Dr Michael Metcalfe

Michael earned his PhD at University College London, focusing on the ancient Greek cities in the Eastern Aegean Islands and Western Turkey. While finishing this research, Michael lived and worked in Athens and Ankara as well as London, and took up his first academic post as Assistant Professor in Ancient History at The Mediterranean Center for Arts and Sciences in Sicily, before joining Peter Sommer Travels full time in January 2009. A specialist in Greek and Latin inscriptions and social history, Michael is currently studying the unpublished diaries of early British Travellers to Greece, Turkey and Sicily, and is involved in publishing inscriptions from many parts of the Eastern and Central Mediterranean. Michael co-edited the Blue Guide to the Aegean Islands and has been contributing editor to the last two editions of the Blue Guide to Sicily.

Michael has designed and led many of our tours, and received rapturous praise. Not only is he 'enthusiastic, charming, and knowledgeable', he is also a natural born organiser. We are delighted to have him as one of our key team.

What previous guests have to say about Michael:

"Michael was an outstanding guide / tour leader. He was a delight to listen to. He brought the archeological sites to life with his passionate interpretation and stories. His love for the land he stood upon was evident throughout our travels." Yvonne McGrath

"Michael was excellent. He has a great sense of humour and was a wonderful and engaging story teller with extraordinary recall of detail. I have done many guided tours with other companies but this one was certainly the best ever. I am unable to suggest any improvements!" Dianne Truss

"Michael's subject matter knowledge, ability to connect with all the tour guests, organizational and interpersonal skills was an absolute highlight of the tour. An amazing guide, super knowledgeable with the latest research. I learned more about Greece in 2 weeks than I learned in school and in the last 60 years! Michael (and his fellow guide Nota) were the BEST EVER guides we had (and we have travelled with many from other companies before)." Constantin Delivanis

"This is the first organized tour we have ever participated in. I think the bar is very high for us now! Michael (and his fellow guide Nota) were wonderful tour guides, so knowledgeable, patient and considerate of all of the participants. We couldn't have asked for better guides. They managed to convey a huge amount of history in an organized way, brought it all alive with stories, and took us to local tavernas with delicious food." Alison Kibrick

"Michael was an exceptional guide. His 'stories' - carefully planned potted histories based on the sites visited - seamlessly knitted together to provide, by the end, a comprehensive survey of the history of the Peloponnese from Neolithic cave burials to post-war Greek politics. I particularly admired his ability to incorporate the uncertainties of scanty evidence and interpretations in talks designed for an intelligent but general audience. Excellent." Nigel Berry

"This was our third trip with Michael and valued his usual flair for imparting his knowledge with such verve and expertise. It was good to be in his company once again. The exceptional guiding by Michael and his fellow guide Nota was a higlight of the trip, they shared their passion and knowledge of the Peloponnese in such an engaging way. We were immersed in the history and archaeology so completely that we felt ourselves back in ancient times. It was a sheer pleasure to tour the Peloponnese in its springtime glory in the company of our enthusiastic, knowledgeable and charismatic guides Michael and Nota who brought history, archaeology and culture to life with such verve. We loved every moment of this trip - it exceeded our expectations!" Margaret Woods