A young man wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans, and white sneakers leaning casually against a stone railing in a park with tall palm trees and greenery in the background.

Dimitris Touloumpas

Sales Support, Guest & Cultural Experience

I am Dimitris, raised in Northern Greece and trained in archaeology and history. For Take Memories, I am your specialist for Sales Support, Guest & Cultural Experience for Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Oman – countries that I have not only traveled through but whose history I studied before seeing them with my own eyes. If you want to know why a place looks the way it does and what secrets it holds, you are in the right place with me.

dimitris@takememories.com
A man wearing glasses and a light blue shirt stands smiling inside a museum with a marble floor, holding a phone, with the Venus de Milo statue displayed on a pedestal behind him.
For me, the Mediterranean is like my home: everywhere these fresh aromas and scents, friendly people, and space for all travel wishes - whether climbing mountains, visiting ruins, celebrating, or just relaxing.
A young man wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans, and white sneakers leaning casually against a stone railing in a park with tall palm trees and greenery in the background.
Man wearing sunglasses and a white shirt rowing a boat on a calm water body with green trees along the shore under a partly cloudy sky.
A smiling man wearing glasses and a black and beige varsity jacket standing on a cobblestone street at night in front of the illuminated Galata Tower in Istanbul.
A man wearing sunglasses and a plaid jacket stands in front of the ornate tiled railing and the tall tower of Plaza de España in Seville, Spain, with autumn trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
A young man with a beard wearing a striped brown and white sweater stands near a stone railing with graffiti, with the Eiffel Tower blurred in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

On my bucket list

Back to the Wahiba Sands desert

I want to go back to the Wahiba Sands desert in our Canvas Club very soon. Not for a new experience, but to satisfy my longing for another desert stay: the dune landscape, the sunset, and a team that turns every moment into something special. Once out of the hectic routine, a few days of nothing but sand, light, and silence.

My next trip

Barcelona, Spain

Next, I will be going to Barcelona. I would like to quietly admire the city's architecture, visit the Museu del Modernisme, and of course, the Sagrada Família. Gaudí's buildings can be read like historical sources – and that is exactly what I am looking forward to the most.

How the Mediterranean has captured my heart

For me, it was not a single experience that sparked my enthusiasm. It was my studies. Classical and Roman archaeology, as well as Egyptology – subjects that made me want to know more and more about my own culture and that of my neighbors.

And at some point, reading and theory are no longer enough. When we were discussing the Grand Tour in Italy in seminar, it was impossible for me not to want to take a similar journey myself. When it came to Cleopatra, I wanted to see where she lived. It was never just about pure teaching. Every topic that engaged me in the lecture hall eventually became a place I wanted to visit.

What continues to excite me to this day is exactly this moment: when a name in a book becomes a place you experience yourself. When you realize that a city has layers – that beneath the café lies a Roman road and next to it stands a Byzantine wall. The Mediterranean is full of it, and Oman has shown me that landscapes can be just as fascinating.

That's why I advise you to do the same on almost every trip: Take your time for one place instead of checking off five. The interesting things only reveal themselves when you stay longer.

Places that particularly excite me

Oman

I have been to Oman several times, and I have already seen many places – Muscat, the coastal landscape, as well as the impressive mountains. But my favorite is in the desert. My strongest image from there is a walk with the camels: the vastness, the sun over the dunes, and this tranquility that emanates from the whole landscape. You automatically slow down.

What surprises many are the wadis. Green gorges with water, right in a country that one had previously imagined only as dry. For me, this is the most beautiful contrast in Oman: You drive through stone and sand in the morning and sit down with your feet in the water at noon. If you travel to Oman for the first time, I would plan to see both – the dunes and at least one wadi.

Northern Greece

This is where I grew up, near the sea. This is not a vacation area for me, but everyday life – and I believe that is why I can show it authentically. For those coming for the first time, I take them to Thessaloniki. We go to Ano Poli, to the Kastra neighborhood by the old city wall, for coffee with a view over the entire city to the sea. And we eat where the cuisine is truly local.

Afterwards, we drive to Vergina, to the Macedonian royal tombs. This is the place where my studies and my home come together – and one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Greece, although many travelers do not have it on their radar. Finally, we go to Chalkidiki for the beautiful beaches. This combination of city, history, and sea can be experienced in Northern Greece over a short distance.

Ioannina

Ioannina holds a special place in my heart because I studied there and essentially grew up. So I know the city with all that comes with it.

The proximity to the sea makes this place especially special for me. The walk by the water, at any time of the year, and especially at sunset: This image is forever imprinted in my mind. And then the small tavernas with their Tsipouro, where you sit in the evening without looking at the clock. Ioannina is a city that cannot be dealt with in three hours. It needs a few evenings to really experience it.

Seville and Andalusia

I came to Spain for work: I was at an excavation near Seville and got to stay for three months. During that time, I got to know the whole region – not as a visitor, but from within.

Seville itself is beautiful, especially the Plaza de España. What surprised me the most was a winter day when it was really pleasantly warm. You can sit outside in January, and your jacket stays on the chair. Along with the cuisine and wines, I am still enthusiastic about today. If you like Andalusia but shy away from the heat: The winter there is a personal recommendation.

Rome

I go to Rome almost every year. That sounds strange in a city of a million, but Rome is the place where I find peace. I know where I am going, I don’t have to check anything off, and the city just lets me be.

My place for that is the café in the Castel Sant'Angelo with a view of the Vatican. From there, you can see the dome, the river, the rooftops – and still be away from the crowd. That is my ritual during each visit. Rome rewards repetition: the fifth time, you see things that completely elude you the first time.

See where I've traveled

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A man wearing glasses and a plaid jacket stands smiling in front of a large plaza with a central fountain and a historic building in the background under a clear blue sky.

Spain

Spain excites me anew every time – with its vibrant culture, fantastic tapas, and many colorful corners that you simply have to photograph.
A young man with a beard and short hair sits on a stone ledge in front of the Louvre Museum and its glass pyramid in Paris on a cloudy day.

France

In France, everything revolves around the art of living for me: from world-class museums and cozy cafés to elegant architecture.
A man wearing a white shirt and glasses stands in profile near a window, overlooking Rome with Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Basilica in the background under a clear blue sky.

Italy

Italy is my very own retreat: a place to relax, full of great art, fantastic food, and an atmosphere that simply feels good.