Giovanni (The Big fat Savage Potato!) –

How we know him – Giovanni is Trey and Olivia’s bus driver. He really doesn’t drive a bus, but rather a Mercedes Van. His nickname “The Big Fat Savage Potato” was given to him by Olivia! None of us, including Olivia, can explain its origin!

What he does – Beyond that of taking the kids to and from school each day (A total of nine kids on his route) he also is a personal driver and guide for wine tours.

Our Friendship – Giovanni and I have developed a very unique friendship that has its foundation in business. He lived in London and worked as a bartender for eight years at the five star “Savoy” hotel. Giovanni’s passion is to start a concierge service here in Florence where he takes care of everything from hotel bookings, to private driving, wine tours and just about anything else under the sun. I have been spending time with him off and on consulting him on writing his business plan and strategizing on how to market his services.

Trey and Olivia, absolutely love him. He is so good to the kids and like many of our Italian friends is incredibly thoughtful and generous to us. It’s not uncommon at all for him to surprise the kids in the afternoon with fresh baked cookies, cake or a stop at a local gelateria for an ice cream. He’s also treated me to a couple of amazing bottles of wine!

It’s not tough for us to love Giovanni, he’s simply a wonderful friend and terrific to our kids.

Interesting Quip – He’s extremely knowledgeable about wine for a guy his age (30)