Side of Athens!

About the guru Nick

Hi! I'm Nick. I am 57 (1962/7/9). 6'2". I am MIT '85 (B.S.) and Northwestern U. '87 (M.S). I also have an M.B.A. from INSEAD in France. Ex Greek Navy MIS (1987-1988). I do specialist a la carte walks for the clients of Guruwalk since 2018. I am not a professional tour guide. I was schooled in Kent (Northborne Park School), Lycee Carnot (Cannes, France) and the sa... More »

Hi! I'm Nick. I am 57 (1962/7/9). 6'2". I am MIT '85 (B.S.) and Northwestern U. '87 (M.S). I also have an M.B.A. from INSEAD in France. Ex Greek Navy MIS (1987-1988). I do specialist a la carte walks for the clients of Guruwalk since 2018. I am not a professional tour guide. I was schooled in Kent (Northborne Park School), Lycee Carnot (Cannes, France) and the same Greek-American school as the current PM of Greece. I am currently (2018-present) the right hand man of a former migrant to Greece and private wealth specialist. I'm her personal bodyguard in Athens and private coach on entrepreneurship and property management, Facebook and other social media support. Did the same job for her in 2013-2015. We first met in 2008. We got married in her native country in 2014. She has 2 sons from her first marriage and two grandkids. I have also been the right hand man of Troas Makri (1925-2008) from 1982, when I was 20, to 2005. I was her bodyguard and personal driver in the USA (MA and IL), France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. Also the right hand man of her younger sister Haroula Makri (1929-2017) in 2015-2016. So far I have also worked as a public affairs manager to a British country manager of Rothmans (1998-1999), a 24/7 carer to an 80 y.o. woman with Altzheimer's (2005-2008), a Brussels based lobbyist (1991-1994), a TV and radio journo (1997-1999). In 2016-2017 I helped Canadian, American, British, Australian and other English speaking clients resolve Billing and Payments and product use issues with Dropbox. I was also a public affairs aide to a British country of Rothmans, the tobacco multinational in 1998-1999 and I do smoke (if you hate smoking/smokers you may choose to not choose my walk). Yet I walk fast and give info while I walk. My tours are thus unusual. I have also been a body man to a Greek MEP in Brussels (1994), to a vice President of the European industrialists (BusinessEurope, in 1992-1994) and a Brussels and Greece bodyman to the director general of SEV, a Greek business lobby (1991-1994). In 1996-1997 I was a speechwriter for the deputy Social Affairs minister of Greece Christos Protopappas and a body man to his chief of staff. I know Athens very well due to my mom and dad. I have in the USA and Belgium and have traveled extensively in North America and Europe: NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, DC, Mass., England, Germany, France, Portugal, Italy, Warsaw, Sofia, Istanbul and can offer comparative analysis of Athens to other cities for you. Asia, South America, Oceania and Africa not yet but have many friends. Why choose and book one of my a la carte free tours of Athens City: 1. They are not mass market but niche for small groups and adapted to each group. They are free format ie no predetermined plan. I can come with you when take a tour of the ancient sites but this will cost you an extra 20-30E to cover the entry fees. You need to tell me what you need from the walk. They are not made for mass market audiences and are different than the tours provided by mass market operators in Greece, France, Italy, Turkey, etc. They are especially made for Guruwalk and its clients. 2. I am not a professional historian or a professional typical tour guide. I give you a lot of facts and data since I am an MIT geek. So be sure you are not too tired to absorb them when we do the walk. 3. I provide full personal security for you during the walk. 4. I do not charge by the minute or hour. But I expect you to value my time as I value yours. 5. Due to the flex (flexible) schedule of my current jobs, we can do the walk any time of the day, any day of the week, for minimum 1 hr up to eg 24 hrs, except 14:15-15:15. Up to you to decide. Please book as early as you can and provide info about you and on what type of information you need from the walk and in general about modern and ancient Athens and Greece, the region and the EU. Please be as specific as you can before the date of the walk in order to maximize the value of the walk to you and to your group or team if you have one. Irrespective of nationality. All nationalities and religions welcome as long as they speak English as a native or as their first foreign language. If your level of English is low you may not appreciate the speed I provide the information in during the tour. I have also been a builder after 50 in order to toughen up thus you will be secure during all parts of the walk. I am 6'2" and know by now all 2019 parts of Athens City and most of its boroughs and its suburbia and its risks. Security and privacy: Dress casually is the general rule. Ask me for advice on this, before the walk. You don't have to have your picture taken after or during the tour to market my next walks. My point of view is multi-cultured. My friends in Athens and on social media are mostly non Greek from all continents. So are my wife and her family. You and your friends can ask me any question you want any time during the walk (ie fully interactive). This is important. I do not provide a pre fabricated narrative in each walk since each walk is adapted to the members of the walk. I can explain Athens, Greece and the EU from your perspective, not Greece's, provided you let me know which that is, either when or after you book the walk. Looking forward to hearing from you. Please make sure you specify when you book the start time and duration that suits you best, where you want to meet, and the types of places you want to be taken to. You will. Safely. Nick