Movie Travels

This weekend's post is something a little different! As the title suggests, I'm going to be writing about a few places I've visited that were used as settings in famous films. Although I've visited plenty of filming locations (being based near the Cotswolds makes that an inevitability!), this post will specifically focus on locations that were also the setting of the films in question.

The following three films all have a strong sense of place, and actually inspired my travels in the places where they're set. And as a bonus, they're also great movies which I would highly recommend watching!

Movie: The Sound of Music

Setting: Salzburg, Austria

Clockwise starting from top: Mirabell Palace, Hellbrunner Allee and Schloss Leopoldskron (all located in Salzburg)

When it comes to films set in Austria, the Sound of Music is definitely the first one that comes to mind for most people. This classic musical is well-loved, not just for its memorable songs, but also for its scenes featuring beautiful mountain landscapes and architecture in and around the city of Salzburg. 

I spent a couple of days in Salzburg at the start of the Austrian part of my Year Abroad, and as I've always been a big fan of musicals, I took the opportunity to go on the Sound of Music bus tour! This was a really fun trip around all the filming locations in the city, as well as in the nearby town of Mondsee. During the tour, we learnt about the real story of the Von Trapp family (which, unsurprisingly, isn't exactly as it's depicted in the film!) and also sang some karaoke!

Read more about Salzburg and Mondsee here!

Movie: The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta)

Setting: South America

Clockwise starting from top left: Valparaíso, Chile; the south of Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and the Atacama Desert, Chile

The Motorcycle Diaries follows the journey that a young Che Guevara took with his friend Alberto Granado across South America, during which he forms the political views that he became known for. The film mostly takes place in Argentina, Chile and Peru, though there are a couple of short scenes in Colombia and Venezuela at the end. Che and Alberto's journey starts in their home city of Buenos Aires, and they then travel down through Argentina and cross over the border into the south of Chile. They make their way up the country, passing through Valparaíso and the Atacama Desert, before crossing into Peru and visiting Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima and the Amazon.

I first saw this film as part of a module I studied in my second year at university. At the time, I was planning my Year Abroad, and was still a bit undecided about the Spanish part of the year. But seeing all of the amazing places featured in the Motorcycle Diaries inspired me to want to travel to South America, and definitely influenced my choice to spend a semester studying in Chile, which was probably the best decision I've ever made! During the semester, I ended up visiting two of the destinations in the film (Valparaíso and the south of Chile), and on subsequent trips to South America, I visited the Atacama Desert and Buenos Aires. When I'm back living in Chile again (which should be very soon), I hope to go on a trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu to complete my Motorcycle Diaries bucket list!

Read more about Buenos Aires here!

Read more about the south of Chile here!

Read more about Valparaíso here!

Read more about the Atacama Desert here!

Update: 12th November 2022

It's been 11 months since I published this post, and I'm very happy to update it by saying that I have completed my Motorcycle Diaries bucket list, by visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu! Cusco is a beautiful city, and it was a dream come true to finally visit the incredible Inca citadel of Machu Picchu.

But, to be honest, my trip to this part of Peru gave me even more Wanderlust to explore the country, and now I'd also like to visit the other two Peruvian places in the film: Lima and the Amazon!

Read more about Cusco here!

Read more about Machu Picchu here!

Movie: Amélie (Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain)

Setting: Paris, France

Clockwise starting from top left: Notre-Dame de Paris, Sacré Cœur, Café des 2 Moulins, and a view of Montmartre (all located in Paris)

Paris is one of my favourite cities in the world, and it's also the setting of many great films, including the Aristocats, Ratatouille, Anastasia, the Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Les Misérables, and Moulin Rouge, as well as the polarising but fun TV series Emily in Paris. But my favourite of all of the films set in Paris has to be Amélie, or Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, as it's known in French. It's such a funny and magical tale that really draws you into its little world, and I'd say it's probably my favourite film of all time. I've even been to the theatre to see a musical version of it!

When I was in France for the final part of my Year Abroad, I spent a short amount of time in Paris, and used that time to visit some of the locations from the film. Most of the action takes place in the pretty neighbourhood of Montmartre, where you can find the beautiful Sacré-Cœur basilica and Café des 2 Moulins, the café where Amélie works. It's a lot smaller than it looks in the film, but it has lots of memorabilia inside, which is very cool!

Read more about Paris here!

Travelling to movie locations is a lot of fun, because it's so interesting to experience the places we've seen on screen in real life. These three movie destinations are the ones that have been the most memorable for me so far, but I'm sure I'll discover some more in the future!

Travel Tips: My Top Five Colourful Cities

It's been a couple of months since my last Travel Tips article, so I decided it would be a good idea to write one this weekend, especially as I don't have any recent trips to write about (though that will change soon!)

This week's article is about my favourite colourful cities. I think every traveller enjoys visiting colourful cities, as they're very photogenic and they put you in a cheerful mood! So here are my five favourites, plus some honourable mentions!

Valparaíso, Chile

Valparaíso is one of my favourite cities in the world, and it's definitely extremely colourful. Not only are its buildings painted in many different colours, but its streets and staircases are filled with vibrant street art. For this reason, the Bohemian city is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Chile.

Read more here!

Coquimbo, Chile

Another colourful city in Chile is Coquimbo, which is located on the coast in the north of the country. It's quite similar to Valparaíso in some ways, as it is built on a series of hills next to the sea, and it has houses of many different colours. But one thing it has that Valpo doesn't is a beautiful sandy beach!

Read more here!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Moving over to the other side of South America, you can find the amazing city of Buenos Aires in Argentina. The entire city is full of interesting sights to see, but one of the best parts is La Boca neighbourhood. This is where you can see buildings of all different colours (often with sculptures of famous Argentinians on the balconies!), as well as many pairs of tango dancers dancing in the streets.

Read more here!

Lisbon, Portugal

The capital of Portugal is one of Europe's most colourful cities, and I really enjoyed my short trip there in 2019. It reminded me quite a lot of Valpo actually, as it's also built on steep hills, and its public transport system includes tramways and funicular railways. And of course, it has many panoramic views of buildings of different hues.

Read more here!

Bristol, England, UK

The last city on my list is a lot closer to home than the others - in fact it's less than an hour from my house! Bristol is one of the most unique and artistic cities in the UK, and it's also very colourful. The harbourside area in particular is a really photogenic place, with its rows of houses in all the colours of the rainbow.

Read more here!

Honourable Mentions

Cirencester, England, UK

Chepstow, Wales, UK

Stockholm, Sweden

Innsbruck, Austria

Venice, Italy

Florence, Italy

Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay

I've really enjoyed visiting all of these colourful towns and cities, and I hope I'll have the opportunity to visit many more in the future. My list includes Menton in France, Copenhagen in Denmark, Genoa in Italy, San Cristóbal de La Laguna in Spain, Cape Town in South Africa, Havana in Cuba, Old San Juan in Puerto Rico, and Cartagena in Colombia. 

Next week I'm actually going to be going on a trip for the first time in nearly two months, as I'll finally be going to London to sign my work contract for my job in Chile! I plan to do a little bit of sightseeing while I'm there, and then at the weekend I'll be going on another trip that I'd planned earlier. So I'll have some exciting things to blog about very soon!

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here!

Country Guide: Argentina

Name: Argentina

Continent: South America

Capital (and Largest) City: Buenos Aires

Language: Spanish

Currency: Argentinian Peso

Drives on the: Right

Time Zone: Argentina Standard Time (UTC -3)

Adaptor Types: Type C and Type I

Description: Argentina is the second largest country in South America and has a very varied geography and climate. Featuring desert landscapes in the north, the Andes mountains in the west, Patagonia in the south, and the Pampas lowlands and Atlantic Ocean in the east, there is plenty to visit in every corner of the country. In terms of culture, Argentina is famous for being the birthplace of tango dancing and for being a football-loving nation.

Why You Should Visit: You should visit to see all of the amazing nature Argentina has, including Aconcagua (South America's highest mountain), the Iguazú Falls on the border with Brazil, and the lakes and glaciers in Patagonia. Another highlight is Buenos Aires, one of the most incredible cities in the world, which is known for its beautiful architecture and vibrant culture.

Fun Fact: Y Wladfa in Patagonia is the largest Welsh-speaking community outside of the UK.

My Blogposts About Argentina

My Year Abroad Blog 2017-2018

- My Weekend in Argentina (Mendoza Province)

Charlotte's Travel Adventures

- Buenos Aires: Day One

- Buenos Aires: Day Two

- Buenos Aires: Day Three

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities (Buenos Aires)

- Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Castles and Palaces (Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires)

- Travel Tips: My Top Five Colourful Cities (Buenos Aires)

- Movie Travels (Buenos Aires)

- Travel Tips: My Top Five Mountain Destinations (the Andes)

- The Journey Between Santiago and Mendoza (200th Post!)

- Mendoza

- White-Water Rafting in the Andes! (Mendoza Province)

- Charlotte's Travel Adventures is 5 Years Old! (Buenos Aires)

- My Year of Adventurous Travel (Mendoza Province)

Clockwise starting from top left: Cacheuta Spa, Mendoza Province; Casa Rosada, Puente de la Mujer, La Boca neighbourhood (all three in Buenos Aires); View of Mendoza from Cerro de la Gloria

Check out the rest of my Country Guides here!

Travel Tips: My Ten Favourite Cities

It's been a while since I last wrote a Travel Tips article, and as I won't be going on another outing until later this week and therefore have no new place to write about, I thought it was a good idea to use the spare time I've got today to write a little piece about my favourite cities. Besides, in recent weeks this blog has been filled with images of little towns and villages in the West Country, so now seems like a good moment to shake up its aesthetic a bit!

Visiting new cities is something I find really exciting. They all have their own personality; some are old-fashioned and charming, while others are shiny and modern. Some are situated by beautiful beaches, others are surrounded by mountain landscapes. And they all have their famous landmarks that tourists flock to, as well as their lesser-known gems which are harder to find.

I have been lucky enough to have visited many amazing cities across Europe, South America and Canada, and all of them have left some kind of impression on me. However, for this article I have narrowed my list down to just ten of my favourites as well as some honourable mentions.

I hope you enjoy reading my list!

10) Vaduz, Liechtenstein

A European capital city quite unlike the rest is Vaduz. I visited this tiny city within a tiny country during my Year Abroad, and found it to be a fascinating place. With its mountaintop castle, it really is like something out of a fairytale. Additionally, it has two brilliant museums: Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein (Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts) and the Liechtenstein National Museum.

Read more about Vaduz here!

9) Lisbon, Portugal

Last year, I ended up taking a spontaneous trip to Madrid and Lisbon, and while I liked Madrid, I really loved Lisbon. It's such a beautiful and colourful city, with amazing viewpoints from its many hills. My personal highlights were Castelo de São Jorge, Torre de Belém, Jardim Vasco da Gama and the botanical garden.

Read more about Lisbon here!

8) Kraków, Poland

Having visited several Eastern European cities, I have to say Kraków is my favourite. I went there last year when I took part in the Angloville volunteer programme teaching English in Poland, and I was so impressed by its magnificent architecture. Highlights include Wawel Castle and Rynek Główny, the city's main square, where you can find St Mary's Basilica (pictured above). 

Read more about Kraków here!

7) Valparaíso, Chile

Moving across to South America, the next item on my list is the amazing Chilean port city of Valparaíso, which is the capital of the region of the same name. Like Lisbon, Valparaíso is built on a series of hills and features many colourful buildings. It is also very famous for its vibrant street art which covers its walls and staircases (I particularly liked the one pictured above), and its funicular railways. The city has a very lively, Bohemian vibe, and I absolutely loved spending a day there during my semester in Chile.

Read more about Valparaíso here!

6) Bath, England, UK

Bath is the first of two British cities in my list, and it happens to be in my home region, the southwest of England. Many would consider Oxford to be the most beautiful city in England, but I would personally put Bath at the top of that list. In addition to its picturesque architecture, it also has a fascinating Roman and literary history; the Roman Baths and the Jane Austen museum are both must-see attractions. One thing I really like about Bath is that it feels like a truly European city, where different cultures are appreciated and signs are written in French! It was even used as a stand in for Paris in the 2012 Les Misérables movie, and Pulteney Bridge (pictured above) was the setting for Javert's final song.

Previously on this blog, I wrote about The American Museum in Bath, which is actually located quite far outside of the city. I plan on writing a post about the city centre soon.

Edit: I finally wrote a post about Bath in December 2020! Check it out here!

5) Montpellier, France

I spent a few weeks studying at a language school in Montpellier in the summer of 2017, which was definitely the best bit of the French part of my Year Abroad. Located in the Occitanie region in the south of France, Montpellier is an amazing city with beautiful architecture, plenty of green spaces, great weather and a nearby beach! I would really like to go back there at some point in the future.

Read more about Montpellier here!

4) London, England, UK

I'll round off my list with four great capital cities, starting with London. Although London is not far away from me, it's such a different place to Wiltshire (where I'm from), and I always find it so exciting to spend a day there. Throughout the city, you can really see the influence of different cultures from all around the world, which I find fascinating. Last time I was there, I visited Chinatown (pictured above), a really interesting area to see. Walking around there was like being transported to China, which for me was great, as I haven't been to Asia yet. (But I'll definitely go in the future!)

Read more about London here!

3) Paris, France

As much as I love London, Paris has to be my favourite European capital city. There's something just so magical about exploring its streets, parks and museums. My favourite parts are the Montmartre district (where you can find the Moulin Rouge club and the Sacré Cœur basilica), le Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries Garden, and of course, the Eiffel Tower! I don't think I could ever get bored of being in Paris, and I hope I can go back there in the future with my boyfriend.

Read more about Paris here!

2) Buenos Aires, Argentina

Back to South America, and the incredible city of Buenos Aires. I went there in February this year and had an amazing time. (I can't believe how much things have changed in the world since then...) My favourite part was La Boca district (pictured above) with its colourful buildings and tango dancers. I also loved Casa Rosada, Puente de la Mujer, Ecoparque BA, and the Japanese garden. I would 100 percent go back in the future, as there's just so much to see there.

Read more about Buenos Aires here!

1) Santiago, Chile

And finally, the award for my favourite city goes to Santiago. Okay, maybe I'm a little biased, as this is the city where I used to live, where I met my boyfriend, and where I will be moving back to as soon as it's possible to do so. But objectively speaking, it really is a fantastic city to visit. Here you can find many examples of amazing architecture, such as the Costanera Centre (pictured above), beautiful green spaces like Parque Metropolitano (where I took this picture), as well as the impressive Andes mountains surrounding the city. I can't wait to move back there again!

Read more about Santiago here and here!

Well, I've had a lot of fun compiling that list, and I hope it can serve as travel inspiration for when the world starts opening up again!

By the way, my honourable mentions of other cities I've loved visiting are as follows: Udine, Italy; Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bruges, Belgium; York, England, UK; Cardiff, Wales, UK; and Montréal, Québec, Canada.

I also have a long list of cities I would love to go to in the future, including: Brighton (Edit: I made it there in December 2020!), Edinburgh, Amsterdam (Edit: Made it there in December 2023!), Copenhagen, Tallinn, Riga, St Petersburg, Moscow, Barcelona, Granada, Rome (Edit: Made it there in March 2024!), Athens, Istanbul, Singapore, Sydney, Casablanca, New York, Miami, Havana, Cartagena and Rio de Janeiro (Edit: Made in there in December 2022!). Let's just say I'm not short of travel inspiration!

My next blog post will most likely be about the trip I'll be going on with my parents later this week, but I plan to write more Travel Tips articles in the near future...

Check out the rest of my Travel Tips here! 

Buenos Aires: Day Three

I had one more day of sightseeing left in Buenos Aires before returning to Chile. So I decided to visit Recoleta cemetery, which some say is the most interesting attraction in the entire city. I don't know if I'd go that far myself, but it's certainly worth seeing, as the tombs are very elaborate and artistic. It's not dissimilar to Cementerio General in Santiago.

The neighbourhood of Recoleta, where the cemetery is located, is a really scenic (and slightly British!) place to look around.

On my way back to the metro station, I went past Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, which is such a huge and impressive building. If I go back to Buenos Aires, I'd definitely like to have a look at the paintings there.

My next stop was the Palermo neighbourhood, where I planned to visit the Japanese garden. However, on my way there, I discovered another interesting place, the Ecoparque. This park recreates the nature that inhabited the area before the city was built. There are lots of animals there, which have either been rescued or are there for conservation purposes. Roaming freely around the park were dozens of Patagonian maras, a species of rodent that looks like a cross between a rabbit and a deer. They were so cute! I also got to see guanacos for the first time, which was great.

I also really enjoyed visiting the Japanese garden, which seems to be a really popular thing in South America. I've never been to one in Europe, but in Chile, there are ones in both Santiago and La Serena (which unfortunately was closed when we visited). Santiago's Japanese garden has the advantage of panoramic city views, and is free to visit! However, Buenos Aires' version is a lot bigger and is also very beautiful.

So that concludes my account of my trip to Buenos Aires. Looking at the pictures is making me wish I was back there already! I really enjoyed my time there and it was so much better than my first trip to Argentina.

Funnily enough, I was considering volunteering for a children's charity in Buenos Aires for my Year Abroad. That was after I'd considered volunteering at a dog shelter in Peru, and also after I'd considered splitting my time between working in Spain and rescuing turtles in Costa Rica... And then I made the rather spontaneous decision to study in Santiago, which I'm very happy I did! But it was great to finally visit Buenos Aires. It's a very different city to Santiago, but I love both of them. I feel like Buenos Aires is best for architecture and Santiago is best for beautiful mountainous panoramas.

I was a little sad to leave Argentina but was very happy to come back to Chile again. I'll be writing a bit about some of the new places I've seen there next!

Read about Buenos Aires: Day One here and Buenos Aires: Day Two here!