Yugen & Duende-Vive Andalucía is a small, independent, custom-designed tour operator specializing in small, private, escorted tours of Andalucía. Our goal is to work with you to experience this fascinating part of Europe in a more personal and relaxing way, leaving you with wonderful memories of magnificent places, great gastronomic and cultural experiences, as well as the people you’ll meet.
Our network of businesses and professionals are ready to cater to your every need and to ensure that you experience all the yugen and duende of this enchanting region. Your hosts, Viqui Arbizu and Alfonso Duluc, love life and are directly connected to Andalucía. Viqui is a native Sevillian, and Alfonso is from the USA and his mother is from Córdoba, Spain. After experiencing life in different lands, professionally and on vacation, we have moved to Spain, and we want to share Andalucía’s Yugen & Duende with you.
About Us
Your Hosts
L. ALFONSO DULUC
I was born in Chicago, US, in a blended family and was fortunate to have lived in several countries. Since childhood, I often visited my mom’s family in Córdoba, Spain, learning to appreciate Spain and specially Andalucía. I moved to New York City to study acting, after a few years, I changed gears and got a Bachelor of Science in Bilingual Education and a Master in Special Education. I was fortunate to work as an educator both in the States and abroad and also perform in various amateur plays related to the pan-Hispanic culture. In Houston, TX, I joined several Hispanic organizations such as the Institute of Hispanic Culture, the Order of Granaderos & Damas de Gálvez and La Casa de España where I was on the board for over a decade and planned many trips and activities for the members. Viqui and I married in 2004 and in 2019 moved to Spain. We started our travel agency to share with you the wonders of such a legendary land full of incredible history, gastronomy, and culture.
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VIQUI ARBIZU
I am a native Spaniard from Seville, Andalucía’s capital. After getting my degree in education, I worked in Spain, England, and Poland. I joined a spelunking group and was fortunate to travel to several places in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. I moved to Houston, TX, and earned my Master’s in Spanish literature at Rice University where later I became part of their teaching staff. Later I worked on my PhD in Linguistics investigating the Spanish skills of Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas. In Houston, I joined several socio-cultural groups such as the Institute of Hispanic Culture, Archaeology Now, the Order of Granaderos & Damas de Gálvez, and La Casa de España where I was president for some years working with various institutions on the diffusion of pan-Hispanic cultures. Our plan has always been to retire in Spain, however Alfonso and I moved to Spain ahead of time due to my mother’s poor health. Being back in Spain, we become conscious of the magnificent history, culture, and gastronomy of this region. After a good deal of research and exploration, we decided to share the wonders of Andalucía with as many people as possible.