About me

Travelling has always been part of my life.  So much so that I've made a career out of it!  I've worked as a European Tour Guide for over 20 years and counting.  I consider myself fortunate to have seen many far flung corners of our beautiful continent although I do believe it is becoming harder to find places of outstanding natural beauty which are still hidden away to feel unspoilt and unknown. 

This is the idea behind my Hide-Aways homes.  In both cases I spent a month exploring in search of a somewhere special.  The result is Azur Villa and Maison Caramany.

Both properties are set amidst beautiful natural surroundings.  Both offer maximum peace and quiet.  And both locations still remain a secret from the tourist market.

A little more about Azur Villa

After graduating in 1996 I decided to travel to Australia from the UK by land and sea for a year.  Passing through Turkey I was mesmerized by the country and especially the beauty of its Turquoise coast to the south.  Promising myself there and then to have a home along the coast for my retirement, I decided instead to go ahead prematurely in 2001 at the age of 27.  Armed with a map and an indomitable youthful spirit, I scoured the Turkish Turquoise coast for a month, often following word-of-mouth leads, knocking on people's doors, all in the name finding somewhere special away from the established tourist towns.  My search finally came to an end at a stretch of coastline expertly concealed behind some hills on the outskirts of Demre town on Turkey's southern Turquoise coast.

A little more about Maison Caramany

In the winter of 2002 with the help of my brother's camper van I spent a month combing the villages of Roussillon in southern France to find my second hide-away.  After countless visits to villages, towns and hamlets, of false dawns and trials of faith, I finally stumbled upon the majestic hill-top medieval village of Caramany.  Here I came across an old but charming maison bourgeoise, unloved and uninhabited for 30 years.  Four years of hard labour bore the fruit of which is today Maison Caramany.