Manolis Hajifotiou

Manolis grew up in Athens, Greece where he worked in fashion and commercial photography.  Sports, basketball and cycling, were always a part of his life then as now.  After moving to the states in the late 80's he established a photography studio, along with his wife Patricia.  After 12 years they sold the business and moved back to Greece.
 
Soon he started on his lifelong dream to live outside of a city on Greek island.  He and Patricia built a rock house on the island of Evia, doing many of the interior work themselves. 

When he is not leading tours his everyday work could mean pruning olive trees, clearing more brush, playing music, and crafting handmade jewelry.

Everyday he climbs the neighboring hills of the nearest village with his bike.  Some days for a change of pace he'll run or go for a swim at the beach.  Visits to Athens means keeping up with family and friends and partaking in the cultural goodies that the city has to offer.

He also loves to creating great dishes using Greece's plethora of fresh produce, using the huge variety of Greek recipes that were handed down from his mother and grandmother.  (Greece, along with Italy, Morocco, Spain and....certified by UNESCO for Mediterranean cuisine)

On ExperiencePlus! trips he sits down with local chefs and puts together menus for our dinners.  Together, they decide what produce they are going to use to create local recipes.  One of the most positive feedback we get for the Greek trips is the food: how good it is and how fresh and plentiful.  Just what a cyclist needs after beautiful bike riding day!

Manolis believes that one of the great things that  Greece has top offer is the variety of it's terrain.  One day you are right on the ocean riding along the beach and the next day you are in the mountains.  Each place offering different music, food, scents and sounds.  From the stony Greek islands, to lush mountains, to blue oceans.  All the best contrasts to fulfill your taste of Greece.

During their photography years of working as photographers and now doing these great tours, both Manolis & Patricia get their fuel from working with people.  They love meeting the participants ExperiencePlus! tours, people who have the urge and curiosity to discover new cultures and meeting new fellow travelers.  In essence, Manolis and Patricia feel that every participant is their personal guest in Greece. 

They have been on other ExperiencePlus trips in Italy, France and Costa Rica.

"Yorgos, Manolis, and Patricia were delightful as well as professional and very competent."

"Manolis was always ready to accommodate us with bike maintenance, questions about Greek culture, language, and customs. We really enjoyed making his acquaintance."