Walk About Tuscany
Walking guide Italy
Walk About Tuscany
"We were just the three of us. This really made the difference!"
Laura F., California, 2007
 
CULTURE AT YOUR FEET
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About me
     

 

 

 

 
 

I am 39 years old and I live in Siena, a beautiful medieval town about one hour south of Florence.
I have a Ph.D. in Geology but to me life is about more than an academic degree. I am also a musician, a cook and a passionate photographer. I consider myself lucky to be able to combine all my passions into my guiding business.

     
 
    Gianni guiding  

Guiding

I have been a certified walking guide since 1999. When I started my business, guiding was to me not more than a part-time job, pretty much enjoyable, but still  part time. As time went by I realized how much I was feeling in my shoes when guiding groups.
I think that guests mostly like my flexible and easy-going personality.

As a geologist I understand how difficult is to communicate science in an easy and enjoyable way. My goal is to make your vacation an unforgettable one where history, nature and culture really go together very well with enjoyment and laughter.

   
 
   

Geology

In the course of my academic studies I came into touch with mapping, mineralogy and waste management. In my most recent I investigated the "Bottini", a 15 miles long underground aqueduct beneath Siena. Siena is an hill top town with no direct natural access to water. The Sienese excavated the "Bottini" in the 13th century to bring water into town, and it's still working today, supplying water to Fonte Gaia (the Happy Fountain), located in the main square of the town.
A tour of the many public fountains in Siena is an interesting walk through history and technology.

  Gianni geology  
   

 

Music

Whatever happened to that Beethoven record I listened to at least a thousands of times when I was 8 years old?
Music has always been an important part of my life. I was the only member of my family who was not forced to study music, and I am the only one who is still playing! Still playing the flute and guitar in jazz and classical ensembles and still learning (I started studying piano 2 years ago). It's not big money but it's big fun!

Listen to some excerpts from my performances.

MP3 list

 
       
   
    Gianni's recipe  

Cooking

My doctor said: "You need to stick to a vegetarian diet!". I thought this meant lettuce and beans. Thank god I was wrong, I discovered how many delicious but healthy recipes I could cook on my own and I would love to share some of them with you.

 

 

   
 
   

Photography

Ok. I admit it. Maybe I have a musical sensibility but drawing and painting have always been something I really cannot do.
Photography helped me to express from a visual point of view too.

Everything started by looking at the pictures from some friends of mine. They all looked so much  better than mine. I tried to learn what the difference could have been. As I was more and more into digital photography I took a course to learn the basics.

Today, I bring my Nikon D40 everywhere I go. And I enjoy.

I shot the majority of pictures you can see in this web site.

Take a look at my photogallery.

  Photo of a sunset