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Something about me
I am 39 years old and I live in Siena, a beautiful
medieval town about one hour south of Florence.
Geology is my background (Ph.D.) but to me life is about more
than an academic degree.
Music, cooking and photographing are my passions.
I consider myself lucky
to be able to combine all my passions into my guiding
business.
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I have been a certified guide
for nature walks since 1999. When I started my
business, guiding was just 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.
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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. |
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Music
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.
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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. Watch the pasta making video.
Yummy!
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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 taken by 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 and videos you can watch in this web site.
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My
friends and colleagues
So the
company is just me, myself and I!
Riccardo
or Marzia are going to substitute me in case that I am
not available due to some other previous guest's booking
or other problems that may arise in the meanwhile.
Riccardo is a professional guide as well. We share
the same passion for walking, so when we have free time
we do some hiking together. He has a natural science
background; he is very passionate about the history and
traditions of this region. He is also a very good cook.
Marzia
was born in Pisa and grown
up in a small village of Tuscan countryside at the
border of
Florence, Pisa and Siena
provinces (Lajatico, which is hometown to Andrea
Bocelli, the singer). She
has a University degree in
linguistics, French and English literature. She lived in
London for few years where she taught Italian culture in
a College. She's been working as a professional nature
guide for many years.
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<Riccardo |
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Marzia> |
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San Gimignano
Monteriggioni
Siena
Chianti
Elba Island
FLORENCE
Montalcino
Pienza
Maremma
VAL D'ORCIA
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