Testimonials / Opinions

Forgot to mention in my earlier Email that I met a friend the other day who had done the Spanish trip who happened to say that since doing the tour of the Dali Museum with you she has changed her attitude completely about his work - and seeks it out.  Of all the galleries etc. we went to, she said that was the excursion, and you were the guide which she remembered most, especially your explanations.  Thought I’d pass that on. 

Gail Ford (Australia)

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One glorious Sunday last month [August 2013] I spent the better part of a day exploring the squares & alleyways of the old city of Girona. I had gone because of my interest in the Jewish scholar Nachmanides the great Bible scholar & Chief Rabbi of Catalonia in the 13th century.

I gained a lot more.

Nik Duserm is a first rate Catalan scholar. He not only shows you the place, but helps to synthesize the information & put it all in an understandable perspective.
He introduced me to early Christianity & Catalan cultural practice, which gave me the necessary background to understand the place, it's people; & how the Jews fared during a terrible period.The tour was balanced & fair.
There were plenty of stops to give me time to absorb & enjoy the place. The trip has shade & is not strenuous.The city has better then average gift shops.
(...)
By the way, he is also an expert in Spain's modern history particularly the Spanish Civil War.
A tour with him is an experience not to be missed!

Howard Klein Tripadvisor

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Sally said...

Thanks Nik for another interesting tour of the villages of Empordà. I had never been into Bellcaire before, so I learnt a lot. I'm looking forward to La Bisbal next month.

Sally
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David said...

HI Nik,

Get again many thanks for today. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the tour and the timing was just about right.

Regards,

David & Barbara
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Hola Nik

los Tenenzapf me han escrito esto:

Elana and I enjoyed both of our tours

Nik did an excellent job

In retrospect, we would have preferred to spend even more time at the Dali Museum!!

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Hi Dominique,

Gavin and I want to thank you for arranging an amazing day.  Nik was fantastic and his knowledge was great and broad and we had a terrific day with him 

Take care,

Margot

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Nik des del Patronat Municipal d'Esports, et volem agraïr la visita d'ahir a Peratallada, el grup va acabar molt content.

Les explicacions un 10!!

Moltes gràcies i fins aviat.

Esteban Antequera

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Thanks for a great tour in Beuda & Besalù..as always, interesting & fun. I think part of the reason why you are so popular with members of the association  (& no doubt others) is because you have a great sense of humour - which the British in particular appreciate.

Sally

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Dear Nik,

Thank you so much for thinking of us and passing on the information. It is very interesting.
Our trip to Catalunia was fantastic, and the 2 days spent with you were a major reason. You made history come alive - from the Middle Ages to more recent times - your depth of knowledge amazed us. We have learned so much and had fun doing it.
Keith says that he has a whole new perspective on Dali (so do I), that would not have happened without you.
Hope you are enjoying the rest of your summer. Thanks again.

Best Regards,

Hedva

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Benvolguts,

El 7 de setembre vam gaudir d'una visita guiada personalitzada amb el nostre guia Nik pels carrers de Peratallada.

Us podeu imaginar la il.lusió que ens ha fet portar els nostres familiars d'altres continents (Àsia, Àfrica, America del Nord) i veure'ls gaudir i disfrutar de la història, de les vistes, de les construccions, de l'ambient i de les botiguetes de Peratallada. Particularment la visita al castell.....

En Nik ens ha revelat informació fascinant que no sospitavem. Ha sigut molt agradble i interessant.

Gràcies pels vostres consells i organització. Gràcies al nostre simpàtic guia Nik que ens ha tingut il.lusionats, ben entretinguts i informats en anglès. Ens sentim molt satisfets!

Laurence Hubert i Martí Vidal

Merci pour ces belles photos et cette très intéressante et agréable journée

Thérèse Bonnail
Association Culturelle de Vinça
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UN grand merci a vous pour la journée et pour les photos!!!
de nous tous.

Dolorès Fontanell (Perpignan)

So great to hear from you Nik and thanks for enlightening me about Dali's art. I could tell from spending time with you that you love your work and really are operating from your "Effortless Energy".

Betty-Anne

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Hi Nik,

Thank you so much for today, as you know everybody really appreciated your tour of the Dali museum.
Regards,

David Hurley
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Hola!

Thank you for such an interesting visit to the Dali museum yesterday. I really learnt so much from you, as always.

best regards,
Sally Veall

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"So, 40 of us made our way to the town of Figueres to once again enter the Dali shrine, but this time we had our excellent guide, Nik Duserm, who has in the past treated us to wonderfully personal guided tours in our beautiful and fascinating region of Catalonia.
Surrealist art has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. On this occasion, thanks to Nik, my eyes were opened to a small part of Dali’s work, pictures inside pictures, the meaning of recurring images such as the fly and the amazing “sculpture” at the entrance of the Theatre,...."

From Sally's article "Discovering Salvador Dalí"

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Hola Nik

acaba de irse mi amiga Marta, y quiero agradecerte el habernos recibido en Figueras. Ella quedó fascinada con la ciudad.
Muy interesantes las explicaciones sobre la obra de este excéntrico artista, que dará que hablar por muchos años!
Y muy grata tu compañía, como siempre.

Un fuerte abrazo

Dominique

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Dear Nik,

The day you shared with the Crockers sounds just perfect. Hopefully,
some day you will show me this wonderful section of Spain.
It's always nice to be able to send people who are interested in art, architecture, the outdoors and culture of a country.
I'm pleased they were able to see some of the Costa Brava with you.

Thank you,
Muriel
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... but I love the “little history” of my local area – Baix Empordà in the north of Catalunya. I have lived here for six and a half years and almost every day I find something of interest that I previously had no idea about.

Recently, I joined a Costa Brava group on a tour of two small villages, Corçà and Monells, which are located between the coast and the lovely medieval city of Girona. Our guide was the excellent Nik Duserm, who always brings life to places that on the surface seem to have been asleep for centuries.

This tour was no different as we wandered the ancient streets of Corçà, which is set back from the main road and which most people pass without a second thought. I have actually been there a few times as there is an excellent butcher hidden in one of the streets who makes wonderful local sausages!
On our visit, we discovered the remains of the original defensive walls of this small enclave, and ancient houses with symbols above the door identifying the trade of the person who lived there – rather like in Pompeii or Ephesus where, in Roman times, trades were marked in doorways....

From Sally Veall's article "Ancient streets uncovered"
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Publicado en Tripadvisor (crítica de El Cau del Papibou):

...No dejéis escapar la visita guiada con Nick al pueblo de Peratallada es extraordinaria.

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Bon dia Nick!!!
És per donar-te les gràcies per la visita que ens vas fer. Tot el grup va quedar molt content per les explicacions. El poble és preciós.
Fins un altre moment.

Pilar.

Merci Nik pour votre accueil très sympathique et vos bons conseils pour les visites des sites romans
cordialement
Dominique (Lyon)

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Dear Nik,
Many thanks. Good luck with your enterprise: you are an example for all tour guides.
Please contact me any time if you think I might be of some help.
Best wishes,

Trevor [and Anne]
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Hola Nik!!

Thank you very much for the information.
I also very much enjoyed our tour with you around Peretallada. I wish I had time to join you in your research about this area as I find it fascinating and am keen to learn more about the place I have made my home.

saludos,
Sally
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...This recent trip, however, was with a guide who is well known in these parts as one of the best. Nik never fails to excite one's imagination and regale his audience with amusing anecdotes. Our visit to Peratallada was no exception...

From Sally Veall's article "A witches’ brew"

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Hey Nik,

Thanks again for an amazing job!
Thank you also for having a drink with our group.
I know that the guests really enjoyed your time and company.
Please know that you are always welcome to join us for dinner or a drink!
And please keep in touch.
Hope to see you soon,

Best,

Jonathan Hershberger
Trek Travel LLC

Hi Nik

What a great tour and a lovely evening with you, Nouria and your friends in Peretellada . You would be most welcome to call in and see our ancient house, whenever you are in England.
Take care and give our love to Catalunya!

Caroline and Bruce Gallup

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Gracies Nik, m'ha agradat molt descobrir una altre cara de Peratallada, i el vi encara m'ha agradat més!!! No et cansis mai, es fantàstic que a algú li agradi tant buscar documentació del passat i li agradi compartir-ho.

Natatxa

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Hola Nik,

Després d’aquest cap de setmana pluviós i gelat, el resum del viatge dels nostres clients ha sigut positiu i van quedar molt contents del passeig guiat per Peratallada i sobretot del guía que va ser “molt agradable”.
Esperem tenir molts clients que puguin gaudir d’aquestes visites guiades i contar amb tu per fel-les.
Fins aviat!

Carme C..

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Hi Nik,
Many thanks for a brilliant insight into La Bisbals history.
It was an eye opener as we normally go there only with the market in mind.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Keep thinking on a pottery experience and let me know what you come up with.
It seems a shame that living near such a fabulous pottery industry we can't
see for ourselves how it is done.
Thanks once again. Be in touch.

Regards Lynn
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Dear Nik,

Thank you again for the tour around La Bisbal, I thought it was great!
Best Wishes,

Anne Rushby
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Dear Nic,

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed your tour of La Bisbal the day before yesterday and judging by their comments, so did everybody else in the group. Thank you!
Best wishes,

Trevor Rushby
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Dear Nic, Thank you for a very good and informing trip around La Bisbal. I've never been there with out going round the pottery shops, a nice pleasant change.
Look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards

Irene Knight-Wearon

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....October saw Lyn & John Mather arrange a guided tour of La Bisbal, a repeat of an earlier visit with the same guide Nik Duserm, who managed to make the tour quite different from the previous one....

From U3A Association 2009 Report:

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Hola Nik,

he recibido esto de la Sra. Bockneck 

We're home again after a wonderful trip from Europe....

Just wanted to tell you that we really enjoyed Nik and the guided tour to Costa Brava and Bisalu. An added bonus was that the weather was hot and sunny (almost too hot!)

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Y elgrupo de ayer estaban tan contentos contigo....

Dijeron que además de ser una persona encantadora, conoces muy bien tu trabajo y que has conseguido hacer que una gente para quien Dali no merecía ninguna atención, termine interesada en su obbra.

BRAVO!!!!

Dominique

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Dear Nik:

here are lynn and walter norris writing from Virginia to say we are home safe.......we loved our special Sainte Julia de Boada, clock tower, etc. tours with you and we feel we should have paid MUCH MORE....
so, come to VIRGINIA and visit US!!!
we have, in the name of "pay it forward" been extremely nice to recent visitors to our little town and our museum. (Well, we always are, but even NICER because of your kindness.)

xxxx

lynn and walter norris

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....July was a trip to Agullana and La Vajol to understand a bit more about the Civil War and the importance of these two villages. We also went inside the mine where gold had been hidden from Franco. Our guide was Nik Duserm whose knowledge was excellent.....

From U3A Association 2010 Report:

Estimado Nik
Muchas gracias para todo. El grupo estaba muy contento. Una hora y media fue suficiente; es intensivo escuchar a un idioma extranjero. pero nos encantó tu entusiasmo y todo que nos contó y mostró. Disculpeme para las faltas; yo también estoy aprendiendo castellano. Uf. Muchas gracias y hasta otra vez. Saludos de Maria

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....Also please do let Nik know how pleased we were with his programs for us.
How special you both made our visit to your country.

Good Job!

Gloria & Irving Fox

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 Ví a Andrew y Daniel hoy y me dijeron que eras el MEJOR GUÍA que
 nunca habían tenido. BRAVO!

 Dominique 

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Dear Nik

We wanted to thank you for your excellent and memorable tour, which we all thoroughly enjoyed

We were all sad to leave Girona and are now planning a further trip cycling from Olot to the coast later this year.

If any of our acquaintances require a guide we shall provide them with your details

Many thanks

Hasta luego

Ian and Betty Korn