Our People

When we say "catered," we mean it. We understand that your guides need to take care of all the details, so you can be free to experience nothing but the adventure of Adagio's unique roads less traveled. Our guides know those roads intimately, and take great pleasure in revealing their secrets slowly, with care, gently—in true adagio style. Each one lives or has lived abroad, is bi- or multi-lingual, and is well-versed in the subtleties of personal service.

Our Guides

Susan Eckis

Susan Eckis hales from Conroe, Texas and currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. She has excelled over the years at event planning, sophisticated catering, and teaching others methods for entertaining that dazzle the guests without killing the cook. Her latest venture is a pop-up private restaurant, open only 24 nights a year, where diners are treated to ever-evolving menus of interesting seasonal ingredients, crafted with unexpected combinations. Claudia was completely wowed by Susan one evening at her restaurant and the rest is history. Susan adores travel, and since 1990 has hosted villa vacations for family and friends in Italy and France. Her flawless taste and gift for bringing people together make Susan a fabulous addition to the Adagio team.

Claudia Harris

Claudia Harris is the founder and president of Adagio. A native of Charlotte, NC, Claudia lived in Southern France, Venice, Milan and Florence as part of her undergraduate studies at Wake Forest Universityand her JD/MBA program at New York University. From 1993 – 2002 Claudia was an international corporate lawyer who worked in New York as well as several major European cities. In 1997, she was married in Italy, where she and her husband spent the next five years before returning to the United States in 2002. They still own their home just north of Venice,and hope to return someday for good. Claudia's unique approach to travel combines the gracious hospitality of her Southern upbringing with a spirit of adventure and years of experience living and working around the world. She founded Adagio in 1999 to seek out other curious souls like herself and to create and cater their journeys of a lifetime. 

Liz Mesick

Liz Mesick is a Texas native and an unapologetic Italophile. While she and her husband lived in Northern Italy, many of their evenings were spent sipping wine with their neighbor Nino and learning all those secrets of what makes Italy Italy that you can't get from guidebooks. Another favorite memory is being kidnapped at unplanned moments by her other Italian neighbors, Maria and Rosangela, and “invited” into their kitchen to share culinary delights and secrets that left an indelible impression on her soul.Liz is a member of The Order Sons of Italy of America and is passionate about Italian food and wine. Currently living in the DC area, Liz guides as many of our Italian tours as her husband and dental hygiene practice will permit!

Dominique Parisot

Dominique is a master of many trades. Having worked in leadership positions with luxury tour operators since the 1980s, he always seems to anticipate clients' needs before they are ever expressed. A native of Burgundy, Dominique spent 25 years in North America before returning to Provence, France to realize his dream: the creation of a unique and splendid cottage in his home country. He and his partner (an American architect) oversaw the renovation and redesign of the cottage, which is a minute’s walk from the charming Provencal town of Eygalieres. This beautiful abode can be rented independently or used by couples for our custom-designed Art de Vivre tour, which Dominique leads. Starting in 2012, Dominique will also lead an Art de Vivre tour in Dordogne, France.

Other Important Folks

Francesca Mattiroli

In the idyllic town of Capriva del Friuli, in northern Italy just across the border from Slovenia, lives a very talented young chef named Francesca Mattiroli. Francesca knew from the time she was quite young that her passion was going to be cooking. After practicing by her mother's side, she went on to intern under several of northern Italy's top chefs. Francesca has also spent time abroad honing her culinary skills, including several months in Germany and Thailand. We note these exotic influences in her intimate cooking lessons, which are held in the cozy kitchen of her childhood home. She and Claudia Harris have been friends since the late 1990s, and Francesca loves working with the inquisitive groups that Claudia brings her way.