Set jetting

The Spy Who Loved Me

This film was Roger Moore’s personal favourite from his tenure as James Bond.

Tenth in the series, and Moore’s third appearance as 007, it follows his mission to thwart evil mastermind Karl Stromberg who plots to rule an undersea kingdom after destroying terrestrial civilisation.

Hailed as a mega-production for its spectacular stunts and glamorous locations, the opening ski jump scene, supposedly ‘Berngarten, Austria’, was shot on the 3,000ft Asgard Peak, in Auyuittuq National Park on Baffin Island, Canada.

Famous sequences from the 1977 flick showcase the treasures of ancient Egypt, as well as Coral Harbour in The Bahamas. The Italian island of Sardinia also takes on a starring role when Bond and KGB agent Anya Amasova, played by Barbara Bach, stay at the Hotel Cala Di Volpe, pictured top, a masterpiece of style started in the 1960s by French architect Jacques Couelle.

Checking-in under the name Sterling, they take “suite A5, a sitting room with two bedrooms”. Sadly, you can’t book Bond’s room as it was actually the hotel’s piano bar, but you can at least order a martini.

The hotel is visible in the next scene when Naomi (Caroline Munro) arrives on the Intermarine Cigarette 37 powerboat to pick up the pair and take them to Stromberg’s hideout, Atlantis.

It is featured again when Bond and Amasova drive away in a Lotus Esprit, unknowingly on their way to a nail-biting chase that ends where the car dives underwater and reappears on the beach.

Located on the Costa Smeralda, famous for its yachts and designer boutiques, the hotel occupies a prime location on the waterfront. There is access to the beaches of Spiaggia del Principe, Spiaggia Capriccioli, and Spiaggia del Pevero.

Seven nights’ B&B at Hotel Cala di Volpe including flights, private transfers and UK lounge passes, costs from £1,725 per person based on May departures. Book at elegantresorts.co.uk or call 01244 897271.

Icelandic low cost carrier

PLAY will launch flights to the USA from Stansted, via Reykjavik, on April 20. Fares to Boston and Baltimore/Washington airports start at £169 one-way with a total journey time of around 11 hours, including a one hour 50 minutes layover.

flyplay.com