2020-06-01_Travel+Leisure

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16 TRAVEL+LEISURE | JUNE 2020

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The actors

at the Pirgos

Mavromichali

hotel and

restaurant, in

Limeni, Greece.

On set at the ruins

of the Temple

of Athena, in

Assos, Turkey.

SC: I’ve been back to Il Riccio since. In England,

the first restaurant we visited to film was the

Inn at Whitewell (innat whitewell.com; entrées

$19–$34), in the Forest of Bowland, in the

northwest of the country. It also figured in my

life before the trip, I’d been there as a younger

person, so it has sentimental value. I’ll always

go back there—probably until the day I die.

How were the hotels? Any places stick

in your mind from previous films?

RB: In Athens, we stayed at the Hotel Grande

Bretagne (marriott.com; doubles from $447).

It had a roof terrace with white tablecloths

and views of the Acropolis, and I loved it.

SC: Hated it. I get uncomfortable with

tablecloths. The more rustic the table, the better.

RB: Well, there we are. I loved having my

croissant in the morning while looking at the

Acropolis. Also in Greece, in the port city of

Kavála, we arrived late at night on the ferry, and

stayed at the Imaret (imaret.gr; doubles from

$382), a charming hotel with a meandering

layout, lots of stone, and individually styled guest

rooms. It was very higgledy-piggledy.

SC: On our trip to Spain, in the northern city of

Sigüenza, we stayed at the Parador de Sigüenza

(parador.es; doubles from $109), which was

bombed by Franco during the Spanish Civil War.

RB: It’s where they made the Marlon Brando

movie Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, and

we actually shot in the same room he filmed in.

The Trip to Greece is airing now on

streaming platforms.

in Athens, Delphi, and Stagira, with leisurely

lunches on sun-soaked terraces and swims in the

Aegean sprinkled in. “Of course we do work,”

Coogan says. “But it’s wonderful.” Here, the pair

reminisce on their final adventure—and share

what they’ve learned from their buddy trips.

Had you been to Greece before?

Any surprises on this visit?

RB: I’d been to Athens. In fact, Steve and I filmed

in Greece almost 20 years ago on a different

project. But this time, we were there at the

beginning of June, a beautiful season, when

it’s just so lush and green—that surprised me.

What were the standout restaurants?

RB: A favorite is Pirgos Mavromichali (pirgos

mavromichali.gr; entrées $16–$35), in the village

of Limeni. It’s on the Mani Peninsula, where we

had a swimming race, and it’s a lovely setting.

Over the course of the four films, the restaurant

I will always remember is Il Riccio (capri palace.

com; entrées $37–$57), on Capri. It’s set on

a cliff, overlooking the sea, and the food and

service are wonderful.

“ My favorite trips combine hiking and

wild swimming. You can do both around

Lake Van, Turkey’s largest inland body

of water, where the slopes of a group of

dormant volcanoes are ideal for trekking.”

— T+L A-LIST TRAVEL ADVISOR AMELIA STEWART

([email protected])

“ Fiji is at the top of my list. The island has

so many wonderful hotels that are perfect

for families—like the Jean-Michel Cousteau

Resort, which has free nanny service

for small children and a great kids’ club.”

— T+L A-LIST TRAVEL ADVISOR SUSANNE HAMER

([email protected])

My Dream Summer Getaway

DISPATCH

TAL0620_Discoveries.indd 16 FINAL 4/21/20 6:44 PM