Giancarlo Russo

Giancarlo is a great guy. Not only does he take awesome pictures also his accent is real sexy. We partied properly and he dances on tables and I was there when he started snowboarding. He was one of the fabulous five staying out last singing "bella ciao" on the way home. See you in Vienna soon. Or in Wales.
Update: he and his sweet girl-friend came to vienna and it was a real pleasure to hang out with them. i wish i could have spent more time showing them round and chatting. thank you for taking me out for dinner. you are stars :)

Giancarlo and his girlfriend were actually the guests of my flatmate, but as he went on a trip himself, they ended up as my guests :-) They are both very interesting people and although I was pretty sick, I enjoyed a lot talking to them. I also learned quite a bit about the weather in Cardiff and London and the differences between Italians and Lithuanians :-)
Hope to meet again and welcome anytime to surf my couch.

It was a pleasure meeting Giancarlo and Ieva in Vienna - a smart, sweet and witty couple, always on the outlook for new places to explore and enjoy. Hope next time we'll be able to spend more time together. All the best from me and my Mom and see you soon!

The best invention of OUR times... A man who healed my soul and taught me happiness...

The only man who can speak with a welsh, cockney and italian accent in one sentence! A great skill to match a great guy. Lots of fun times together and looking forward to many more.

i very enjoy your mess! see your bathtub full of apples and smell their perfumo was a great way to begin the day!

I am sure Gia can imagine the reason that I took so long to write a reference. Both of us, as scientists know that normally researchers hate to express feelings into words! That is totally my case! Anyway the only thing that I am able to express right now is that it was a pleasure hosting Giancarlo and Ieva and I really had a great time. Delicious food (with only one exception-the cod fish that I cooked!), great wine, amazing company and conversation…what can I ask more? I am sure I will meet him again in March when I go to Cardiff and Gia: I promisse that I wont take with me my little lab mice:-)!See ya!

UPDATE:
Being with Gia and Ieva (and with all their friends) in Cardiff was not about CS but is about friendship! Grazie tanti 4 these wonderful days that we spent there!

People that love that much Portuguese food can only be good people!
Beside that, Giancarlo is really cool. Calm, but focused. Low-profile, but with a great sense of humour.
When you have cool, clever conversations with an Italian with such a perfect brit accent, AND a great Portuguese speaker, you have to like him ;)

We met again in Cardiff, and I know that you know that I had some really special moments with you guys - cheesy but absolutely true.
Mourinho, beware. This is the true Il Speziale ;)

Man we had sooo much fun, Carlo is the coolest. He was pissed that we kicked Italian arse in rugby but happy that they finished higher than ever before. I was pissed at the French scoreline but we both cheered at the Welsh scoreline. We had fun out dancing to weird music with weird people and taking lots of silly pictures. Hopefully we'll get to watch rugby together someday...
Was nice to host him but a pity I only got to talk to him again for one night. Can't wait til the next time we clash heads.

Met Giancarlo in London a couple of times and hope to hang out a few more! He is very friendly, easy-going and great to talk with. A really charming Italian man with a touch of British (or Welsh) politeness! :) big hugs***

Gio is a really nice chilled out kind of guy me and Quenitn really enjoyed his company at the picnic and hope to see you again sometime in sunny holland

I surfed Giancarlo's couch in Cardiff for one night, we were both quite busy, and couldn't spend much time together, the few hours at his place were very nice though, he is a really interesting guy who seems to be quite involved in the CS project. keep in touch and maybe see you next year ;) take care

!!!Hurray for GianCarlo ! ;) hahaha I loved to watch you watch the football game, I loved singing Vivo per lei with you in the metro, I loved playing barefootball in the park, and loved that you were wearing a pink hat the last day ;) I'm already starting to miss you DrunkCarlo ;)Talking, eating, singing, dancing, walking, smoking and drinking with you was time well spent.

met him at Catherine's place but i missed the dinner at eune's... Sorry about that... I heard so much great things about him - a relly fine cooker!!- and can tell you that he's an awesome italian guy i relly want to see as soon a possible!! In Cariff maybe !!

Very cool to hear someone speak english with an italian and british accent at the same time :) Giancarlo is a very open and happy spirit that I would like to spend more time with than I got the chance for at the meeting (hosting 22 people actually has a downside :))

Gia, just a sweet guy.. totally the kind of person i like and well he is just as crazy as fred. i know why they get well together.. anyway the videoS are there to emphasize what i say !! i was happy to see you again in holland while we were on another couch invasion !!

Gia = Peace

Cool guy! We shared goods moments in Rotterdam and The Hague! He was in our french group invaders during 2 days same if he is not french but italian,french....is a bit the same(;)) See you soon in Paris MAN!!!!

We both surfed at Fred's on the big b-day weekend in Paris. In the midst of all the partying, we managed to explore the city, discover how few ATM's there are and make toast on the stove. This is a guy who drinks port and claimes that falling asleep at the pub is classy :) Gia's cooking rocks, especially at 3 am. But make sure not to give him any German mustard!

Giancarlo is good guy and knows how to drink,wanne see the pictures ??? xD, we didn't have much time to talk (my bad) but few words were enough to get along. See ya soon fresh-fish-eater man !

we met each other at the Walter and Tiina place for 2 nights in Rotterdam

We shared Tina, Walter, and Duke's flat during French invasion in Netherlands. Nice guy, hope to see you again!

We did some cycling and picnic together. + We were both hosted by Tiina, Duke and Walter. Carlo is a really nice guy, hope we'll meet soon again.

We met briefly at the Rotterdam picnic. A nice guy!

Carlo is a real cool person, we had some nice talking to each other,and also around 40 Km bike riding and a Picnic with other HC fellows in Rotterdam.
I hope we can meet again and enjoy from his company more.
Cheers

Just great to hangout with. See you next time... If not in the netherlands than just somewhere else. For sure meeting him is just great.

Very friendly and fun guy!

Obviously dealing with a veteran Couchsurfer here; Gia was flexible and knew how to deal very well with some last minute changes from our side. Respect.
In general, just a very relaxed, pleasant experience, included was a lesson in "how to make a good tasting meal for four people in 15 minutes with just 4 ingredients". I can make use of that in the future. ;)

I really appreciate all that he did for me: cooked great dinners, took me out for a night on the town, introduced me to some of his friends, provided me with some useful travel tips and just generally acted as a great host. I enjoyed our conversations and felt very comfortable staying in his home. Cardiff would not have been the same without him! Thanks again Giancarlo!

It was a real pleasure to have gia here.
he is very experienced in csing and you can see that in his behaviour.he helps when there is help needed,he likes to go out, to enjoy the nature and envioronment.he is very sportive.he loves to go out and party, drink and to watch and do sports(sorry about the rugby-match)...sometimes i wonder how he manages all the hobbies and he has.from photography to snowboarding to maths...he has so many interests and can show and explain a lot.no wonder you can have very good conversations with him.gia is a lovely guy and i am very happy to have finally met and hosted him.

He tried to be a typical charming Italian mascot of the evening but unfortunately he is far from typical ;) behind his big disarming smile there was a brilliant mind, real attention and a lot of sense of humour, and he wasn't hiding it! He specifically knew how to swear using the Q-word and I swear now that a serious conversation or a concrete debate must be just as entertaining as joking around with him! Enjoy Cardiff and see you around somewhere :)

wow!! what can i say about this top bloke!? he is one of the nicest guys i have met, i had so much fun with carlo, we made xxx snowmen, watched kinky european gym shows, by accident of course. LOL. we had some great conversations, as well as a lot of good and unforgettable laughs. a great mate to have a drink with, a great mate to have a d and m with, a awesome guy in general!!! hope to see u soon mate!! take care!!!!

Hehehehehe... I have to say this chap was by far the best looking man amongst the crowd. You got to witness him doing his stretchs. Impressive stuff. And partying with him was a blast of course. Sorry I said who cares about the game but I can't lie man...

Alright, so here is my tiny droplet in this ocean of references by people who think Carlo is a cool guy :) We met at Rhian's place in Austria and spent a great weekend with good conversations and fun nights out together. Carlo is super interesting to talk to and fun to go out with. And what's best: He makes an English breakfast, which is totally suitable for anyone who was administered a diet. Haha. Hope to meet you again at some point, mate!

Carlo was freakin awesome. Totally good on conversation and if we could find those rugby matches...im sure he woulda been fun to watchem with while waiting on my train/losing my tickets twice. We turned carlo into a fan of snowboarding...had great times out boozin and partyin at rhians. Hope to run into ya in June when I hit the UK :)

We meet in austria ah yea... did some snowboarding.. sweet arse.. i love this guy.. we danced for the austrian ladies.. we didnt have to bring sexy back cause we always had it.. but him moreso than me cause hes a rugby player.. props on that homeboy.. respect

Giancarlo was great, a really good host. Right off he made me wonderful pasta and then we watched a lot of Rugby (I was Italy's good luck charm and Giancarlo helped clarify the rules). On Sunday, Giancarlo had training, so he directed me towards the best Cardiff sites and then met up with me later for a nice walk along the river. That night I got to meet a bunch of his friends at a pub and though we didn't get totally inebriated, we had a lot of good talks; it was good fun. I would highly recommend getting up to Cardiff to hang out with Giancarlo!

Giancarlo is a great guy, he'll do anything for his guests!As the Italian he is he made me pizza and pasta: FANTASTIC! You can learn alot from this guy, he has alot of knowledge about alot of things (although struggeled a bit with the quiz...;). He took me to a great Jazz venue! Even though he was busy with studies he told me the must do's in Cardiff and surroundings and lent me his lonely planet guide and a map so I wouldn't get lost:) You def wanna stay with him while in Cardiff :)

Finally met in Paris, nov. 06 after exchanging emails for months ... was nice to hear this good old Welsh accent from Cardiff again... but Italian stylee, yeah!!!
Gia's loads of fun and truly charming... hey you wouldn't be Italian otherwise, isn't it? Loool ;P

update Feb. 07 Just visited Gia at the same time as my ex-Irish housemate in Cardiff. It was a lovely WE and I am now looking forward to seeing you - and bringin' you dancing again? ;) - in Toulouse. Gia is definitely sweet and attentive and great company for both serious conversations and overall fun :)) A WE was tooooooo short!!

Met Gia so many times in parisian meetings (Bday & leaving parties). Last time we met was at Anne-Claire's place. We had a nice dinner! He is a real chef! :) Gia is cool! Smart and easy-going. For sure, we'll meet soon again! in Cardiff? Paris? Prague? Dublin? wherever ! It is always a pleasure to meet up with you Gia! Take care.

Giancarlo is a lovely and entusiastic person. He is a good friend that do everuthing that is possible to help you. He loves the Couchsurfing project and meet new people as well as host them. He is a warm and positive person. Hosting or couchsurfing with him is very easy and funny. You will not regret!

gia is really a warm guy, always ready to party and to take his t-shirt away (or maybe this was a hairy grizzly :D) we've spend a nice time when he stayed at my place, nice dinners and talks (keep trying to speek french, you're doing great !), my place is your place :) xxx

Wow! This man knows how to cook!... and he knows how to eat... ha ha. Such a nice warm smile, and some interesting stories... with some cool photos. want a portrait?

Gia is unique! So positive and calming person. We are sorry that he wasn`t aloud to go to the hotel bar to dance - we would have taught him some salsa steps! :) Bouncers are weird persons! Thank you for cooking all those lovely food for us working ladies and for taking us to the party and for lightening up some heavy toughts ...Hope to c u again! Enjoy your life like you do!

Gianca is a very pleasant and friendly person.Open minded very much laid back and with a good sense of humor (which i appreciated very much) We had a good talks and we tried to enjoy a party which wasn't exactly a great craic! Anyway I hope to meet him again Inshalla!

We didn't get time to talk a lot but Giancarlo seems very nice, polite and sociable. He is used to come to Paris and every old cs member knows him!

Carlo(s) is simply charming! He is [obviously] a very passionate person, and therefore quite a pleasue to be around. He made me smile, chuckle, and laugh, and everything in between. (Well he didn't make me cry, but I'm sure he could if he tried!) I felt comfortable around him as if we were old friends, and curiously drawn to him as if we just met. As far as a guest he was as good as they come- made us a great dinner and really gave us a sincerely lovely evening. If you don't come to teach Junior to make pizza, I've decided I'll ship him to your place for the summer for some Italian immersion program...

Gia is awesome! He's fun, and extremely bright, and definitely dangerous to party with. If you hang out with Giancarlo, you just might find yourself stumbling drunk in the rain, lost in Paris at 3 am, and having the time of your life.
Two months after Paris, I visited with Giancarlo in Cardiff, Wales. It was great. Gia took me on walks, to see the Cathedral, to see Cardiff Bay, and to examine the fascinating interiors of a number of different pubs. I loved visiting with you babe, and the next time your in the Canada way, don't forget to come and see me. We'll make a roadtrip.
xx,
maggie

nice bloke. funny. good-humored

Oh sweet giancarlo t'was so great to see you again! hope you had a fab time in paris and we'll soon see about cardiff, maybe when it gets a bit sunnier!

Apparently, Giancarlo knew about me before we even met, which sounded a bit creepy haha, but that just proves how CS is making the world small. We didn't get to talk a lot, but I overheard him talking Italian with his dad while I was preparing my morning-after coffee. And I also admire all the people who can study math, because I could never do it myself. After all, it is always nice to meet other CS addicts. I am sure that CS and our friends in common will reunite us again ;)

Had a great time in Camden over several pints! Happy New Year and hope to see you in Wales or London sometime!

Fab b-day party Gia, fun times! Look forward to saying 'bonjour' at Cardiff uni next year! =D

Giancarlo is a mixture of southern passion with northern discpline. Sounds absurd but exists, as was our absurdly pleasant evening in lebanese restaurant and basementof french teacher house in Warsaw.

Attention, please: 2 CS funky italian guys are "rocking" abroad... Ah but I was really so proud and happy to know you, and to spent crazy hours with your smiles, your stories and your supercool presence... Alla prossima, chissà dove...caro il mio compare!

We met at the bday party in Paris. He seems like a lot of fun and is crazy about CS, which I love! Hope I get to see him again sometime. You're welcome in Edinburgh anytime!

Hehehehehe.... he is so nice!!! an italian living in Wales...I hope to see you soon!

What a sweetie, and yes he is very sweet, we had such a laugh on a night out in London - Well I hosted Gia for the weekend and had fun.... and lots of fun with Gia and his mates. Lots of booze, singing & dancing and he sweat buckets!!!! In all, it was a great weekend. See ya soon xx

Had such a great night at CS birthday party !! You're always welcome here, mate ! Hope you'll come back soon for some more overnight parties

This red hat swit me perfetly Jean-Charles! Thank you so much!
Giancarlo is plenty of energy and sympathy! We spend two blasting days celebrating together our birthday in Paris. See you soon in couchsurfing events or works!

Giancarlo was one of the organizers of the insane(ly fun) Paris '06 Birthday Bash, as well as one of the birthday boys. A little wild on the dance floor (I seem to remember that he wound up topless on Friday), a little reckless behind the bar, a lot of fun all night long. Thanks for the party.

I went to his birthday and we exchange couple of words, he made be a great impression,he was funny and trying to get in touch with ALLLL the couchsurfers there. welcome in PAris Gia whenever u come ;o)

giancarlo is a mad devil who almost trumps my place as resident social butterfly.... Almost.
Giancarlo took his vacation in Paris to the extreme, i don't think there is anything that paris has to offer he didn't at least sample....
he's really a rock star posing as a CSer
(shhhhhhhhhh!)

I met Gia for the big Bday bash in Paris, November 2006. This guy has a weird english accent ;)) He's easy-going, funny and so italian!!! Hope to meet you again soon!

Great guy! We had a lovely time at the party, dancing and being crazy! See you again soon!

Very good moment during the CSC, played football one afternoon, had some party for the launch of CS 2.0, the wine and cheese, ...
UPDATED 21th November : Just passed another 4 days with him to celebrate our birthdays where we had great time! Thanks a lot also Gia to cook for us some good meal!!! :) Hope to see you again soon!

Giancarlo was a mover and shaker at the collective, always a beer at hand.
All the best man, see you around!

Thanks for your contribution to the success of yesterday's party at Valentina's! Excellent pizza man! Hope to see you around soon, take care.

It was very easy to be in tune with Giancarlo, he is very easy going! We have a lot of things in common (trash italian music for example) hope to see you again!

Giancarlo is a giving loving understanding Italian, very active with CSing & a pleasure to have met. I hope to see him again soon.
He is welcome at my place anytime!!

I met him through my best friends, we spent 2 amazing night in London drinking and dancing in Hoxton square, London hasn't been so funny...all the best!

Always very welcome!! Thanks Giancarlo! I also really enjoyed that night and hope to see you real soon again! Well, you basically live just around the corner - in sort of global terms ;-), so pop over any time! And any time you want to stay longer ... Well, you know you can stay as long as you want! To all of you out there: if you're thinking of couchsurfing with Giancarlo, you'll not regret it! He's really nice, kind, considerate, easy-going and very open-minded. Giancarlo, I keep my fingers crossed for you; especially in terms of that those chocolate bars will be appreciated (if you know what I mean?)!;-) UN BESO ENORME

Great guy, his mere presence causes ladies to break out in frenzied dances.
(If you don't believe me... I have a video. ; )

Giancarlo was the first person who I surfed with and I really was not sure what to expect. I did not expect to be met at the train station, to be taken out with his friends, to be cooked for (amazing pasta!) or to meet someone so warm, caring and outgoing. Thank you!

Hooray for Gian F. Carlo!
I love Italians. This man is the quintenssential Italian. I said as much to him and he thought, "Five essesntials? What are they?"
Well, I don't know the 5 essentials of Italians, but for GFC:
1. Football fan like nobody's biznezz (he literally cried into his flag at the World Cup finals. It was beautiful.
2. That long hair and the headband.
3. That charming sexiness--but not in an overbearing way!! What a smile on this kid!
4. Smart and talented, oh yes!
5. Hooray for Gianfuckin'carlo!

Vivre le CSC à Montreal...
that's where I met Giancarlo, with peanut butter and muffins and of cours coffe, good morning.

He was always friendly, kind w a warm smile, in either work or play, that will endear him w the ladies. He treated Casey's little broyher Liam w deference + +. You don't know Carlo till you have seen him w his infamous head band.

Campione del Mondo!!!
We met at the CSC in Montreal and I sang to him in Italian while we shared a beer or five... Then we shared more beers!
GFC (and, no, that doesn't stand for a Premier League Football Club) is just simply the nicest person! He is Premier, tho!
Hanging out in Cardiff this weekend was SO incrediably awesome..... Gia knows how to have a good time, and good times were had. And the hair band mystery was solved !! Hahahahahahahahah

the perfect host! made me coffee, explained the way to where I needed to be, and even gave up his bed for me!

Apparently everyone in Cardiff is Italian. On a paid conference trip I stayed for fun with Giancarlo. He cooked homemade Italian pasta for me, introduced me to every Italian in the area, and taught me new kinds of slang (slang so good it's "off the bone"). Giancarlo likes to walk, so make sure you bring feet.

You're picking up on me again! This is the line Giancarlo used to say pretty often when we were in Prague. But i was not picking up on him, really, was trying actually to laugh with him :D
Now seriously,it wasn't that bad! he is a perfect mingle of humour and charisma,at the same time making sure that everybody is ok and having a good time.. always great to have him around! Waiting for you to play gay and pick up the sacher torte soon! Hugs

I was lucky to live avec Giancarlo for 3 weeks @ the Collective Zoo. Watching him watch the final World Cup game was a touching moment in my life. We share a wee little secret. No, we won't tell you. Tee hee hee! Giancarlo is da man, & looks fabulous in a little pink fedora.