Finding a host
To find a host you can:
- Click on a photograph below to learn more about each host
- Browse our hosts by region
- Browse our hosts by specialty
Click on a photograph to learn more about each host.
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Host: Patty & Rudy Ariani
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Their paths crossed four 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; Patty and Rudy returned to Rome's classy Monteverde neighborhood and opened a B&B in what had been Rudy's childhood apartment. They both manage the B&B and Rudy as well does airport transfers and tours all over Italy for their guests.
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Host: Anne Marie Aucouturier
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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.
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Host: Patricia Bachrach Description: In a restored old mill surrounded by olive trees, she has created a charming B&B and installed a fully-equipped teaching kitchen. |
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Host: Susan Baxter
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Host: Vivianne Beller Description: |
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Host: Fabrice Bloch Description: 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. |
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Host: Olivier & Carole Bouchereau
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Host: Burak Alpay
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Host: Alexandra Atzeni Location: Italy: Milan Profession: Administrator & Personal Shopper Specialty: Fashion, Local Culture 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. |
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Host: Alessandra Bolzagni Locations: Italy: Milan, Alpine Lakes Profession: Personal Shopper, Wedding Planner Specialty: Fashion, Local culture 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. |
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Host: Jennifer Burdon Description: 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.
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Host: Antonella Calzolaio Description: 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. |
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Host: Mellen Candage Description: 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. |
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Host: Carla Cassano Location: Italy: Venice & The Veneto Region Profession: Travel/Marketing Consultant Specialty: Local Culture 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. |
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Host: Andrée Chalm Description: 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. |
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Host: Christophe Choisy Description: 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. |
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Host: David Cobbold Description: 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. |
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Host: Roberto Colon
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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.
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Host: Sammie Daniels Description: 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. |
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Host: Larry Davis
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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.
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Host: Carolyn Delelee
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Host: Sabine France & Alain Bodet Description: 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. |
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Host: Jean Burrows
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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?
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Host: Cristina Duarte Location: Portugal: Lisbon Profession: Tour guide, Tourism Consultant Specialty: Art/Architecture, History, Local Culture 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. |
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Host: Carlos Galvin
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He lives with his American wife, Jennifer, and two children in the historic center of Madrid.
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Host: Jill Gaumet
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"Metz is a city that pleasantly surprises the most skeptical of people," says Jill.
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Host: Silvia Gualengi Description: 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.
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Host: Jim Haynes
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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!"
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Host: Ronald Holden Description: 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. |
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Host: Art Horn Description: 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.
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Host: Gaël Ibramsah
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Host: Vassilis Gialamarakis
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Vassilis also has a more serious side, deeply rooted in the rich history of the island, which he's anxious to share.
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Host: Mandy Kerlann Locations: France: Burgundy Profession: Artist (textile designer) Specialty: Wine, Gastronomy, Art, Antiques, Local Culture 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. |
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Host: Jeremy & Julie Kolbe Description: 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. |
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Host: Sarah Lacey
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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.
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Host: James Lawther Description: 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. |
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Host: Gale Le Goff
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Host: Véronique de Longevialle
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Host: Erika Lorentzen Description: She offers a wealth of knowledge and boundless enthusiasm. Let her know what interests you most: art, architecture, history, food & wine ... shèll create a memorable visit for you. |
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Host: Joe McLean Description: Joe leads an active life, teaching at the renowned University of Wine in Suze-la-Rousse, cooking at a small luxury hotel near Uzès, singing and playing the bagpipe with local friends. |
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Host: Gioia Milani Location: Italy: Tuscany Profession: Farmer, Wine Expert, Tourism Consultant Specialty: Wine, Local Culture Gioia was born in southern Tuscany and married a surveyor whose family owed a vineyard in the town of Radda-in-Chianti. Diligent, serious and personable, she taught classes in marketing and tourism at the University in Siena and was elected president of the organization that promotes Tuscany’s wine and tourism, Movimento Turismo del Vino. And when her husband’s parents passed away, it was Gioia who took over the vines, the olive groves the wheat fields and the property’s bed & breakfast. |
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Host: Bernadette Murphy Description: Now she teaches art history at the École des Beaux Arts in Aix. Her keen eye and sense of style have also earned her a retainer from a group of American companies ... as a professional trend-spotter! Clearly, there's no one better connected in Provence than Bernadette.
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Host: Andrei Nicolau
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Host: Andrea Nims Description: Surrounded by friends from a variety of foreign countries — Japan, France, Mexico who have also moved to the US, Andrea offers a unique, multi-cultural perspective on American life. She's the ideal host for your visit to the Pacific Northwest. |
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Host: Els O'Sullivan
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Host: Waltraud Ottl Location: Italy: South Tyrol Profession: Tour guide, Tourism Consultant Specialty: Local culture Where, exactly, is Waltraud’s hometown of Merano? In Italy’s mountainous South Tyrol. Where’s that? Think of a triangle with Innsbruck, in the Austrian Alps, at the northern tip, Venice at the southeastern corner, Milan at the southwestern corner. Merano’s in the center of the triangle. This is the northernmost part of Italy, the very heart of the Alpine Circle, known, in Italian, as the Alto Adige. It’s isolated, relatively unpopulated, and breathtakingly beautiful. And it has three official languages: Italian, German, and Ladin, a romance language spoken only in these mountains. |
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Host: Jeanne Pasquine Description: She's quick to point out that she herself is not a "licensed professional guide." But don't let that stop you: she knows how to make your visit to Tuscany memorable!
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Host: Caterina Prochilo
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Host: Nikki Rose
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And the food! By now, everyone has heard of the Mediterranean Diet. It originated here, in the rural communities of the island of Crete, but it's not just a diet, it's a way of life. And Nikki Rose would like nothing more than to be your guide. Read More |
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Host: Martin Raeburn
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Host: Pedro Rey
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"Come and visit this natural paradise of Spain," writes Pedro. "Let me be your host for one of the most enjoyable experiences that you may encounter in your lifetime."
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Host: Josef Schomburg
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He has explored every corner of the city with an expat's enthusiasm, an artist's eye and a passion for detail; it's a monumental project: to create a multi-media, photographic record of every bit of the city's history.
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Host: Nadine Sirop Location: France: Provence Profession: English Teacher, Tour Guide Specialty: Art/Architecture, Culinary/Cooking, History, Local Culture, Wine Fascinated by the English language, Nadine left her native village in Burgundy at the age of 18 to live in London. She completed her studies, returned to France, became an English teacher, married and had a son. Then, off again, this time with her family, to live in Paradise: on the Island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean. And for 10 fabulous years, it was a dream come true: good job, good friends, and sunshine every day. Here, too, she met Martine Vieux, who became a great friend as well as her business partner. She left, though, to further her son’s education, returning to France in 1996. Soon thereafter, she and Martine opened up their own company, "Provence a la carte." |
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Host: Kitty Snyman Location: South Africa: Western Cape Profession: Tourism Consultant Specialty: Local Culture Kitty’s grandfather was a missionary in Zimbabwe, the African country then known as Rhodesia, where she grew up in a family of seven children on a cattle ranch and tobacco farm. She moved to Stellenbosch to attend university. After a few years of teaching overseas, she returned to South Africa and turned her hobby, travel, into a career. In 1994 she started her own company, Rufaro Destination Management. |
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Host: Steven Spurrier Description: In 1976, while he was living and teaching in Paris, he sponsored a wine tasting that changed the face of wine forever, a tasting in which two wines from California outscored some of the most prestigious wines in France. He now lives once again in London, where he continues to write about wine. |
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Host: Heather Stimmler-Hall Description: Why not have the author herself show you around on your next visit?
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Host: Sharon Sutcliffe Description: An accredited member of the Foreign Press Association, she writes for newspapers and magazines in the UK on a broad range of topics, assignments that rely on her intimate knowledge of what's happening across France.
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Host: Henrik Tidefjärd
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He lived in England, then in Spain, and in 2001 he settled in Berlin, where he soon founded a company called Berlinagenten, similar to InTouch Travel, offering "urban-insider" tours and individual city programs.
"Hanging out" is the favorite activity of Berliners, it's how you soak up living culture. So, hang out with Henrik!
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Host: Maggy van Egmond Description: |
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Host: Martine Vieux Location: France: Provence Profession: History Teacher, Tour Guide Specialty: Art/Architecture, Culinary/Cooking, History, Local Culture, Wine Martine grew up on a small island along the west coast of France, studied Ancient History at the University of Poitiers and became a history teacher. On a vacation trip to the Island of Reunion, she met her best friend Nadine Sirop. When it was time to return to France she chose to settle down in Provence, where she and Nadine opened up a travel company, Provence-a-la-carte. Together, they now offer l’Art de Vivre on Provence! |
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Host: Nalan Yesilyurt Location: Turkey: Istanbul Profession: Travel Director, Tourism Consultant Specialty: Local Culture A native of Istanbul, Nalan grew up in a family of four sisters with a keen appreciation of the importance of family in this city that straddles two continents. Her enthusiasm for Istanbul’s unique, vibrant culture is unmistakable, whether it’s shopping at local markets, late breakfasts on the weekend, visits to Turkish barbers and Turkish baths, or meeting friends for Turkish coffee, joining family weddings, even traditional circumcision parties. |
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Host: Paola Zaganelli Description: Paola Zaganelli knows those villages and those secrets.
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Host: Inga Zivkusic Location: Croatia: Dubrovnik Profession: Interpreter, Tourism Consultant, B&B owner Specialty: History, Local Culture, Wine Married to a wine maker, Inga worked for many years for an international music company before discovering that visitors to Dubrovnik didn’t need lectures from tour guides so much as a good friend to show them around the city and its surroundings. Inga’s pride in her native land is reinforced by none other than George Bernard Shaw, who wrote ".... those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik." |