Vintage movie projector projects countdown screen. ()
Being stationed in Europe means so many opportunities to travel. However, being stationed in Europe implies that at least someone in the household has work obligations and if you have kids in school, you may be locally bound during the work-week. Even though sitting at home and watching movies isn’t quite the next best thing to actually traveling, it’s a start. Maybe you watch a film from a country you’ve never been to, yet always dreamed of going? Or maybe you pick a movie where you’ve been to that city before and you’re reminded of fun memories from that trip?
Perhaps the movie alone isn’t the next best thing, but why not go full-on “dinner and a movie,” making recipes or finding a beverage from the film’s country, followed by the movie? Especially as the sun sets earlier and we are indoors more, why not make an event of it and take a trip from the coziness of your home?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Ireland: “Leap Year,” maybe with a side of Guinness stew and a cider?
France: “Midnight in Paris,” accompanied by homemade croque monsieur and a glass of French wine? Okay, I’ll leave the rest of the menu planning to you!
Italy: “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Roman Holiday,” “Love, Wedding, Repeat” (Netflix), “Eat Pray Love” (plus visits to India and Indonesia)
England: “Notting Hill,” “The Holiday,” “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society” (Netflix), “Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary”
Greece: “Mamma Mia!”
Iceland & Scotland: “Eurovision Song Contest” (Netflix)
Singapore: “Crazy Rich Asians”
To remind you of all the good times spent waiting at the airport, don’t forget Tom Hanks’s “The Terminal.”
Maybe more romantic than comedic, Ireland’s “P.S. I Love You” is a favorite, or England’s “Pride and Prejudice,” or really any Jane Austen-based film for that matter. And maybe more musical than comedic, “Sound of Music” can take you to Salzburg for an evening.
This is nowhere near a complete list, but hopefully, it will get you started on your European couch adventures until the weekend.
