Mountain. Village built in a rock. Noon. No access to the centre of the village with a vehicle, just on foot. You can imagine it is very nice, to walk there, and enjoy some stunning views, all until the Mediterranean coast. But if you have a concert and have to take your piano with you, then maybe it is not that nice and comfortable anymore?
So, this is the road, the better and wider part of it. Usually, it is full of tourists. It was pretty busy today too, however not as crowded as other times. It is good, my piano in the Voyager passed here without problems. And I had great help, I didn't have to move a finger to carry my piano. One of the singers I had the performance with, didn't allow me to carry my instrument. He took it as his task :)) Thanks J. for that :)
The 243 residents of this village and countless daily visitors of it have to pass this gate to enter the "castle". The core of the Castell de Guadalest, which is the official name of it was the part of the fortress that exists from the period of Muslim occupation. In the middle of the XIII century, it was conquered by the Christians.
You see now why it can't be approached with a car. Not only because the whole path is steep (as the village was built literally on a rock), but also because this passage between the two rocks is narrow. If My colleague, the singer, would have to carry here a real grand piano, I am not sure if in the end, I would have my instrument on the other side of the rock. It would be very challenging, as look how the passage looks like from the other side. That is the same "tunnel" between the two rocks seen in the previous photo, but now already looking at it from inside the castle part of the village.
It is incredible how they built the whole fortress and that tower, on the top of a rock. There is also a path, up there, to access the cemetery, which is also situated close to that tower. I guess that the lack of space inside the castle made the people from the past use every single square meter efficiently.
Once, being inside the walls of the fortress, we have one street where every house is transformed into a museum, shop or restaurant. I am wondering how do they bring the goods here? I mean, no car can pass here. Maybe they have some trolleys or trucks to carry the stuff they need?
I was happy that my colleague did it for me, carrying my stage piano, but how do all these people do that, on daily basis?
A detail from one of the shops. I guess I am not right when I say it is a deer head made of rye... Well, it is cute, whatever it is :))
At the end of that super short street, there is a small square, from where we can enjoy the views of the lake! That is the same lake where I had some adventures, but now you can see it how does it look like from the village itself. It is just one part of the lake though.
In that same street (obviously, as there is no other one) we found the church we had the arranged performance. In such a small place, having less than 250 residents, every event is kind of special. One girl had her first communion so the parents hired classical musicians to accompany the religious and social act. Those two guys you see in the following photo, in white shirts were my musician colleagues for that event.
We had one rehearsal a few days ago, and we were ready actually. The pieces I had to play were not too difficult, there were some songs I could play seeing them for the first time, sightreading them. Also, we performed those songs that we already knew from before, as this is not the first time we collaborate (before covid we did some gigs together), like Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone and Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. I noticed the goosebumps conquesting my arms while I was playing those two songs. They sounded really well, with the acoustic of the old, stone church. And I think we also touched some more hearts there.
After finishing the performance, and the piano was again packed in Voyager, we headed back to the only part of the village that we could access with the car. While I was enjoying the views and playing being a tourist, my colleagues had a different responsibility...
...they were again carrying the piano, my piano, this time not to the top of the rock, but back to the parked vehicle. I think, all in all, this event that happened yesterday was very pleasant. The other thing is that in the evening I had another performance... But that one is now still staying out of this post!
I missed this post, but I'm here now. What a lovely and interesting place! A bit difficult too, as you mentioned in the post.
I suppose they use donkeys to carry things, at least that's what Italians do in similar villages. It's a common problem and they must have figured out a way to solve the problem.
Anyway, the concert must have been phenomenal and the acoustics as well as these old churches are a good place for concerts.
It's ok, I have a bunch of posts to respond to also, and can not catch up even with the replies to the old comments... We need some days that would last for 30 hours :D
I am pretty sure they used donkeys in the past, because of all the narrow streets. And not just in this village, Probably in the majority. But I am not that sure they use them still. I suppose they carry the goods with some kind of trolley? Who knows
Yes, the acoustic is great in the churches. I am uploading right now a video of a concert with a choir, where children are singing. Well, hopefully, I can get it right in some hours {lol} as I am editing the vid for the third time already haha
That would be a point where i would start to question my instrument choices. Was piano the right choice, maybe i should have gone with triangle of harmonica...
I know, I know :D
Every moving we had the same jokes: why you didn't play a flute of a triangle 😂😂😂
But this was a stage piano that can be carried in it's case with wheels, and I do it by myself every time... however climb with it to the old part of the village would be difficult for me, I was lucky the guy offered himself to do it instead of me :))
my go to joke is you just need to be famous enough to have someone set up the stage 😀
Exactly :))
Cool. That place rocks.
Hahahaha
Indeed, it rocks :D
That looks like a very cool location. Very isolated as well.
How big is this piano though? Is it one of the electric pianos - like a "keyboard?"
Regardless, it's nice that your colleague carried it for you.
The village is one of the most visited ones in this region by the tourists because it is so specific. You can arrive by car at the new, lower part of the village and park it there. From then, one can go just on foot.
Hmm, yes, it looks like a bigger keyboard, but it is not just a keyboard. It is a digital piano (like I have it at the home that I use when I record something) but made for easier transportation without fixed legs, and the body of the piano is also less heavy and less thick. The keys and the touch is like in the regular piano though (not the same, as the feeling of playing on an acoustic piano is pretty different and superb). So it is called stage piano.
I have a good case for it with wheels (you saw that post some months ago) but it is easy to transport when I park close to the venue. Yesterday, it would be difficult to make all that path up without help :)
Okay I see. That makes sense. I remember seeing the case but I don't remember if I ever saw the piano itself.
I don't think I posted the piano itself, maybe some very very long time ago in one or two videos I played on that one (but indeed so much time ago...)
I see. Good to know my memory has completely left me 😁
You share many exciting places for us. It is so beautiful that I would like to travel there and ask you to guide me and introduce me to the sights.
But only i have a problem, it is hot. That i'm a fugitive from the heat😅😅
I know, but it's not my fault I live in a beautiful place hahaha:))
Oh, I really like to introduce the interesting places when someone visits us. I am sure you would like to be guided here around.
Haha, heat, that is normal in Spain, some sacrifices have to be taken :D
Wow… what a journey on foot 😎 all the way up, small gates… and streets.
Well done colleagues for carrying the piano. It would have been a struggle alone.
People do move their stuff around in little motorised skips. Very very small one. They have a few little wheels. They do fit those small areas. I saw it a few times. Even wheelbarrows are used to move around things. They don’t have to do it all by hand. Yes the fit young people will. Hehehe
I see the man carrying the piano.
Such a stunning views and what a beautiful place to perform.
Have a great start of the new week 👋🏻😁☀️
Yes, it was a journey. A nice one, especially as I just had to carry myself and nothing else.
The day was perfect, the views amazing and the our performance went very well.
Just happy feelings are connected to this working excursion to Guadalest :))
Have a great week you too 😊
That just wonderful to hear @mipiano 😁 happy feelings… yay
Buenos dias ☀️😊💃🏻👋🏻
Thank you kindly!
I can see that if I were one of your concert colleagues I would also have to bring the piano 🤣 At least it's not a grand piano 😵 Amiga, I knew you were very busy these days, but I didn't imagine all the effort behind it, from what I've read it's really not easy at all to access the village, but well worth it. What you say about the acoustics in the church is something magical that only music can give us, sometimes I feel that many churches were made thinking about the musical moments that would be in them.
I see your pictures and I read the text and I feel inspired again, I will finally accept your invitation to participate in the community. I had the same impression about the art of that animal that I can't identify either hahaha, but I have fallen in love, I would like to have it in my house. I loved reading this post on this, my first day off in a long time, and it serves as an example to write mine, thank you very much, a hug...
Jesus, yes I imagine, you would probably like to help me too :)
Now you think that it is better we collaborate in digital world just 😂
So you see now how went my day... well, it was just one of the things I had on Saturday. When I arrived to my town, I had to get ready for the next concert.
The acoustic in the churches is usually great, and it happened to help our music to make more impact :))
I am glad you feel now inspired. You had some events recently, if I am not mistaken, so why not bringing them? Yes, the invitation is still on, it will never expire 😉
Thanks friend, I'm working on it. I don't have the best equipment for videos and pictures and that's why I've been slow, but the little I've seen in this space I love it and of course I'd like to be more active. A big hug...
Tho story is important :))
I am looking forward to seeing your post 😇
Wow! What an adventure. From the pictures, I can imagine how difficult it had been to transport anything as bug as a grand piano through those rocky path.
How I wish I could listen to an excerpt of the piece you played, am sure I would also feel goosebumps. Am also sure the audience enjoyed every piece of your performance.
Very importantly, Kudos to the person that helped you move your piano, there are always kind hearted people who are ready to selflessly help out! I have experienced them my self.
In all, thanks for sharing your lovely experience of the rocky village with us😂
I like adventures, even if it means just playing the piano, but at a special and beautiful place. Luckily the piano was not a grand piano, but a digital stage piano, with a case that has wheels so it was easier to transport. For me especially as I didn't move a finger to do anything hahaha. Yes, kudos to my colleague who did it for me.
Thank you for reading @magicfingerz , I appreciate your comment and involvement 😇
The pictures look beautiful! But carriing a piano to this place is not so much fun! I can understand this very well!
Yes, I can see now that you understand it :)
You are a musician too, so you know what it means, to take our musical instruments to a place where we have to play.
Depends on the size of the musical instrument too, a flute and a double bass are not in the same category :D
Oh yes, I know these things! 🙃😜😁
I don´t know how much I have carried in my life 🙈 Guitars, amps... PA..........
...and I also know, a piano is heavey, even though I don´t play piano 😁
Wow @mipiano what a stunning place to be able to play your piano!
It must have felt really special to be up there and even more so as you had your own personal 'staff' to carry your piano up there for you. 😜
For his sake I really hope it was a set of keyboards and not a real piano!
And where were the photos of him carrying it up for you! I didn't see any...
Hahaha, yes, personal staff to carry heavy things for me :D
No, it was not a real, grand acoustic piano. Well, as explained in the comment above, it is a digital piano without fixed legs (so we also bring folding legs for it) and a bit reduced the size of the body of the piano (but not affecting the full size of the keys.)
I do have one photo of him with the piano in the transportation bag, but as it is a close-up photo and I don't want to post it to hive without his consent 😇
But, if you zoom in on the last photo, you will see two guys in white shirts. One is holding a black tall case. That's my piano inside :D
Seems so small from the place I took the photo :))
Oh wow ok, so I had no idea that there are keyboards vs digital pianos..though I'm sure I probably really should have known as Piano is one of my favourite instruments and although I tried to teach myself about 20 years ago on a keyboard, I never pursued it and all I wanted to learn when I was young was piano, but my parents couldn't afford paying for my lessons and the irony was that we even (still) have an old piano in the family home- which I think was my grandfathers, when my mum was very young, so it would be about...80years old...BUT some of the keys were/are 'broken' and it was out of tune and that's really what my parents couldn't afford- getting it repaired as we lived in a very small country town and there was no-one around for miles that could do it.
But I did learn to play the theme to 'Loveboat" really well...🤣...(and still can...)
I took these last time I was there as I was going to sell it to someone to maybe restore it for sale...still haven't gotten that far yet..
And I did check out the 2 very handsome guys at the bottom of the walk looking up at you...oh and I also noticed the carry case too..😅
And I can't wait to see where your next magical musical adventure takes you! XXX
Wow, that is an old and gorgeous one!!
These old pianos usually need a lot of money to be restored ( to sound well) as fixing the broken key, strings and parts of the mechanism takes time and knowledge. However, as the wood is old also, and the pieces are not the same as they are produced nowadays, sometimes it is not rentable and possible to restore them.
But it all depends on the condition of the piano. :))
Yes, very expensive but such a shame to just dump it in the trash...the age, the history and the family significance of it...and sine one day I want to move to Spain...
I understand. I had one very old grand piano, but as it could not be fixed and I could not move it to my house, my parents just didn't have more space in their house so they gave it away.
How are you dear friend @mipiano good day
What a charming place, what an ingenious construction on the bed of the mountain, I love the structure that they have made at the entrance of the beautiful town
I loved the period architecture of the place and how well preserved
It's good that his friend took care of the piano, it would have been quite a journey to get there with his
Thank you very much for taking us back in time and letting us know this beautiful place
enjoy it a lot
I love the structure too, but it is not that practical nowadays. However, the place is gorgeous and the view, amazing.
Thank you for your comment @jlufer
Wow.... What a village, built on a Rock with only one street..
Never seen or heard anything like this before..
Beautiful and adventurous..
Chaiii...
There are places in this world oo
@mipiano.... I really hope to see you play one day in real life. You are really good at what you do, it's inspiring.
And am glad you touched lives again liked you always do..
Thank you for always sharing your adventures with us...
I look forward to the next one.
A rock and one street, indeed. But that one street is just in the old part because there is a new part of the village where you can access with a vehicle and have more streets.
Hehehe, yes, there are great places in this world.
Thank you @benii for being always around and reading my posts 😇
Oh... Now I get..
There's another new route to the village if one decide not to go through the old part right??
You are more than welcome dear mother of piano😃🥰😊
No, it's just the new part that can be approached by car and if you want, you can stay there. But to see the old part and these views, the route I showed is the only one. Then, once you are up in the old part, just that one street is there and a small square from where the lake can be seen. From there we can just go back, it's a dead end path :D
Oohh
Okay
I think I get it now
Happy new week mam😊
These views are beautiful but wait you said carry, I would be scared that it would roll off 😂
Hahahah, I remember you are scary from height, but it would be fun for you too to climb there. Well, you just did it with me through this post :)))
Very scared of heights but if I have people around, I wouldn’t mind climbing and yes, I did climb through you though
😇
This is beautiful, I knew it was Spain from the photos. Incredible like you said how they get around and manage to receive supplies to the village. The locals must be super fit!
Have you been to Nerja?
I love the second photo, is that someones house? WOW!
Thank you for sharing, glad it went so well.
Hahaha, maybe they are fit indeed, so much walking up and down could bring some benefits :D
Hmm, no, I have never been to Nerja, but I suppose it is nice if you mention it :)
The closest we went (to Nerja) was Granada, stayed there for several days but didn't go to the coast. We enjoyed Alhambra and the inland landscape.
It is the tower, but not a house where someone would live in. Well, maybe some spiders or birds found a place for living there :D
The gif is so funny, thanks for stopping by 😃
Now I see those two kind guys in the last photo carrying your piano and perhaps looking up to see what on earth you were doing or what was keeping you waiting lol. Am I right? correct this impression if I am wrong lol. Meanwhile, it seemed you did more tourism than you went for a concert lol. In all, it's good news that you guys delivered your piece well, and I believe the people were blessed. I was hoping to see a photo or selfie of you though, maybe some other day on your next music concert tour lol.
Hahaha, that was the case, indeed. I was enjoying there the views and taking some photos while they already were waiting for me, why I am getting back 😂
You have a good eye, that you spotted them. Cool 😎
Selfie, well not a very successful selfie person here hahaha. People on my blog see what I see, through my eyes... and maybe I try to avoid the mirrors to observe myself... they show always an older person than I am.
How strange it is, right? 🤣🤣
Kinda strange I guess lol but it's okay I think I understand
Great post. Thank you!
Hey @stickupmusic
Thank you, and I am glad you liked this post :) 🎶
Truly a great place to be.I wanted to visit that place mipiano 🥰🥰😍
I wish you a lot of travelling opportunities all across the world 😇
That is an amazing place to perform, I really need to put Castell de Guadalest at the top of my to-visit list- It looks truly amazing.
It is a fantastic place, I think you would not be disappointed.
So many times I have been already there, and still, I so much like to visit it, over and over again.
I was reading your description and seeing the pics and I was like.... why did I never hear about that???
I will definitely go there, but well first I need to make sure I get back to Spain this week ;)
Maybe because it is a small village with less than 250 residents? :D
Oh, you escaped the Spanish heat? Though it is ok these days here, last week was warmer.
I know I left on the first nice day, the heat will probably return when I do :(
I hope we could listen to you playing piano next time 😁..
Maybe, maybe :))
This was just a blog post, but some playing will come maybe soon 😇🎶
You had a wonderful moment and it seems i should be in the photo too as well, the camera is great. This is indeed, a tourist attraction having a beautiful village sited on a hill. Your colleagues looks so great as well. I believe you had an adventurous moment over there @mipiano
Hi @daniky
I am glad you could feel yourself as if you visited the place also through this post. You are right, it is pretty touristically focused, well, they have to use the beauty of the environment and the village itself to attract people and money :)
😃Yeah that's a cool business and it's a lovely adventure @mipiano. Do have an amazing day.
Where ever the music must be, I ll go.
And all the way up, the piano went
Not on wheels of rubber or steel
But on foots of men with heels
Up they Climbed, the steps so steep
Who said you cant hear some music at the peak
If @mipiano is playing, then it is worth it
Every sweat spent deserving of every sweet tune
The view from the village really looks good and I will love for my church to be sited at that location where I could see such view but if it would mean that I would have to carry an instrument up that mountain, I would rather prefer the lowlands. But I guess everything comes with a price.
Thanks for sharing