I am a university researcher living in Berlin. Orignally Italian, I grew up in Sicily but then went to study in Belgium (Louvain) and, for my graduate studies, in the UK (Oxford) and the US (Princeton). Originally a Classicist, I earned a doctorate in Oriental Studies, that is the Caucasus and Byzantium. I have lived in many countries and have many friends who are now scattered around the world. I am into nature and sport (though in winter I sometimes need some motivation to get out the house...), cooking and drinking good wine. My favourite desitnations are Eastern Europe, the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus. South and Central America are for me, at the moment, still terra incognita and, as for Australia, I still need to be convinced that spiders won't kill me... :-p

I live in a great apartment in Berlin together with Christoph, my partner (check Emilio+Christoph, here on CS), for now more than ten years. Christoph complements me, as he is a professional classical musician (organist and conductor) and I am an amateur pianist and chorister. Before moving to Istanbul, I have also lived in many other places (Vienna, Oxford, Geneva, Jerusalem, and Louvain).

Obviously, I am gay. And obviously, you can be whatever you are. But if you have a problem with it, please consider staying somewhere else.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I have been couchsurfing (mostly hosting, to be honest) with my partner in Berlin for more than five years. We hosted more than 80 guests and always found meeting new people from known or remote corners of the world very exciting indeed. I like to hear new points of views and share the little experience of my life. I do not have propblems with persons who are entirely different from me, as long as mutual respect is ensured (political, religious, racial, gay rights, and so forth).

Interests

• books
• cooking
• wine
• traveling
• classical music
• hiking

Music, Movies, and Books

Books and literature, music (I am an active performers), especially classical music, food (love cooking!), wine (especially dessert ones), good beer, traveling.

Music: classical music, I am afraid. I studied piano in conservatory and sing in a chamber choir in Berlin... I am in to chamber and vocal music, opera, Lieder, home-making music.

Movies: difficult subject, better to discuss it live.

Books: even more complicated. In general, however, I like academic books: history, philology, oriental languages, Middle East, ...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The hike to the top of Mount Sinai and the sunset from Gebel Musha in Egypt.

Common Room after High Table at Oxford.

Listening to my partner playing the organ in Chartres Cathedral in the night, when the building is locked.

Performing in the Berlin Philarmonie (that was Mahler...).

Discovering forgotten texts in hidden manuscripts.

Teach, Learn, Share

Music, local history of Vienna, Oxford, cooking skills, laughs. But since I prefer to host that to be hosted, I generally expect to learn from my guests, rather than teaching :-)

What I Can Share with Hosts

If I am not working, walks in the city, visits to museums, attending concerts, or just a nice home-made dinner with candles and a lovely chat.

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malawi, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Palestine, Poland, Russian Federation, Scotland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Belgium, Germany, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States