Meet BellaTerra's Owners |
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Celia Coene is a native of Annecy,
France, which is the country’s top tourist destination. She
is a France Destination Specialist and a travel professional with a degree in tourism from
the prestigious Institut Rural, which requires demonstrated
in-depth knowledge of history and culture. Celia
has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and South
America, but her love of Europe remains constant, and she
regularly returns to the area to visit family and friends.
Celia is fluent in French, Italian, Spanish and English,
and her deep knowledge of the region’s history and
culture – and places off the beaten path – are
sure to give you an insider’s view of France. Celia also maintains the France Travel Advisor blog. |
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John Holding is a native of the United Kingdom, having immigrated to the United States as a child. During John’s corporate career, which has included positions as CFO and CEO, he traveled extensively through Europe and the Far East. Charmed by the culture, history, food, wines and ambiance of France, he returns to visit whenever possible. Italy quickly became a second love, instigating Tuscan bike tours, hikes to the Cinque Terre and the development of local friendships, culminating with John’s wedding being held in the D’Orcia region of Italy. John did not travel in continental Europe until he was an adult, which gives him a keen understanding of the typical concerns of a first-time international tourist. Although he can’t yet say he is fluent in Italian or French, he quickly learned to order wine in both languages, and takes every opportunity to improve his language skills! |
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Beth Reid grew up in the U.S. and is of Italian heritage. During her career, she worked for a multi-national company based in Europe, which enabled her to travel frequently, seeing the sights and feeling comfortable enough to receive the food she had expected when ordering in restaurants! It was during a wine tour of France, without the duties of business to divert her attention, that she became enamored with the people and countryside, igniting a desire to visit whenever possible. Subsequent trips to Italy reinforced her feelings of belonging in this region of the world. In all her travels, the regions of France and Italy invoke awe for the majesty and history of the area where the path from ancient to modern times is still clearly visible and the love of life makes every day special. Beth is using her professional skills to focus on marketing for BellaTerra, and has embarked on a quest to research the path of her family’s history. |
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Laurent Coene grew up in the Normandy Region of France, living on a barge with his family and following picturesque rivers like the Seine throughout the region. He still owns property in France, ensuring his return to the land that he loves. With traveling imprinted in his personality, Laurent searches for travel adventures whenever possible, experiencing new foods, cultures and ideas. His career in technology lends itself to great mobility, and has allowed him to travel to areas such as Asia and India regularly and to live in both the U.S. and the U.K. Laurent absorbs the culture from wherever he goes and his English is regularly speckled with British slang, especially when he reminisces about British pubs with John and wishes he could find a way to combine a British pub with a French patisserie! |