These two globetrotters, history lovers, are now in Spain. Life has taken us here to Andalucía, a land filled with wonder, and we, Viqui and L. Alfonso, want to share it with you. We are crossing all the t’s and dotting all the i’s making sure that when you arrive, you find everything better than what you expected.
Living life is about finding those moments when you become aware of a “something” that triggers beautiful emotions deep inside that you cannot fully express in words, that is YUGEN. Those moments when your spirit joins another spirit giving you chills, making you smile, cry, sing, dance, you have found the DUENDE.
Andalucía, the Southernmost region of continental Spain, has been witness and recipient of history from times immemorial. Its people have seen the greatest times and the worst times. Today, they live life as modern people, but with an ancient wisdom. They live it day by day without forgetting that the future is around the corner.
Not long ago, after driving through a super modern highway, we veered into a byroad that took us up the mountains to Macharaviaya, a small, historic village that has been around since last millennia. Yet there, in that hamlet, the Siege of Pensacola (USA. 1781) is represented every year honoring its most famous son, Bernardo de Gálvez, hero of the American Revolution.
Exploring Andalucía searching for accommodations, we have found lodgings with duende all over them. An old Franciscan monastery in Palma del Río, where oranges were first brought to America; a stunning labyrinth of dwellings in Seville’s old Jewish quarter, now a hotel where no room resembles another. Elegant homes from the 18th century await your arrival to relax in their inner chambers. And if you need to get in touch with someone faraway, we have made sure that they do have Wi-Fi.
It is important for us that while you stay in Andalucía with us, you experience its Yugen and its Duende, and we are working hard to make sure you do. However, our lives go beyond that, and each part of our lives enhances each other. We are living with Viqui’s aging mother and a younger brother with special needs. It is a blessing being able to help the family in ways we could not have before. Also, Alfonso is translating a book and working part-time as and English-language assistant in a local school. Friends and family have given us the strength to be our best, to see the beautiful moments and to connect with kindred spirits. It is another way to find the Yugen and the Duende in our lives.
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