Europe

Birthday Trip in Sevilla

Published on November 14, 2025November 14, 2025 by RioLeave a comment

So, I went back to Andalucía end of last month to see the city of Sevilla. Last time I was in that region, I stayed only in the mountains in Alajar for my Botanical Skincare and Art Retreat. Well, this time, I went to see the famous city for some sight-seeing and some artistic workshops – Mosaic Tile Making and the Flamenco Dance tutorial in the video below. 😀

This was the first time I went on a birthday trip without really much planning. I just wanted to take it easy this time. And also, no going to too many fancy restaurants that explain too much about the food and all that. Just simple, fresh and good quality food with some nice ambience. 🙂

We stayed at an AirBNB in a quiet location right next to the Market along Calle Feria. We had a lovely two-storey apartment at the top floor, with a big terasse overlooking the neighborhood and the gorgeous bell tower of the Parroquia Omnium Sanctorum, a nice small church right next to our place. Having a good view, is always a requirement for me when picking a place to stay. This is probably one of the nicest views I have ever had in an AirBNB (except for those overlooking the sea). I enjoyed taking my breakfast, snacks and apéro in this private terasse, just outside our bedroom. It was the first thing I see upon waking in the morning. And so, it was almost impossible for me to not paint this view. And I had to use my new Fabriano watercolor pencils, I chanced upon at the Fabriano shop at the airport in Munich from our last summer trip. These pencils are fantastic! I love them!

We wanted to go to Real Alcazar on our first day but the tickets were already sold out when we got there. We tried again the next day, earlier this time, but still sold out! We decided to just go to Plaza de España instead. I am not about to start queuing at 6AM and wait for three hours to enter! I was not really sure if Real Alcazar was worth it anyway since the garden was closed due to the flooding the day before we arrived. Also, it must be very crowded inside. And I don’t do well with overcrowded places. Meanwhile, Plaza de España did not disappoint. I also later found out that this was used as a filming location in “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones.” It was so grand and so gorgeous in every corner! I was surprised to find out it was only built in the previous century!

The next day, my daughter and I tried our hand at Mosaic tile making at Triana Market. It was a bit tedious but quite a nice bonding experience. I found out that this market used to be a prison, and it was also right next to the dreaded Spanish Inquisition. I remember that from history classes. Not a very good core memory. We also checked out the tile shops right next to the market, where they sell just too many tiles. I got myself a nice small and cute souvenir in the form of hand-painted ceramic earrings.

We did a lot strolling around the area of our AirBNB, the market there was very nice, along with the shops and the restaurants. Also, the crowds were more local. The food, more authentic and cheaper. But still so very near to a lot of places of interest. One of the more quiet places that I liked so much was Palacio de las Dueñas, just a 10-minute walk from where we were staying. Lovely architecture, lovely garden, and lots of quiet corners.

I had the loveliest time in Seville, I highly recommend passing by it if you get a chance to visit Spain. Oh, and those orange trees everywhere !!! I just love them!

The Sound of Music Tour

Published on August 24, 2025August 29, 2025 by Rio4 Comments

As a child, I was a big fan of the movie, The Sound of Music. I have fond memories of watching it on TV every year around Christmas time. There was even one time when it was shown so late in the night and it finished right around midnight, just in time for the last Misa de Gallo on the eve of Christmas. So, you can imagine how delightful it was for me to plan this trip for me and my family’s summer holiday.

We actually started off with a direct flight to Munich. From there, we drove to Salzburg, where we stayed for four days doing my personalized The Sound of Music Tour. I did not join the bus tour because I found it a bit too much, and did not like the idea of being squeezed into a bus with a big group of strangers. So, we just drove around with our own car and planned my own itinerary.

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It was rainy on our first day in Salzburg. But from the second day on, we had lots of sunshine during the day and just a slight drizzle towards the evening. It was refreshing to be in the Alps, with the cool mountain air and lovely smell of the pine trees.

Our first stop was Nonnberg Abbey. I went inside and lit a candle. It was all quiet, and I appreciated the fact that we were the only ones there. It was a steep climb to the abbey, but the view of the city rooftops was magnificent. We also went farther up to climb to the palace that overlooks the whole city. It was also so much fun to ride the telepherique on the way down. Especially if you sit right on the very front. It felt like riding on a roller coaster. 😀

Next stop was the Gazebo at Schloss Hellbrunn, where Rolf and Liesl sang and danced to that sexist and condescending but cute, nonetheless, song. 😀 Well, it was a different time. It was considered cute back then. It was a little bit underwhelming when I saw the gazebo. But it was situated in a nice garden and a museum with a Roman water garden, they fondly call, Trick Fountains. Don’t go there, if you do not like being surprised and getting all wet for no good reason!

Last stop was the Mirabell Gardens. By this time, it was drizzling and there were so many people, I had to use AI to crop them out. You can see that my picture (feature image and instagram video) looked a bit weird because of this. 😀 Still worth it, though! These steps in the garden was part of the scene where they were singing, Do-re-mi.

By the way, Salzburg is not only famous for The Sound of Music (in fact, the locals did not even like that movie for quite some time, see YT rabbit hole for deets), it is also famous for being the birth place of Mozart. 😉 I did not go to any of the museums, btw. They were all too crowded and cramped. Also, a bit outside Salzburg is Hallstatt, a UNESCO-inscribed World Heritage tourist trap for instagram-crazy people. I’m not instagram-crazy enough to really appreciate all that crowd. We immediately exited and went to a more quiet lake-side restaurant for lunch.

From Salzburg, we drove to the Dolomites in Brunico, Italy passing through the Austrian-Italian border in the Alps. There was a 25-minute wait at the exit because vehicles can only go one way, so I had some time to do some photo-ops and have some coffee. Made me want to sing Climb Every Mountain while doing some photo-ops. 😀

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In Brunico, we stayed in a charming Chalet/hotel (Hofergut) right beside a river. It was so peaceful and quiet in the area, with lots of greeneries, mountains and lovely sceneries. We had a lovely balcony with a view of the mountains. I even had the opportunity to see a meteor one night because it was the Perseids meteor shower season during this time. It was magical!

My quick doodle of the view from the restaurant at Rifugio Nuvolau in Brunico

We went hiking to see beautiful lakes (Lago di Braies) and spectacular rocky mountains with a tiny restaurants at the Peak (Rifugio Nuvolau). I did not expect the food to be delicious, but it was! Of course, we were in Italy! Speaking of which, we took the opportunity to dine in a Three–Michelin restaurant built in an old and historic wool factory called, Moessmer. This factory supplies fabric to luxury brands like Chanel and Prada. We did not only try the two restaurants of the chef, both located in Brunico. We also bought a few items at the factory outlet. 🙂 The other restaurant, which is in fact a brasserie, is called, Alpinn. I enjoyed this restaurant less. Not just because of the weird snow (in the middle of summer) at the peak, but also, the food was so-so for me.

From Brunico, we drove all the way back to Germany, passing by Schloss Neuchwanstein, on the way. This is the castle that inspired Walt Disney for their logo, and was also the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle. It was a bit meh (compared to the ancient castles in France), and very touristy. But quite a nice stop over, anyway.

Schloss Neuschwanstein view from the carpark

I had the most wonderful time during this summer holiday doing paintings, hiking, shopping, experiencing great food, and taking in some wonderful mountain sites. 🙂

And that concludes this summer holiday’s fabulous trip! Till next time. Thanks for dropping by! 😀

Eat Paint Travel – Lago di Como and Piemonte, Italia

Published on July 21, 2024 by Rio2 Comments

I can’t believe I have totally forgotten to post about my Italian road trip with the family in the summer of 2023.

We started off in the French Riviera — Nice and stayed overnight in Menton. The next day, we headed off to Genova, and stayed at a tiny fishing village called Boccadasse, because we were avoiding the crowds in Cinque Terre. After a couple of days there, we headed towards Lake Como (Lago di Como) and visiting the famous villages around it — Bellano, Bellagio, etc. And finally we ended up in the beauteous and picturesque wine region of Piemonte (Piedmont), famous for its Nebbiolo vineyards for making Barolo wine.

It was a lot of driving, eating good Mediterranean food, vineyard visits, wine tasting, and my very first time to swim in a lake, coz I usually find them creepy. I still do, but Lake Como was gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous in every corner. We also visited Villa del Balbianelo, the famous site of Star Wars Episode 2 wedding scene of Padme and Anakin Skywalker. Oh, and did I mention, I did a lot of watercolor painting too?! 🙂

So here is a quick youtube video to show you how gloriously beautiful Italy is, which is why we keep coming back there with my family.

Thanks for dropping by, and have a good weekend!

Porto Portugal – Art and Travel Vlog

Published on March 31, 2024 by RioLeave a comment

Spent the entire weekend last week in Porto, Portugal. It was my first time there and I had such a great time staying in an AirBNB right along the Douro River, overlooking the bridge that was built by Gustave Eiffel, the same guy who architected the Eiffel Tower.

Together with my family, we spent the weekend dining, trying out wine, local delicacies, and visiting famous sites . We did not like the local wines so much. We don’t like sweet wines like Porto, but I totally loved the Vinho Verde. Pastel de Nata is also too sweet for me, but you can find some versions in certain patisseries that make them less sweet. We found some at Mercado Bolhaõ on our last day.

Clockwise from top: My Vinho Verde glass at one of the best wine bars in Porto, My daughter and the Gustave Eiffel Bridge along the Douro River, The flower-patterned tile which was my inspiration for my tile painting, At Livraria Lello (oldest bookshop still in operation in Porto), The azulejos and me at Igreja do Carmo.

One of the highlights of our trip was the Tile Painting Workshop at this place called, Domus Arte, which is a small curio shop selling Portuguese arts and crafts. At the basement, they have an atelier where they organize the “Tile Painting Workshop”.

Here is my Youtube video for some quick highlights of our trip:

Thanks for dropping by, and have a good Easter!

Botanical Watercolor Art Retreat in Teyssode, France

Published on September 30, 2023September 30, 2023 by RioLeave a comment

So, I just got back from a wondrous, week-long watercolor art retreat with Harriet de Winton here in the South of France.

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I spent a full week interacting with a small group of lovely people from different parts of the world — mostly from North America, and the UK. And I got to meet and chat and learn first-hand, up-close and personal some watercolor tricks from Harriet herself, who stayed with us in the same location.

First of all, the venue, Domaine d’En Naudet was lovely. The hosts, Nicolas and Sophie, are a lovely couple who own the estate. My spacious room was kept clean every day (very unusual in these parts, except in hotels), has huge windows and is conveniently located directly in front of the hall where we hold our daily (almost) watercolor sessions with Harriet.

Each meal (lunch and dinner) was specially prepared by a British chef (forgot to get his name) but he said he works only with uptrek (the event organizer), and that he has a food truck somewhere in Teyssode or Albi. I should look him up. He was really good. As for the wine, and the wine trip and dégustation, I was not so crazy about it, and really quite disappointed. Although, I appreciate that they are trying to promote local wines.

All in all, I had the most enriching experience and wonderful time painting and relaxing and walking around the neighboring village of Albi, which I had not seen in ten years! It was worth revisiting.

Thanks for dropping by and have a lovely weekend!

My Birthday in Paris and Yoyo Ma Concert, etc.

Published on November 27, 2022April 23, 2023 by RioLeave a comment

Last month, I celebrated my birthday in Paris with the hubs and some friends. We stayed at one of our friends’s very lovely apartment, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower. It was wonderful!!! I didn’t wanna leave the room with the view. 😀

We also saw Yoyo Ma at the Philharmonie de Paris. We booked the ticket early this year, and it was almost fully booked! We were still lucky to get seats third row from the stage, facing the front. Here is a video of some of snaps and video shorts I took during the mini-breaks in the concert.

The Philharmonie de Paris was majestic outside, but a bit disappointing inside. But I still had fun watching the concert. It was a birthday gift from my wonderful husband. We had a great time despite the noisy people in the audience violently coughing and sneezing all the time. It was so nerve-wrackingly distracting. I do not know how Yo-Yo Ma managed to keep his calm and cool throughout all the noise. And having said that, I think it will be the last time I will be watching him live. It was too distracting. But it was a real pleasure seeing him live in the flesh. Best birthday gift ever!

Lastly, a bit of update on the job hunt: before going on this trip, exactly a day before, actually, I received a very good news from one of the companies I have applied to. I started working two weeks after this trip. I was ecstatic!!! I have been on the job for two weeks now, and so far, I’m still not disappointed. It’s a great company, one of the biggest French IT Consulting companies, and my client is the biggest aviation company in Europe. Also, I’m working on their big data platform, doing Data Engineering until the end of this year. After that, I might go into another project, of which, I do not know yet. 🙂 I am quite happy. C’est fini, la tristesse.

Cheers, and have a good week ahead!

Fiesta Filipiniana in Le Triadou, France

Published on September 12, 2022April 23, 2023 by RioLeave a comment

My friends and I, together with the Philippine Honorary Consul to Occitanie, Jeffrey Cabuay, went on a trip to Le Triadou, in the South of France to attend a Filipiniana Festival and Art Exhibit. This is a Philippine Festival featuring a programme with Philippine folk dances, and folk songs. There was also an art exhibit, where my artist friends and I contributed some artworks.

The event was organized by the Filipino association, “Tanglaw” (Guiding Light), with members mostly living in Montpellier, France, and around the area.

It was very refreshing to see young people (Filipino students) being very active in the event. There were also some participants and guests from surrounding European countries. It was all very entertaining, relaxing and enjoyable. Even the variety of Filipino food being sold at lunch time were delicious! I had such a great time in this event.

Here are the watercolor artworks I have submitted for the exhibit:

You can get more information about them here:

https://springfugue.com/pahiyas

https://springfugue.com/gumamela

https://springfugue.com/paintings

Also mentioned in my vlog:

https://phinaymarket.com for shopping online Filipino items https://www.zazzle.com/store/springfugue for shopping my online Filipino themed artworks

Thanks for dropping by and have a good day! 🙂

Drawing Contest (Concours de dessin) by Art Tea Shop Toulouse

Published on February 18, 2022April 23, 2023 by RioLeave a comment

I was surprised and very flattered to be contacted by Art Tea Shop Toulouse for their Drawing Contest. They asked if they could use the photo I took of my watercolor artwork for their Drawing Contest’s flyers.

J’ai été surprise et très flattée d’être contactée par Art Tea Shop Toulouse pour leur concours de dessin. Ils m’ont demandé s’ils pouvaient utiliser pour les flyers de leur concours de dessin la photo de mon aquarelle que j’ai prise.

If you are interested to join, do visit their instagram page for details.

Si vous êtes interessés, consultez leur instagram pour plus de détails.

This artwork was totally not my best but I guess I captured the mood really well. My composition was not bad at all. And overall, everything in the photo looks quite nice! 🙂

Cette peinture n’est pas du tout ma meilleure, mais je crois que j’ai bien saisi l’ambiance. Ma composition n’était pas mauvaise du tout. Et dans l’ensemble, tout ce qui est sur la photo est très joli 🙂

By the way, they also have a nice restaurant / tea shop, where we had one of our monthly watercolor sessions two years ago.

À propos, ils ont aussi un joli restaurant/salon de thé, où on a fait l’une de nos sessions mensuelles de l’aquarelle l y a deux ans.

If you live around Toulouse, do drop by the Art Tea Shop. It’s a really nice brasserie and tea shop with warm, welcoming staff. The place is very cozy and quite original, they have good food and drinks, and they sell artworks from local artists, too. We totally had a good time there. I should go back one of these days. 🙂

Si vous habitez dans la région de Toulouse, ne manquez pas de vous rendre à l’Art Tea Shop. Il s’agit d’une brasserie et d’un salon de thé très sympathiques avec un personnel chaleureux et accueillant. L’endroit est très confortable et assez original, ils ont de la bonne nourriture et des boissons, et ils vendent des œuvres d’art d’artistes locaux, aussi. On a passé un très bon moment là-bas. Je devrais y retourner un de ces jours. 🙂

Mont Saint-Michel Watercolor Painting Demo

Published on January 30, 2022April 23, 2023 by RioLeave a comment

Hello everyone! How have you been? I hope you’re one of the chosen few who managed to escape the ire of Omicron. It seems to be very much omnipresent and omnipotent these past few months. Only the hashtag blessed (according to some instagram people) have managed to slip through unnoticed.

I, myself, have been under the weather for the last few days now. It’s not COVID, though. Just the common flu. The symptoms might be even worse than Omicron’s, though. I have been feeling like somebody slapped me around the whole night, every morning I wake up. My whole head hurts, especially my eye sockets, my scalp and even my teeth! I got nasty joint pains the first night. I hardly slept. From time to time, I get sharp nasty pains in my ear. Maybe I should redo the auto-test to check if I really don’t have COVID.

Today, I feel much better, though. I now only have a bit of cough and colds, and I sound a bit like Marge Simpson (or a bit like the sexy French Lola voice you usually hear on French TV doing the voice-over on magazine shows (think Edith Piaf!)… only in France! 😀 ) when I talk. That, and despite the fact that I’ve unwittingly wiped out clean my entire local project folder with all my Python Labs Machine Learning codes in it yesterday morning. Who does that?!!! I wanted to slap myself, but my sickness was already making me feel as if I have been slapped around enough already.

What’s good about all these is that I managed to get some free time (no classes also last Thurs and Fri) to paint again. I have been postponing for the longest time to paint Mont-Saint Michel. My family and I had the occasion to visit this magical place up in Normandie during the summer.

I painted it in a loose, quick, relaxing and fun way, as usual. I don’t want to take my paintings too seriously. I just want to have fun doing them. That’s the most important thing to me.

Thanks for dropping by. Cheers, and keep safe, everyone! 🙂

Watercolor Painting of Santorini

Published on November 6, 2021April 23, 2023 by RioLeave a comment

Finally, after almost two years, I managed to travel outside of France once again. My family and I stayed in the lovely island of Santorini in Greece for a week during the school holiday. We stayed in this beautiful apartment in Pyrgos, a quiet area in the middle of the island, away from the bustle of the touristy areas of Oia and Fira.

We had a lovely view of the sea, some of the islands, and the mountains from the balcony of our Airbnb apartment. The view, and the Bougainvillea flowers at the entrance of the apartment inspired me to paint plein air on the balcony, one day, when I had the occasion to take a break from our usual walks.

I had so much fun, and felt so relaxed doing this watercolor painting of a scenery in Santorini. It was actually inspired by this picture of myself standing under the lush and lovely Bougainvillea of our Airbnb apartment. I just edited it a bit to make it look more interesting in the painting.