Hello, This Is Florence
About me
Kiss Eszter
About me
When I guide groups, there are always a few people who come up to me during the tour to ask questions. And that’s just how it should be! I’m always happy to answer and chat about topics not necessarily related to the Renaissance or Dante. One of the most frequent questions is whether I was a tour guide back home in Hungary.
Although I’ve always loved traveling and learning about the world, when it came time to decide what to do after high school, I chose English. I earned my degree as an English teacher in my hometown, Szeged, at what was then called the Juhász Gyula Teacher Training College. Later, I received my university diploma from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. I taught English to adults for a few years before working for an American multinational company.
The Italian language and culture came into my life through my husband, or more precisely, through his family. I was frustrated that I couldn’t communicate at those big, joyful Italian family gatherings. I didn’t understand a word, and just sitting there smiling was exhausting. So, I began learning Italian. Thanks to my strong motivation, I progressed quickly, and by the time we moved to Italy a few years later, I already had an advanced language certificate.
That’s when the real learning began—being a mother of young children in a foreign country, in a completely new situation. It wasn’t easy. But as the years went by, I discovered more and more, things smoothed out, and I found joy in exploring the world around me. I became a tour guide to share this knowledge with others and make it meaningful for them.
I still miss pogácsa (savory scones), túrós bukta (sweet cottage cheese-filled pastries), gesztenyepüré (chestnut puree), mákos pozsonyi kifli (poppy seed crescents), halászlé (fish soup), and túrós csusza (cottage cheese noodles)—along with my family, the peace of home, and friendships that have lasted over 20 years. Anyone who has lived far from home, even for a short time, understands what this feels like.
Still, when I welcome guests here in Florence and Tuscany, I feel like a sort of “ambassador.” I use my life experience and knowledge to serve their experience.
Meeting my guests, chatting over a coffee, or even taking a photo together are important parts of the experience for me. Perhaps I feel that they bring a little piece of “home” with them.
Feel free to reach out if you’d like to discover a Florence and Tuscany that guidebooks and websites don’t talk about!
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