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The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes." |
| -- Marcel Proust |
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| Our Hosts |
Simone is a true Maltese. She was born and bred on the island but lived in London and Italy for several years. She is a typical southern Mediterranean which translates to her love of being with people and sharing her knowledge of this small, but beautiful island.
She considers Malta a hidden gem: Blessed with good weather and steeped in history. Here you will find the oldest free standing monuments in the world. Religion, a mostly catholic country, plays a big part here. There are so many beautiful baroque churches to see full of masterpieces, including quaint countryside chapels.
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What an international couple! Patty, half German, half Belgian, was born in Peru, grew up in Africa, studied in France, and worked in Venezuela. Rudy, half Panamanian, half Italian, completed high school at the Spanish embassy in Rome, studied art history at John Cabot University and worked in Germany for ten years.
Their paths crossed six years ago in Panama, while Rudy was running a travel business and Patty working for a financial company. It was love at first sight…….married within two months. View Complete Profile
Trained as a textile designer and photographer, Eric earned a BA from the University of Washington. For 10 years he lived in San Francisco and worked for Knoll, the international furniture company and produced hand-made, silk-screened upholstery and drapery fabrics.
Now he lives in Amsterdam and works for the Rembrandt House Museum. He works with public and school groups and demonstrates how Rembrandt made his etchings and produced his oil paintings back in the 17th century.
Not surprisingly, Eric's a painter himself. He's had shows in Seattle, San Francisco and Amsterdam.
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Sorrento, on a rocky peninsula south of Naples, is home to Alberio, a former ship's captain turned wine shop owner.
He grew up here in Campania, then left for a life of adventure, ending in the former Belgian Congo. After 10 years in Africa, he returned to Sorrento.
“I feel very fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, well loved by the Old Romans who used to call it Campania Felix--The Happy Countryside. I agree!”
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Born in Sardinia, Alex studied at the London College of Fashion. She worked in fashion journalism and styling for Harpers & Queens, among other publications, “running from one show to another in stilettos,” as she puts it.
Five years ago she returned to Italy and founded a tourist service company, Destination Glamour, with offices in Sardinia and Tuscany. She returns to Milan periodically to cast her practiced eye on the bewildering array of choices of the world’s fashion capital. View Complete Profile
In the ancient mountain region of the Auvergne in central France lies the département of the Allier, birthplace of Coco Chanel and Audrey Tatou. A region known to wine aficionados for its forests of oak trees. If you're looking to get far off the tourist trail, you need look no further.
Anne Marie, who speaks English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese, has based her global marketing business here, in her native village of La Petite Marche, population 250. View Complete Profile
Patricia, much traveled as a youngster, as a bride and as an adult, has settled into the postcard-perfect village of Maussanne-les-Alpilles, half an hour south of Avignon and devoted herself to the culinary arts.
In a restored old mill surrounded by olive trees, she has created a charming B&B and installed a fully-equipped teaching kitchen. View Complete Profile
London-born, with a degree in French and linguistics, Susan spent 20 years in British classrooms teaching French. Whenever she had the time, she would travel, and from age 16 on, her favorite destination was—no surprise—France. So when the opportunity came to join professional colleagues who'd bought a property on the Lot river in southwestern France, she took it. View Complete Profile
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Beller, Vivianne |
France: Alsace |
Art/Architecture, History, Jewish Heritage, Local Culture |
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Born and brought up in Western Massachusetts, Vivianne came to France 28 years ago and settled in Alsace, the idyllic region of eastern France that's been the crossroads of Europe for centuries. Her career in tourism and her family's local roots has given her privileged access into the fascinating world of local politics and religious history. View Complete Profile
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Bloch, Fabrice |
France: Paris |
Graphics & Photography, Fashion, Local Culture |
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Fabrice Bloch is a young graphic designer who specializes in the hidden corners of Paris, the Paris of artists' studios, private courtyards and gardens, unexpected views, tiny theaters, romantic parks, cozy cafés and undiscovered restaurants.
His mother teaches English and French, his father imports Chinese furniture, his sister works in television, and Fabrice himself travels through Paris with a camera and a notebook, learning, watching, listening, singing. View Complete Profile
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Bodet, Sabine |
France: Lyon |
Art/Architecture, History, Culinary/Cooking, Local Culture |
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Sabine France Bodet lives just outside Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France, and specializes in the food, wine and history of the region. A multilingual former Air France flight attendant, she is a well-traveled, enthusiastic and informed guide.
Sabine and her husband Alain have also converted two rooms of her stone manor house into chambres d'hôtes (a French version of Bed & Breakfast), so she is able to welcome guests to her village overlooking the Saône river. View Complete Profile
Alessandra grew up steeped in the culture, history, food and fashion sense of the Milanese. She studied hotel management at Cornell in Ithaca, NY, and returned to Milan as director of sales & marketing for a prestigious hotel group. Two years ago she opened her own boutique agency, My Special Guest, to create customized programs and events for international visitors. She has also become a worldwide specialist in planning weddings and honeymoons.
She lives with her partner Alberto, a building surveyor, in a small town made famous by the most romantic of liqueurs, Amaretto di Saronno. View Complete Profile
Olivier and Carole have lived in Nantes, on the far western end of the Loire Valley, for the past 8 years and are eager to demonstrate that the French can, indeed, be welcoming. "Hospitality is mainly about sharing," says Olivier. View Complete Profile
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Brito, Cristina |
Portugal: Lisbon |
History, Gastronomy/Culinary, Wine, Local Culture |
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Cristina was born in Paris but returned to Portugal at age 10. She majored in Portuguese History at the Lisbon University and now teaches it. However, she used to work for several hotels in the South of Portugal in the region of the Algarve. It is here that she began to enjoy meeting travelers and guests to the region. Soon she began to conduct a few wine tours of the rich, concentrated red wines from the neighboring area of Alentejo. Since she was surrounded by wine culture all her life through her father who makes wines and is passionate about it, as well as quite a few friends of hers, she considers herself a very lucky person: Wine & Portuguese History. It is a perfect combination for any wine and history enthusiast. Cristina makes it happen for you. View Complete Profile
It's not easy to pass the exams, administered by the French Ministry of Culture, and be certified as a National Tour Guide. Jennifer studied and passed, though. Art, history, architecture ... buildings, dates, monuments, museums.
Not to downgrade her detailed knowledge, but what might make Jennifer even more intriguing as a person, and sought-after as a host, is her connection to the world of cabaret, theater and opera. View Complete Profile
Jean always knew she wanted to live somewhere smaller than Toronto; she just didn't know that city would be in France. She'd spent four years in Metz as a child and returned as an adult to rediscover her "city of the heart".
So she moved to Metz in 2005 to rededicate herself to writing…while savoring the experience of living in France. And what better place than Metz? View Complete Profile
Antonella runs a language academy in Lucca, in a corner of Tuscany closer to the coastal resorts of Cinqueterre than to Florence, miles from the Tuscany of popular guidebooks.
So when you're ready for a change of scenery, call Antonella. She'll take you to a spot only an hour or so from Pisa that's downright breathtaking, a district called Garfagnana. View Complete Profile
Mellen Candage runs a Grammarians, Inc., a publishing and translation business in Alexandria, VA. She's a confirmed Francophile as well, and for the past 12 years has owned an old stone house in a remote hamlet in the Dordogne region of southwestern France, smack next door to a prehistoric cave.
She'll introduce you to her neighbors: the farmer who raises ducks and makes foie gras, the mill that produces fragrant walnut oil, a mushroom farm, and a cheese producer. She's a gardener who likes to cook with the results, who thinks sitting around a table with appreciative eaters is one of life's great pleasures. View Complete Profile
American-born Carla arrived in Europe 20 years ago with a love of Italy and two suitcases. Today she has an Italian husband, a 12-year-old daughter, a sailboat, and a thriving career as a travel and website consultant.
She’s also part of a folk group called “le Arti per via” that dresses up in costumes and portrays life 100 years ago in a recreated authentic piazza from Italy. In October, 2005, they even toured the US. View Complete Profile
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Chalm, André |
France: Paris |
Antiques, Art/Architecture, Fashion, Culinary/Cooking, Local culture |
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The embodiment of a sophisticated Parisienne, Andrée has spent a lifetime studying the elegant corners of Paris.
Her professional career as an independent event planner has been spent in corporate tourism, organizing large-scale events visitors from around the world. She's so well connected that she's also the Paris tourist bureau's official contact for international journalists reporting on French style.
In 2001, she was awarded the coveted "Grand Prix du Tourisme." Now Andrée offers you a complete change of scale and pace ... to see how she herself lives. View Complete Profile
Christophe has approached the challenge facing all but the most famous wine growers in France with rare imagination. The well-regarded property in his wife's family lies in a modest appellation, not prestigious enough to bring high prices.
So, in entrepreneurial fashion, Christophe bought a piece of land for himself and started growing grapes; he also bought a company to market his wine in Belgium. It's an inspiring story that he shares with visitors interested in traveling one village beyond the beaten path, one bottle beyond the familiar labels. View Complete Profile
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Cobbold, David |
France: Paris, Gascony |
Wine, Art/Architecture, Local Culture |
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David, who has lived in France for over 25 years, is one of the busiest wine experts in Paris, writing, consulting and teaching in both English and French. His expertise ranges from Champagne to Port, and his books are acknowledged masterpieces.
He prepares meticulously for every project, whether it's a tasting, a trip, a talk or an article. Then, when you meet him, he's easygoing, articulate, and a great companion. View Complete Profile
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Colon, Roberto |
Spain: North Coast (Cantabria) |
Natural History, Gastronomy, Local Culture |
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Transplanted to Spain by the US Air Force, Roberto fell in love, married, and stayed. "You must come to Santander," he insists. "I will show you: it is the most beautiful city in Spain."
Midway between the prehistoric cave paintings of Altamira and the Guggenheim museum of Bilbao, Santander enjoys some of Spain's loveliest weather and most spectacular scenery. An avid walker, a student of natural history, a gourmet, Roberto is the ideal host for your visit to northern Spain. View Complete Profile
Peter is a South African who—after studying commerce and law—headed for the wilds of Botswana, where he has been a safari guide for the past 25 years.
Salome earned a teacher’s diploma from Port Elizabeth University, then became a translator, journalist and magazine editor. She met Peter on safari in 1984 and joined him in Botswana. From their property at the confluence of the Zambezi and the Chobe Rivers, you can hear the call of lions at night ... and you're invited to stay in their guest house.
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Martin does anything to get away from the miserable English weather! He is now a tropical animal, or as the local Cubans call him "un gringo aplatanado". Born in England he lived his first 17 years in England, 12 years in Peru, 10 years on Brazil, 6 years in Guatemala, and 20 years in South Florida. Right, that makes him 64 years old. View Complete Profile
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Daniels, Sammie |
Italy: Tuscany |
Culinary/Cooking, Wine, Music, Local Culture |
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Sammie Daniels spends less than half the year in California; the rest of the time she's hanging out in Tuscany, midway between Florence and Siena, based at a winery called Fontodi in the hill town of Panzano-in-Chianti.
Here she welcomes a stream of visitors: people hoping to rent a villa, people who've already rented a villa, people who want to import Tuscan wine, and people who just want someone to help them navigate the treasures of Tuscany. View Complete Profile
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Davis, Larry |
France: Paris |
Antiques, Art & Architecture, Fashion, Local Culture |
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Born in England, Larry attended a British public school before moving to New York to attend college. After 22 years in the US, he moved to France and plunged into the world of fine art, jewelry, and luxury shopping.
With his passion for art, luxury, and travel, it's not surprising that he stayed in Paris. "It's hard not to get excited by the art and culture here," he says. Now he is offering his insider's knowledge of the art, antique, jewelry and fashion scenes to a broad range of visitors interested in exploring Paris with a different perspective. View Complete Profile
Although she grew up in a globe-trotting family, Véronique never expected to become the wife of a French naval officer. By the time she entered college she'd lived in France, Australia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Norway, Turkey, the Netherlands and Canada. She met her future husband, Hugues, at the theater in Paris just before she left for Montreal and a month-long bus tour of North America. View Complete Profile
Graziella considers herself the luckiest person in Rome: she lives in the Trastevere district, within walking distance of the Campo de Fiori, Piazza Navona, and the Pantheon.
Her passion for Trastevere led her to join the Associazione Progetto Trastevere, an organization that works for the preservation and defense of this old “rione” (district) with its churches, piazzas, little lanes and characteristic shops, once home to Rome’s most famous criminals. Don't be surprised to hear her say, “I volunteer at a prison!”
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Born in France from Italian emigrants Sonia studied languages at l’Universite Catholique de Lyon, France. She speaks English, French, and German fluently and began recently studying Chinese for her own pleasure. In 1980 she returned to Italy and started a successful language, culture & culinary School in Siena www.artandcooking.com. View Complete Profile
Pescara is a thriving port and resort town on Italy's eastern, Adriatic coast. Domenico grew up nearby, and has come home after spending 16 years in New York. He's a high-level soccer player, and a language teacher who will welcome you with an enthusiastic smile and an outburst of words: “Come va? Piacere! Benvenuto a Pescara!” -- “How do you do? Very nice to meet you! Welcome to Pescara!”
A former sales manager for TWA, Domenico is deeply involved in international tourism, having worked for SAGA (Pescara’s airport authority) to increase direct international flights from North America. He is currently partner in an agency specializing in upscale rentals and real estate for visitors to Abruzzo region.
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Born and raised in Lisbon, Cristina studied tourism at the university, where she also met her husband, a professor of biology and consultant in biotechnology. Her professional travels have taken her all over Europe, especially to Italy, where she lived in Turin and escorted visiting Portuguese tourists. Multi-talented and multi-lingual, she is now back in Lisbon, raising two children and meeting international visitors from cruise ships that call at the Tagus river docks. View Complete Profile
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Eckardt, Jo |
Germany: Berlin |
Art, Architecture, History & Local Culture |
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Jo has a Ph.D. in German literature. She is interested in history and culture and spent most of her adult life (19 years!) in the US, mostly in New York. She taught at NYU, and worked as a translator for the German Mission to the UN.
She also worked and still works as a therapist and psycho-analyst and writes self-help books.
Then, after having had her first child, she returned to Germany in 2001.
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Farr Louis, Diana |
Greece: Athens |
Wine, Gastronomy/Culinary, Culinary/Cooking, Art/Architecture, Local Culture
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Diana knows everything about Athens, period. Its ancient history, its modern neighborhoods, its food, its wine, its streets and markets. She's a travel writer who grew up in New York and has lived in Greece for the better part of 40 years.
Tag along with her to discover “unknown” neighborhoods, art galleries and museums in Athens, or archaeological sites around Attica and the Peloponnese.
“Who could have predicted,” she writes, “that when I first set foot in Greece in 1963, I would return to live here nine years later and eventually make career writing about (some of) the things I love best: food, wine and travel.”
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Carlos grew up in Madrid, earned a degree in marketing and worked for several years in the food service industry, including time in the US, France and England. He cut his teeth in tourism as a guide for Rick Steves's "Europe Through the Back Door" trips and started his own company, LeTango—Essence of Espana, in 1999.
He lives with his American wife, Jennifer, and two children in the historic center of Madrid. View Complete Profile
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Garani, Laura |
Italy: Ferrara |
History, Art & Antiques, Jewish History, Local Culture |
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Why Ferrara? Because it is, perhaps, the loveliest and most approachable of northern Italy's “art cities.” Why Laura? Because she is, simply, one of Ferrara's most personable and knowledgeable ambassadors. View Complete Profile
With a degree in art history and French from UC Santa Barbara, Jill is a well-traveled Californian who has lived in Bordeaux (where she studied fine arts), Rome (where she taught English) and Tokyo (where she worked as a journalist). A decade ago she moved to Metz (for love). Now she lives with her husband and their three children in a "funky" 325-year-old townhouse in the city's historical center and teaches English at the university and translates on the side.
"Metz is a city that pleasantly surprises the most skeptical of people," says Jill. View Complete Profile
Vassilis has the good fortune to run a small family hotel in Chania, the second largest town on the island of Crete, were he caters to single travelers—mostly from Britain—who come in search of sun and sand, blue water and blue skies.
Vassilis also has a more serious side, deeply rooted in the rich history of the island, which he's anxious to share. View Complete Profile
Not everyone has a friend in New York like Carrie, a friend who knows where to find the latest boutique or has an invite to the trendiest restaurant opening. So let Carrie Gjermundsen, a fashion editor and stylist, be your host & guide to the city's chic streets, shops, eateries and treats.
Her areas of professional expertise are fashion and home decor. She knows where to find it: from high-end luxury to mass-market to vintage. From designers' sample sales to just-opened boutiques and off-the-beaten track gems.
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Grant, Roy |
Italy: Assisi |
History, Art, Antiques & Local Culture |
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Roy calls himself a “happy retired Englishman” who chose to live in Assisi, Umbria. Being a bachelor with no family ties, other than two married brothers and a widowed sister in England, Roy could live anywhere. It was his love of art and history that brought him to Assisi. His apartment, a 10- minute walk to the main square, occupies the lower level of a 700 year old building which was built onto a Roman ruin. He sleeps under a 2000 year old Roman arch. Formerly this was a habitation for animals; now it is a welcoming home, furnished with antique furniture and his collection of Roman, Byzantine, medieval and Renaissance works of art. View Complete Profile
Silvia looks after a villa rental agency and plans weddings in the romantic Tuscan countryside. She's also an outdoor enthusiast who returns regularly to her family home in the Apennines to go skiing and snowboarding.
She lived in London for seven years, and has spent time in the US as well. Three months, on the road. She had friends who helped her go native. Now she wants to help you do the same in Tuscany. View Complete Profile
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Haynes, Jim |
France: Paris |
Gastronomy/Culinary, Theater, Local Culture |
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Born in Louisiana, Jim Haynes spent his teens in Venezuela, attended boarding school in Atlanta and moved to the UK after college, where he spent 15 years producing and directing plays and was awarded the Whitbread Prize for his contribution to British theater. He settled in Paris 35 years ago to write travel books.
Every Sunday for the past three decades, Jim has invited at least 60 people for dinner at his home. And it's not some lavish country estate, but a modest atelier (a combination artist's studio and living space) in the unpretentious Alesia neighborhood of Paris. His autobiography is aptly titled "Thanks for Coming!" View Complete Profile
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Holden, Ronald |
USA: Seattle |
Wine, Culinary/Cooking, Music, Local Culture |
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Ronald is a former broadcaster and public relations executive who learned to type at an early age and hasn't stopped yet. Curious, inquisitive, personable, multi-lingual, cultured, he lives in downtown Seattle, keeps a blog (www.cornichon.org) of tasting notes and travel dispatches, and sends his reviews of neighborhood restaurants to an assortment of local and regional publications.
Fluent in French and German, he welcomes visitors who want to see what it's like to live downtown in a creative, vibrant, politically liberal American city. View Complete Profile
Major General Graham Hollands first came to Normandy in 1975 with the British Army Staff College. Then, he met some of the key Allied and German participants in the events that took place on D-Day and between June and August of 1944.
Now retired, he lives in Normandy and is keen on showing visitors the battlefields. His military service, local knowledge and interest in military history offer his guests—historians, veterans, families, corporate groups—a memorable opportunity to bring to life the events of a pivotal campaign of World War II.
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Horn, Art |
Germany: Bavaria |
Art/Architecture, History, Politics, Music, Local Culture |
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Art Horn has a fascinating multinational history. Born and raised in Bavaria, he studied in England and Detroit, worked for Lufthansa, and served for two years in the US Army.
For the past 30 years, he's been welcoming VIP visitors to Germany, providing chauffeur-driven tours to individuals, couples and families. A specialist in art, culture, politics and history, Art Horn is the man to see if your travels take you to Munich. View Complete Profile
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Horstink, Hans |
Netherlands: Amsterdam |
Art, Music, Culinary/Food, Theatre & Local Culture |
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Hans grew up in the central east part of the Netherlands. He moved to Amsterdam to study and is convinced that he will never leave this beautiful place again. It just has too much to offer. Captivated by the variety of cultural events, especially in his profession as a drama teacher and theatre director, he will not want to miss the famous Holland Festival in June; or see theatre performances, go to concerts (classical or jazz) and/or operas, as well as visit any exhibitions whether it is modern or traditional, he will go as long as it promises a high standard performance. View Complete Profile
Born in Paris, Gaël has spent the past decade marketing the pleasures of tourism. He started out at the popular French theme park "Astérix," and is now with the Château du Clos Lucé, whose most famous resident—back in the 16th century—was Leonardo da Vinci. Thoroughly committed to the Loire Valley, he serves as general secretary to the Amboise Tourist Board. View Complete Profile
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Johnston, Davy |
Spain: Andalusia, Ronda Mountains |
History, Nature & Local Culture |
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David, originally from Ireland and then from just about everywhere else, now lives in the Ronda mountains, in Andalusia, on Spain’s Southern tip. His village, Yunquera, was established by the Romans as “Juncaria” or “Place of the reeds”.
It lies inside the Sierra De Las Nieves (Snowy Mountains) Natural Park and UNESCO Biosphere. From here, David leads walking and motorcycle trail riding tours. He also contributes to the press, radio and TV on outdoor issues. He gives visitors in-depth and in-detail access to this unique area.
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Kerlann, Mandy |
France: Burgundy |
Wine, Gastronomy, Art, Antiques, Local Culture |
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Born in India, educated in British Columbia and trained as a scientist (microbiology, pharmacy), Mandy fell in love with the French language…and with her future husband, Hervé Kerlann, a wine merchant from a distinguished family. Mandy moved to Burgundy and married him 15 years ago. The original Marquis de Laborde was Louis XVI's financial advisor, to whom the king bequeathed an impressive estate on the outskirts of Beaune. These days, Mandy operates the property, Chateau de Laborde, as a 3-room bed & breakfast. She has also launched a dazzling business of her own: "'Marquise de Laborde," a line of custom-made luxury French linens. View Complete Profile
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Kolbe, Jeremy |
France: Loire |
Agriculture, Art/Architecture, History, Politics, Local Culture |
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Jeremy Kolbe, who's currently serving on the municipal council in his adopted village in France, was born in Morocco; his father was Czech, his mother English. After schooling in England, he began managing agricultural tours. In 1991 he and his wife, Julie, moved to Onzain, a small town on the Loire, in the heart of the French chateau country.
Jeremy makes his living chauffeuring visitors to the local sights while Julie teaches English part-time to staff in Anglo-American companies and in a private primary school. Together, they offer a rare glimpse into French village life. View Complete Profile
Sarah has had a passion for travel and exploring other cultures ever since she was brought up in Latin America. Only since meeting her husband, James, has she been able to travel worldwide. Together, they have opted out of the stress and strain of office life in England and have made themselves a new home in the Champagne region of France.
By May, 2006, their remodeled barn will be open as a B&B. But you don't have to wait: there are plenty of charming hotels nearby. View Complete Profile
James has spent the last 20 years in France, moving steadily up the ladder in the world of wine, awarded the coveted Master of Wine diploma in 1993 and currently contributing editor for England's leading wine magazine, Decanter.
A prolific writer, he lives in a farmhouse in the Entre-Deux-Mers, east of Bordeaux, making regular forays to vineyards, tastings, and lecture halls around the world. View Complete Profile
A Canadian born in Vancouver, married to a Frenchman, Gale has lived in Burgundy for over 25 years. First she passed the official Guide-Interpreter exams, then she worked for a large commercial winery as a sales consultant. Her husband is a retired hotel manager with a passion for cooking. Together, they researched and wrote Access G | |
