007 Related hotel: The Westin Palace Madrid

THE WESTIN PALACE MADRID

Location: Madrid, Spain
Address: Plaza de la Cortex, 7
Bond connection: Filming location for Sean Connery film "The Wind and the Lion" (1975). Sean Connery also stayed at the hotel a couple of times

Located at the center of dynamic Madrid, The Westin Palace, Madrid is an iconic hotel that has thrived since its opening in 1912. Ideally positioned in Las Letras quarter, with its vibrant collection of restaurants and boutiques, it´s at the heart of The Art Walk, an area linking the city’s most enriching museums, Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen-Bornemisza.

007 Travelers ate tasty ice-creams  in the hotel's restaurant and it was very similar as Hotel Negresco in Nice, where we visited back in 2013.

See the whole travel story here

See more 007 HOTELS here

007 Event: Sci-fi Con Randers 2018 (14 April 2018)

What: Sci-fi Con Randers 2018
Where: Arena Randers, Fyensgade 1, Randers, Denmark
When: 14 April 2018 at 10.00 - 18.00

Special Bond star appearances:

Jeremy Bulloch
HMS Ranger Crewman (uncredited) in "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)
Smithers (uncredited) in "For Your Eyes Only" (1981)
Smithers in "Octopussy" (1983)

Garrick Hagon
USS Wayne Crewman in "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)


Read more here

007 Related book: James Bond 007 50 Years of Movie Posters

Book: James Bond 007 50 Years of Movie Posters
Authors: Alastair Dougall (written by), Dennis Gassner (consultant editor)
Pages: 320
Language: English

See more 007 BOOKS here

007 Item: Pop! Rides: James Bond with Aston Martin DB5 vinyl figure

007 Item: Pop! Rides: James Bond with Aston Martin DB5 vinyl figure

See more 007 ITEMS here

Happy Birthday, Timothy Dalton!

Who: Timothy Peter Dalton
Born: 21 March 1946, Colwyn Bay, Denbighshire, Wales, UK

007 Travelers congratulates!

007 Item: 007 The Royal Mint 2018 United Kingdom 10p silver proof coin

007 Item: 007 The Royal Mint 2018 United Kingdom 10p silver proof coin

Limited Edition Presentation

Quintessentially British

www.royalmint.com/coinhunt

See more 007 ITEMS here

007 Event: James Bond Concert Spectacular at Kings Theatre, Southsea, Portsmouth (25 March 2018)

What: James Bond Concert Spectacular
Where: Kings Theatre, Southsea, Portsmouth, England
When: 25 March 2018 at 6 PM

The World’s No.1 James Bond Concert, by internationally acclaimed Q The Music Show, are coming to the Kings! This group of highly talented, top-of-the-industry professionals have created a show featuring the best songs from the 007 franchise.

Bond fans around the World recognise this group’s performances of the songs as the definitive versions – a show not to be missed. Sit back and prepare for a journey through exquisitely presented and exciting performances of iconic tunes, guaranteed to leave you shaken and stirred!

The fabulous theatre show stops off in Southsea for touring show in 2018. Come and see your favourite James Bond songs, performed by the World's No.1 James Bond Concert & Tribute.

A special guest and Bond girl Madeline Smith comperes the show. Maddy played Miss Caruso in "Live And Let Die" (1973).

PLEASE NOTE: THIS SHOW IS A 6PM START!








Read more about Q The Music Show here

See more 007 EVENTS here

Danny Boyle is working on Bond 25

What: Danny Boyle confirms he’s working on Bond 25
Where: Metro New York
When: 14th of March 2018

Sources: Metro New York, Variety.com
Photo: Getty

Danny Boyle is working on Bond 25


“We are working on a script right now,” he said when asked if he’s directing the next film in the franchise. “And it all depends on that, really. I am working on a Richard Curtis script at the moment. We hope to start shooting that in six or seven weeks. Then Bond would be right at the end of the year. But we are working on them both right now.”
MGM declined to comment.

An idea for Bond 25

“We’ve got an idea, John Hodge — the screenwriter — and I have got this idea, and John is writing it at the moment. And it all depends on how it turns out. It would be foolish of me to give any of it away.”

The details not yet known

“We are working on a script which we hope they’ll like.”

He also said he does not yet know the details of when and where Bond 25 will shoot.


See more here


See more BOND 25 NEWS here

007 Event: Spy-Con (30 March - 1 April 2018)

What: Spy-Con
Where: Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta, 5750 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta, Georgia, USA
When: 30 March - 1 April 2018

Photos: Spy-Con









30 March: Dinner with the Bond Girls

Special Bond star appearances:

Lana Wood
Plenty O´Toole in "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971)

Trina Parks
Thumper in "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971)




Spy School: Need to know how to make a perfect Martini?

Exhibit: Bond superfan James Strickland's Lotus Esprit cars

Read more here


See more 007 EVENTS here

007 Food: Fried eggs and sausages

Food: Fried eggs and sausages
Bond book appearances: Young Bond: SilverFin (2005)
Experience of 007 Travelers: Self-made

"They were eating fried eggs and sausages that they had cooked on the little electric stove out in the passage under the watchful eye of the boys’ maid. Everyone bought extra food at the School Stores or at Jack’s or Rowland’s in the town; this was absolutely necessary to stop the boys from starving to death, as the meals that Codrose served up were almost completely inedible."

Charlie Higson: "Young Bond: SilverFin" (2005)

See more 007 FOODS here

007 Elements opening July 2018

What: 007 Elements opening
Where: Sölden, Austria
When: 12 July 2018

007 ELEMENTS, the new James Bond cinematic installation will officially open its doors on 12 July 2018. Housed in a striking new architectural structure, designed and created by Obermoser Architects, 007 ELEMENTS will be an interactive, immersive and educational experience that places visitors inside the world of 007 while revealing how that world is made. 

 

Sölden, Austria the home of 007 ELEMENTS featured in "SPECTRE" (2015), the 24th James Bond film, with the ice Q restaurant appearing as the Hoffler Klinik and the surrounding areas forming parts of the snow chase sequence. 

 

Further details and advance ticket information will be coming soon.

Source and photo: 007.com

See more OTHER 007 RELATED NEWS here

Report: Show & Dinner: Casino Royale - Club For Five @ Casino Helsinki (2 March 2018)

What: Show & Dinner: Casino Royale - Club For Five / Premiere
Where: Casino Helsinki, Mikonkatu 19, Helsinki, Finland
When: 2 March 2018


A friday night, 2nd of March 2018 and Casino Helsinki. This evening was full of excitement, danger and seduction: The premiere of renewed Casino Royale - show and dinner by Club For Five. A perfect timing for the premiere, the same day when Daniel Craig celebrated his 50th birthday.

GOLDFINGER

The staff of Casino Helsinki works fast and are extremely polite, even when people are rushing in and leaving their belongings to the cloakroom. If you are visiting casino for the first time, you have to show your ID card, then move to the photographing place and you will receive a Casino card. When visiting next time, it is enough to show your casino card. The age limit to casino is 18 years. There are plenty of different games in casino and 007 Travelers moved in front of Fennia Salonki and had already mood of Casino Royale, even before ordering drink called "Goldfinger".

The staff in front of Fennia Salonki guided us to our table at 7 PM. Our host Heidi Kemppinen took care of us and was very professional. Thanks for the excellent customer service!













THE SECRETS OF FENNIA SALONKI

There are seats for 150 diners in Fennia Salonki. There are beautiful pillars in the salon and the pyramid shaped ceiling is awesome.

YOU ONLY LICE TWICE!

First we got soft roll and especially tasty and nicely salted butter.

All food for the evening were just perfect. 007 Travelers tested menus "Casino Royale" and "You Only Live Twice".

Pirita's choice was a fish menu, which included white wine "Le Petit Balthazar Viognier Sauvignon Blanc" as wine recommendation by the staff and "Valmiñor Albariño" white wine with the main food.

Casino´s skagen with fennel gravad lax

Roasted white fish with oyster sauce

Lemon cake with mascarpone ice cream and rhubarb jam

Mika had a meat menu, which included "Meyer-Fonné Gentil" white wine as wine recommendation by the staff and "Ébano Viñedos y Bodegas Ébano6" red wine with the main food.

Asparagus soup with false morel mousseline

Roast lamb marinated with lavender and ramiro pepper

Tonka bean pudding with lemon and almond ice cream

Casino host Mila opened the evening.

The show and dinner lasted for the next two and a half hours and there were nice pauses between the songs and the dinner, so you were able to concentrate at show itself as well as food when the band was not performing. The dinner was great and everything worked perfectly. Big thanks to Aku, Suski and others involved!

Club For Five had renewed their Bond show and we already liked a lot about the earlier version, this one we loved!



SHOWTIME!

It was 7.30 PM when the intro video started to roll and there the band travelled around the world and they were hurrying in Casino Helsinki. We can see shadow images of the band, only Juha Viitala is missing. From the video to this world, the entrance is dashing and unexpected... but let's not reveal everything. Finally the whole band is on the stage anyway.

You could guess that Casino Royale show's name comes from Casino Royale movies. There are two of them: Casino Royale from 1967, where David Niven is James Bond and another one with same name from 2006, where Daniel Craig plays the secret agent 007.

The opening act of the evening was "Live and Let Die". After that we heard Bond theme songs from different decades and this time there was a newest Bond song "Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith in the track list. We heard it already as song number three and it was nicely adapted by Danny Fong.

Club For Five's show was energetic and wonderful, pure class!

Jouni Kannisto

Juha Viitala

Tuukka Haapaniemi and Maija Sariola sang a duet
"Diamonds Are Forever" as part of the medley

EEPPI & THE PENSIONERS

Maybe the most memorable moment of the evening was when Eeppi Ursin performed "Nobody Does It Better" to Leena, Eero, Mikael and Lauri who were about to retire from the company they worked. This was a really nice gesture from Club For Five band!

Eeppi Ursin

There were also dancers with the band and they also performed really entertaining acts, for example during the song "007".

Especially pleasing was when the band chatted with the audience during the pause. Nicely done, Club For Five!

Tuukka Haapaniemi

During the evening we also heard two other songs than Bond songs. Jouni Kannisto had called to Norma John band, which was Finland's last year's representative of Eurovision Song Contest, and Jouni asked if Club For Five can make their own version of their song "Blackbird". Maija Sariola's solo of that song was beautiful.

Maija Sariola

BANDITS AND A SONG OF ROGUES

Last performance of the sold out premiere night - not a Bond theme - before encore was Tuukka Haapaniemi's solo "Mustat silmät - Otshi tshornyje". This song described the idea that, if instead of Bond, the villain would come and take all the women. Lovely Tuukka and his voice was charming and was highlight of the evening!

The song list of the evening was following:

• "Live And Let Die" from "Live and Let Die" (1973)
• "GoldenEye" from "GoldenEye" (1995)
• "Writing's on the Wall" from "SPECTRE" (2015)
• Medley, which included pieces of "Goldfinger" from "Goldfinger" (1964), "Diamonds Are Forever" from "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), "Licence to Kill" from "Licence to Kill" (1989), "Thunderball" from "Thunderball" (1965) and "Skyfall" from "Skyfall" (2012)
• "You Only Live Twice" from "You Only Live Twice" (1967)
• "From Russia with Love" from  "From Russia with Love" (1963)
• "Skyfall" from "Skyfall" (2012)
• "James Bond Theme" from "Dr. No" (1962)
• "Tomorrow Never Dies" from "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997)
• "007" - theme song from several movies
• "Die Another Day" from "Die Another Day" (2002)
• "You Know My Name" from "Casino Royale" (2006)
• "Blackbird"
• "Nobody Does It Better" from "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)
• "Mustat silmät - Otshi tshornyje"
• "Another Way to Die" from "Quantum of Solace" (2008)

Casino Helsinki and Club For Five really gave the audience a good time. This show must be seen again and again! Buy your tickets here (Lippu.fi)

Thank you Club For Five and dancers

Club For Five:
They are: Maija Sariola, Susanna Lukkarinen, Jouni Kannisto, Juha Viitala ja Tuukka Haapaniemi. Susanna Lukkarinen is on maternity leave at the moment and Eeppi Ursin is her substitute.


Club For Five's homepage here.



Special thanks to: Laura Sandström ja Jere Pellinen / Casino Helsinki


Casino Helsinki homepage here

Ask 007 Travelers to introduce your 007 event: 
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Examples here

Pirita / 007 Travelers

Mika / 007 Travelers