I was born in Kamaria in 1962, the eldest of five children. My village lies on the southernmost extremity of the Peloponnesos, in the region known as the garden of Attica. remember the picking of olives, the bougainvillaea in full bloom, the air full of the scent of oregano and rosemary.

When I was a child I walked to school with my brothers and sisters. And when we came home we swam in the sea, caught fish for dinner and on our way home, walking through the sweet smelling fields, we gathered lemons or grapes to go with the fish. For us this was everyday life.

It is a splendid region because of its natural beauty, its fertility, its climate and its quiet. As an ambitious boy, however, I was anxious to move on. I left for Athens at the age of fourteen to obtain technical schooling. Upon receiving my diploma I fulfilled military obligations. Immediately afterwards I emigrated to the Netherlands. I settled in Groningen at the age of 23.

Soon I mastered the language and became familiar with Dutch culture. I schooled myself as a cook and found a job at restaurant 'Four Roses' in the city centre of Groningen. During 18 years, I worked there as a chef, operational manager and co-owner. It was a wonderful time. Fortune brought me four children and I am happily married to my wife, Cécile.

Of course I spent my holidays close to my family in my Greek home village. The strong family ties and my desire to take my wife and children to Kamaria were the motive for building my first two houses there. This was an exciting time that sowed the seeds for my current activities. I met numerous key figures in the local real estate world, created a network of acquaintances, and became an insider.

When we were not staying in one of the houses, we rented them to friends and relations. Some of them were so impressed by the surroundings and by Greek 'philoxenia' (hospitality) that they decided to build their own second home. They asked me to help and I closely monitored the buying and construction activities. Before I knew it, I had become an estate agent. My knowledge of two languages and cultures served me and my friends well.