8 Jul 2013

Shopping for the crew - Corfu town, part 2


In For Your Eyes Only, Bond meets with Melina at Pontikonissi when she needs to go shopping for the crew. A few scenes were filmed in Corfu town, when they walk past the church of Agios Spyridon. The church's bell tower, not only the tallest in the city but in the Ionian islands, is briefly visible as Bond and Melina walk by.


The church is named after the Saint Spyridon, who according to the myth expelled the plague from the island. Saint Spyridon is also believed to have saved the island from the Turkish army and naval force at the second great siege which took place in 1716.

Melina orders some melons from one of the merchants in town on Spyridon street.
Saint Spyridon church is located in the middle of the old part of Corfu town which is listed as an UNESCO world heritage site. The church stands on Spyridon Street, not unexpectedly where you also find the most number of tourists. The stop at a fruit stand where Spyridon street intersects with Filarmonikis.


Eventually Bond and Melina pass the Maitland rotunda (covered here) and the old fortress, located in the very eastern part of Corfu town. The old fortress is also briefly visible earlier in the film. The view point they eventually arrive at, after walking through the city, can be found at the Achilleon Palace and is not located anywhere near Corfu town.


"-Oriste despinis!
     -Mmm parakalo!"

The Greek merchant that offers fruit to Bond and Melina utters the Greek phrase 'oriste despinis' (οριστε δεσποινις), which means 'here you are miss', to which Bond replies 'parakalo', meaning to say 'thank you', even though it actually means 'please'.






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