. It was a Big deal, which worked wonderfully, especially overseas.

The interior scenes of rooms were shot at the Pinewood studios, but some architectural elements of the hotel inspired the scenery, including the 5th floor corridor, which I unfortunately could not see.

Some lucky visitors can even photograph the pool from private balconiesThanks to the kindness of the owners. LEstoril Casino, next to the hotel, is reflected in the pool before the transition to a studio setting.

Sources

• The Making Of the The On Her Majesty

• Googlemaps

This blog shares my travel experiences, from unavoidable destinations to the most original and exclusive places. Each article is the result of careful work and a real time investment. If you use this information elsewhere or for your own adventures, consider citing your sources and thanking – that's what I do myself, and it's always fun.
Julien Abauzit (JaBoz)