I'm a professional academic who travels regularly for business. My work is in archaeology, an amazing field of science - although I have to warn you in advance that I never dug up anything, let alone went into dark caves to hunt for treasure. When I'm off duty, I like to chat with friends, cook (and eat) meals, go shopping, go for walks, and occasionally go out dancing.

I no longer host couchsurfers - perhaps I'll be back on the trail someday!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I love meeting people from all over the world and different walks of life through couchsurfing - every guest is a new adventure. I have made real friends this way, and have experienced the hospitality of fellow-couchsurfers on a number of occasions, making visiting new places a so much better experience.

Interests

People, conversation, food, drink, and the rest of culture in all its variety. I guess you could get me talking a lot about history and archaeology as well - but I'm quite open to other topics of conversation.

• culture
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• recipes
• drinking
• shopping
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• piano
• history
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I used to read a lot, but these days it's hard to find time. I generally prefer historical novels and non-fiction, magical realism, and some (but not all) fantasy and SF novels - and I occasionally read 'real' literature as well. These are a few of my all-time favourites:
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
1Q84 - Haruki Murakami
The Terror - Dan Simmons
Mike Dash - Batavia's Graveyard
The Discworld Series - Terry Pratchett
Fencer Trilogy - K.J. Parker
Asterix - Goscinny & Uderzo

I like a good movie, but I hardly consider myself an expert. Here are some that I enjoyed:
Lost in Translation
Spirited Away
Gravity
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring
Mr. Holmes

I love music, but I guess my taste is a bit eclectic, ranging from bluegrass and fado to soul, blues, J-Pop and (some) dance music. Not a big fan of most rock music, to be honest. A few albums that never bore me:
Alison Krauss and Union Station - Paper Airplane
Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials
Madedreus - O Paraíso
Maitre Gims - Subliminal la face cachée
London Grammar - If You Wait
Perfume - Triangle
Stromae - Racine Carrée

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Most amazing experience: falling in love :) Second best: learning how to sing fado and perform in a small Amsterdam theatre.

Travelling highlights:
* Standing at the Forum Romanum surrounded by history
* Doing midnight shopping at Mustafa's in Singapore
* Singing karaoke in a 'snackbar' in Kyoto
* Watching a sumo wrestling game in Tokyo
* Climbing through the Eisriesenhöhle in Werfen, Austria - if you ever have the chance, go there just to experience the power of darkness in an icy cave

Teach, Learn, Share

Would love to play the awesome game of Fiasco with you! Lacking that, I also enjoy cooking, and if we can share some recipes that would be awesome.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Spain

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