 Brett – After completing an M.A. in International Relations and cutting short a career with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Brett’s sense of adventure took him to trek in the Canadian Rockies, the Atlas mountains of Morocco, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the Everest region of Nepal and the Italian Dolomites. He has also cycled extensively throughout Europe. His passion for good food and wine explains why he has been living in Tuscany since 1994. Languages: Canadian-eh, French and Italian. |
 Claire has a PhD in Comparative Literature but happily abandoned academia 15 years ago to become a guide. Her zest for life and wanderlust have taken her all over the world, from Albania to Zanzibar, and she now works closely with Brett to oversee the research and development of our tours. Claire is fluent in French and Italian, and can order wine in another 15 languages. She lives in Florence (that is, whenever she’s actually home!). |
 Luca is passionate about bikes and everything related to them. He has led bike trips throughout France and Italy and has also raced in Italy and the United States, where he lived in Boulder for a couple of years. He returned to his home in Bologna om 2000 and began working for us full time in 2003 to manage and develop our growing bike program. Languages: Italian, English, French, Norwegian. Luca leads our bike tours in Provence, the Dordogne, Tuscany, Puglia as well as our special tours following the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. |
 Virginie was born in Morocco and then moved to Provence, so she has a real Southern soul. She has traveled throughout the world with her adventurous daughter and now lives in Northern France. She helps us with our French tours and the spectacular Algerian Sahara hike. Before joining Customwalks she ran several B&Bs in the south of France and also worked as a chef. Languages: French, English, Italian. |
E manuela - lives in Chianti although she is originally from Genoa. “Manu” is a biologist by training and used to work for an environmental consultancy. She divides her time between guiding our trips in Tuscany, the Dolomites, the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi coast, and helping her mother who has a cooking school. Needless to say Manu is also a great cook and has a discerning palate which ensures that you always get the best your dinner plate. |
 Sagra - has been guiding for us since 1999 leading trips in Tuscany, Lake Como and the Cinque Terre. Sagra’s native tongue is Spanish, but she also speaks Catalan, English, French and Italian. When not guiding, she teaches secondary school in Spain and is also pursuing a Master’s degree in anthropology. Sagra’s high energy and great sense of fun are present on every trip she leads. |
 Rosita is from the Bologna area and has been leading biking and walking tours for many years throughout Italy. She has done just about every job, from industrial welding to giving massages in a discotheque! Come join her in the Cinque Terre or on one of our Vespa tours and see which of her talents is right for you! Fluent in Italian, English, and French. |
 Yorgos spent his first 15 years in New Your City and then moved to the Greek island of Evia with his family to return to their ancestral homeland. He now lives in Kalamata where he maintains the family olive grove. He guides our Greek Island Hopper walking tour, our Dodecanese Greek island cruise and walk, and of course the Peloponnese Bike tour which he himself designed. Patient, kind, and knowledgeable, Yorgos is the perfect ambassador to his Greek homeland. Languages: English, Greek, Italian |
 Giorgio - Originally from Milan, Giorgio now lives in Cortina where he mountain climbs in the summer and works as a ski instructor in the winter. He obviously loves the mountains, but he is also a keen sailor, having skippered sailboats throughout the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Giorgio speaks excellent English and has boundless energy, which will keep you laughing on the trail as well as well informed of the history and culture of the region |
 Angie Originally from Yorkshire, Angie arrived in Tureky16 years ago after several years crewing yachts around the world, from small sailboats to grand super-yachts. Now married to a Turkish gulet captain, Angie is fluent in Turkish and has been guiding both gulet tours along the coast and walking tours in Cappadoccia since 1996. Angie is also the author of a Turkish cookbook. She is great company and a wonderful guide to Turkey. |
 Claudia is originally from Padova, has lived in Milan , Rome, and Siracusa, Sicily, but now lives in Luxembourg. Her freelance work as a translator and interpreter take her throughout Italy. She loves film and often interprets at Italy’s major film festivals. A “bon vivant,” Claudia loves to travel, meet new people and discover new places. She guides our walking tours in the Cinque Terre, Lake Como, Puglia & Basilicata. She put together our Sicily Walk which she of course guides. Languages: Italian, English, and French. |
 Melissa has been guiding trips throughout Europe or over 17 years. She loves the sharing and learning that take place during a tour, in places that inspire our hearts and minds. She moved to Florence in 1999 and followed her dream to study art. She is now a full time artist and fine arts teacher. Along with her cultural interests, she is a true nature lover and spends as much time as possible cycling and hiking in the hills near Florence. Languages, English, Italian, French. |
 Stephanie is originally from the U.S. but has been living in Ravenna long enough to raise two boys and create a thriving mosaic business with her husband. She is passionate abut hiking and local traditions and loves ‘poking around’ to discover new spots and trails. She guides our Cinque Terre and Tuscany Walks and has trained for our Dolomites and Puglia Walks. Languages: English, Italian, passable French. See her mosaics at www.twindolphinmosaics.com |
 Lorenzo lives in the the Tuscan countryside near Siena, which he never gets tired of admiring and exploring, though he also loves taking off and traveling the world. A student of foreign languages and literature with a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing (today a hobby), he has been guiding walking, hiking and cycling tours since 1999. What he thought would be just a temporary job has become a full-time profession, sparking increasing interest in nature and history. He is now pursuing a degree in ethnology. Languages: Italian, English, French, German. |
 Ilaria was born in Florence but currently resides in Bologna where she graduated in Performing Arts and Music. She works as a drama teacher with primary school children throughout the Emilia Romagna and Tuscany regions and we were lucky enough to have her join Customwalk in the Summer of 2009. Ilaria wins the prize for most enthusiastic guide! Ilaria guides our Cinque Terre, Tuscany and Amalfi hiking tours. She is fluent in English and Italian. |
 Carol has been working in the active tour industry for more than 20 years. She started in the early ‘90s with a San Francisco based company that ran trekking trips all over the world. In keeping with her Italian background (she has relatives in Piedmont), she shifted her professional interests in 1993 and began designing and leading tours exclusively in Italy. Eighteen years later, she continues to enjoy Italy, and now lives in
Tuscany with her two young boys. Carol has designed and led trips in: Amalfi, Tuscany, Umbria, Le Marche, Lazio, Piedmont, Lombardia, the
Dolomites, Emilia-Romagna, the Veneto, Corsica, Liguria, Sicily, Puglia, and Sardinia. |
 Betta guided bike tours throughout Italy for years but eventually took a break to settle down in her home town of Bologna. She now travels extensively all over the world and bikes whenever she gets some free time. Luckily for us, she got the guiding bug again and she guides a few trips for us. Come and tour with a native of Emilia-Romagna, home to what many consider the best food in Italy! |
 Marco is originally from Florence but now lives in the verdant hills above Lucca. His love of travel has taken him on hiking adventures all over the world, from the Sahara to the Amazon and Nepal. When not traveling, he works as an artist and mosaicist in his home studio. He guides our walking tours in the Cinque Terre as well as our Vespa tours. Come and explore the Tuscan hills with one of its native sons! |
 Eli has been living in Italy for 20 years, although she is originally from Vermont. She has a Masters in Italian literature and is also a Master Sommelier, one of only 200 in Italy, and the only non-Italian. Eli lives in the Chianti region where she works for Avignonesi, one of Italy’s top wine producers, and writes for the prestigious Italian wine review, Due Mille Vini, as well as leading our Vespa tours. Eli also rides a Ducati Monster sport bike. |
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