STATEN ISLAND, N.Y — Annadale resident Jennifer Guarnera, 27, was on surprise trip to Sardinia organized by her mom in honor of her late father’s dream for his daughters to visit “his country.”
“He always spoke highly of Sardinia, saying, ‘Forget Hawaii, forget all these other islands, go to Sardinia,’” recalled Guarnera. “Unfortunately, he passed away before fulfilling that dream.”
On that trip during the summer of 2019, she met and fell in love with Marco Liceri, 30, who owns and manages two chauffeur companies in Costa Smeralda — located between the gulfs of Arzachena and Cugnana on the north-east coast of the Sardinia. He also owns an electric scooter company that services three cities in Sardinia.
“Little did I know that a significant moment awaited me at a restaurant in Porto Rotondo. The restaurant owner arranged a taxi for our return to our hotel. The driver was Marco’s father,” said Guarnera. “During the ride, he suggested his son as our English-speaking driver with a larger vehicle for the rest of the trip, given our plans to explore various areas in the Costa Smeralda and the need for transportation services. The next day, Marco came to our hotel to drive us to Porto Cervo, and from that point on, everything else became history.”
While the pair maintain a long distance relationship, they decided to also pair up as business partners. Last month, they launched Emerald Dreams Corp., which plans vacations to Sardinia, and Costa Smeralda in particular. The company name is derived from the English translation of Costa Smeralda, which means emerald coast.
“While popular destinations, like Amalfi and the mainland, draw so many international tourists each year, Costa Smeralda has been an escape for Italians themselves. I feel like the decision of many Italians to vacation in Sardinia reflects a desire to escape the overwhelming tourist crowds found in other parts of Italy. Every…
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