For these four days spent in Amsterdam, the « Venice of the North », we exceptionally chose the train. This trip Thalys allowed us to arrive directly in the heart of the capital, and to be immediately immersed in an atmosphere of striking contrast: strong identity, beautiful cultural testimonies scattered throughout the city, but also a marked tourist attraction all in a certain modernity.
The locations Diamonds Are Forever in Amsterdam are few and relatively close to each other. They are all in a Strong heritage area, and, in fact, nothing has really changed since 1971.
The canals, Magere Brug – Amsterdam(Noord-Holland)
Loyalty: ★★★★– Access: ★☆☆
The first scene of the film was shot on the Amstel River, close to the Magere Brugthe famous « lean bridge ». It shows the body of Ms. Whistler being recovered from the boat Prins Willem Alexander, then in full guided tour of the Amsterdam canals. The scene is observed by Wint and Kidd, posted on Magere Brug.
On the spot, we naturally sought the Prins Willem Alexander in order to repeat this emblematic visit. In the meantime, the boat has become the Koning Willem Alexander — the prince having become king in 2013 — but, unfortunately for us, he was then in maintenance for several days...the tile.
Since our passage, the Koning Willem Alexander is again accessible to the public. However, he suffered many transformations, particularly at the cockpit and roof, and it is now Fully electric.
To navigate the Willem Alexander !
We have nevertheless benefited from the services and the great kindness of the Kooij shipping company to perform a Walk on the Amstel, which already allows to find a large part of the atmosphere of the film. Back to the ground, we went to the Magere Brug in order to find Wint and Kidd shooting angles. And « We took pictures of the canals for the children. »
Unfortunately, the wide deck plans have not been realized since the right bank... A gross mistake!
House of Tiffany Case – Amsterdam(Noord-Holland)
Loyalty: ★★★★ – Access: ★☆☆
The sequence where James Bond arrives at the wheel of the Triumph stolen from Peter Franks was shot on the west bank of the canal, 35 Reguliersgracht. The place has a Crazy charm and remains very easy to identify.
On the other side of the canal, No 36 of the Reguliersgracht, is there Tiffany Case House. It is in front of this facade that Bond park his car.
The bell andintercom were not originally present: close-up shooting, filmed in studiowas subsequently inserted.
LInterior, as for him, obviously did not not shot on the spotbut also in the studio.
In this regard, there is a tenacious legend — and false — concerning London elevator which would have served as a decoration for the famous fight against Peter Franks. This urban legend located the elevator at 107 Fleet Street. I went there. It has nothing to do with it..
It is sometimes argued that only sound elevator would have been built on site... but again, sounds don't match to those of the film on my visit.
Why this precise choice of house, while the elegant facades are legion in the centre of Amsterdam?
At the time of the shooting, this house belonged to the owner of the hotel Amstel, best Amsterdam hotel, and perhaps the place of temporary residence of actors and team. Anyway, the house undeniably owns all beauty and grace of the traditional Dutch canal houses.
Small, narrow and high, they were mostly built in the XVIIe and XVIIIe centuries.
The house of Tiffany Case is easily recognizable thanks to the decoration located at the top of the facade, as well as to the lifting pulley, emblematic architectural detail allowing once up the furniture in these houses with too narrow stairs.
Amsterdam is a city in theunique atmosphere, far from the reductive image of the Red Quarter and non-prescription soft drugs. It is particularly pleasant to walking along the canals, or even to navigate them by boat, and to discover theextraordinary richness of cultural heritage.
How not to be charmed by the architecture of the Tuschinski Theatre, today cinema Pathé, by countless cheese shops, the Tea rooms or the famous flower market ?
• On The Track Of 007 – Martin Milder and Dirk Kloosterboer
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• https://www.facebook.com/groups/onthetracksof007
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)
