Born in England but raised in a lakeside village just north of Rome, I was convinced I was English until I went to the UK to study French and Philosophy. After graduating from Manchester University and taking a course in Garden Design, I couldn’t wait to return to Italy. I started out as a botanical guide for Italian visitors at the Gardens of Ninfa. This seasonal role I combined with leading student groups on educational tours "racing" across Europe. But it wasn’t until I joined a small company specialized in gently-paced walking tours across rural Italy that I felt that being a guide was a fascinating way of combining my interests: art and history, local customs, food, wine, gardens and people.

After almost 10 years “on the road” between Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Sicily, Liguria and Basilicata, I chose to focus entirely on Rome. In 2001 I passed the public exams to be a local guide and have been showing people this amazing city ever since: gathering stories and details constantly, making characters come alive and personally succumbing to some of that fantasy that allows us to enter into another era. I am fascinated by Rome's endless depth; the extent of her complexity and influence are my ongoing challenge. I feel lucky to be able to share my love for this outstanding place with others.