Tour guide in Trapani Marsala Josie N.

Hello!! I am Josie and I was born in Palermo, where I live - I have been a local tour guide for 30 years and also Tour Director for more than 35 years. Since I was a little girl, I have always had a real passion and enthusiasm for the incredible and beautiful art and history of Sicily and Italy; as a matter of fact I feel very privileged to live in one of the richest countries in the world, especially as far as art and history are concerned. At the age of 19, I started travelling all around Europe as a Tour Director with lots of American , Canadian and british customers. This was my very first job and lasted several years. Still today, I feel very lucky to see every day so many different places and meet people from all over the world; I enjoy all the conversations we may have and I like learning from each other I speak fluently English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and obviously Italian. I am really glad to share my enthusiasm and knowledge with all visitors that appreciate my effort in showing them what my country is like. I love explaining the local culture; it is not just seeing beautiful sights, but really feeling the cultures, so people have a truly and unique experience of life here. Sicily is amazing and exciting!It is a "cradle" of Mediterranean culture. If you consider that throughout the centuries the island was taken over by Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Swabians, Spaniards you can easily understand what makes the interest of visiting it! Obviously Sicilians like me, are the result of all this "melting pot" . Think that Sicilian is not a dialect but a language, still spoken by most of people here. Also our cuisine features so many ingredients and ways of cooking brought from completely different countries and by former civilizations: for example the bitter orange, the "ricotta" cheese, the almond paste, the "arancine"(rice balls), the "caponata" and many others, are all of Arabic origin. In all my tours I always try to make a little break with you, so you can eat or drink something truly typical. I love Sicily where I was born and raised, and I really hope to make you feel "at home" by being in a totally different place! After travelling abroad for so many years, I chose Palermo as the place where to spend the rest of my life. It is an exciting city, with so many contrasts and interests. I hope to be your guide one of these days, not only around Palermo, but also in other parts of my fascinating island. . . Think about it. . . Restrictions I inform you that for my non walking tours I will reserve a private car with driver and obviously I will let you know the additional cost . Therefore transportation is NOT included I have been an official Tour guide in Palermo and Trapani since 2000,therefore I have the two licenses for the two provinces.Since 1990 I have also been a Tour Director all over Europe and Italy. I gained my BA in Tourist Guiding, followed by a degree in Foreign Languages at the University of Palermo. I have accompanied groups to Italy and Europe for several years. In Tunisia, I have worked as Tour Leader in archeological Tours, for eight years. I have attended courses of Medieval Art and History ,in particular referring to Sicily and the Mediterranean area. On scholarship I attended courses in France, Spain and Germany. I lead groups in English, French and Spanish. -First aid course: March 2009