Torrox Campsite	Torrox Pueblo	Torrox Costa	Avocados on the campsite	Nerja from the Balcon	Yaron & Anik	Outside the chiringuito

6th. - 13th. March 2009

The Trio was released early in the week and I went out to celebrate........I won't dwell too much on the fact that I posted a thread on the Hauptwerk forum that was somewhat misunderstood by quite a few - although I also received much support from those that read the post properly. As anyone who reads this diary or knows me, I tend to call a spade a spade and am not exactly the most politically correct person at times.  However, I grew up in an age where the saying used to go that "sticks and stones" etc. etc. very much applied.

Certainly I ruffled a few feathers and eventually some of those whose feathers I had ruffled started passing comments against me that were at times unfair and at other times unwarranted. Thus the posting was removed.

However, it did bring quite a few comments out of the woodwork which have proved to be very constructive and have changed my direction of thought as far as Hauptwerk is concerned. In fact, I would go so far as to say that my new direction of thought sparked by the ideas thrown back at me may very well be a parallel route forward that will widen the market for Hauptwerk in the future.

The last thing that any of us wants is to experience the current Tascam / Gigastudio situation (or indeed in past years the Digital Synclavier) where a fantastic piece of software or in the case of the latter - both software and hardware, disappears off the market leaving a lot of people in a canoe, and up a creek with no paddle.

Anyway, what was said was said and if it galvanises just one person into action, it will have served some purpose.

Apart from that, things carried on here as normal. Yaron returned rather the worse for having eaten a dodgy tapas at Malaga bus station but is gradually improving. However, the time has come for many to move on including myself. Last year I moved on because I wanted to experience different aspects of Spain. This year, I'm moving on because I have to make my way up towards Bilbao for the ferry back to the UK.

Although it would be nice to stay in the "place with the best climate in Europe" and rush back to Bilbao in a couple of days, I reckon that it will be much better to take it gently over the next few weeks and still find new places to experience if only for a few days.

Initially my plans are to drive up to Aranjuez on Monday covering old ground but preferable to some of the other routes. As previously noted in this diary, I consider Aranjuez to be the equivalent of any British new town after a couple of hundred years of maturation but it is a convenient stop and certainly isn't unpleasant. Once North of Madrid, I am in hitherto undiscovered territory and Riaza would seem to be a useful staging post before I return via Soria (generally the coldest place in Spain) to Sanguesa in Navarra where I was happiest.

Unfortunately I won't be able to stay there for long and I reckon that I will end up back in Trespaderne with Antonio and Dami and all the other wonderful people there for the last week before I park up on the dock at Bilbao ready to take the ferry back.

I am really heartbroken to have to leave Iberia but circumstances dictate otherwise. I have found more friendship, courtesy and generosity here than anywhere else in my life and I will miss it tremendously. As regards the weather and climate, people class Iberia as a hot country. True, it is possible to enjoy the most perfect climate throughout the year providing one moves around but the reality is somewhat different.  Many Spanish say " 10 months of hell followed by 2 months of a different hell" and they are right for many areas. It's really unbelievably cold for much of the year then unbearably hot for a couple of months before it returns to being damned cold.

However, it is still the most stunningly beautiful country even when it's inclement.

3rd. - 5th. March 2009

My Yorkshire friends - Martin and Margaret departed on the 3rd for Portugal and will gradually make their way up to Santander during the next month via Extramadura. I was sad to see them go but we may meet up again sometime. A couple of other friends have also left, either to go back home or for pastures new. Even Jaron has departed but is due back in a week or so.

I have cobbled together a few demos of the Trio 20 now that it is in sync. It's depressing as to how out of practice I am and I'm afraid that the playing etc. isn't brilliant. Of course it doesn't help to have no pedalboard the Cubase sequencer is still playing up a bit. However, they give some idea of some of what can now be achieved with the instrument.

I've added a bit of reverberation but not too much. Demos as follows;-

Bach: Choral from Sei Gegrusset

Bach: Variation V from Sei Gegrusset

Bach: Trio Sonata in C Minor - 1st. Movement excerpt

Mushel: Toccata excerpt

Mulet: Carillon Sortie excerpt

So the Trio 20 is pretty much ready for release and I will be updating the appropriate pages accordingly.

24th. February - 2nd March 2009

Where did the last week go ???

Actually, it's been a very noisy week because the weekend culminated in Andalucia Day which meant that there were a lot of Spanish on the site and it got really noisy.

Apart from work, we went to the quiz night on Tuesday and came second and on Wednesday, a prevailed upon Jaron to go to the Indian restaurant in Torrox Costa since he has a car. There are two and we were recommended to visit the far one. I must say that it was well worth the visit since for €12.99 you could order as much as you wanted and what's more it was cooked to order. The only rule is "no doggy bags". They take your order for as many starters as you want then go away and cook it. once you have finished, they return to take your order for as many main courses as you want which are likewise cooked to order. This is followed by pudding.

The quality of the food and presentation was excellent and we each had a couple of starters and a couple of main courses which was more than enough. The Asian lass serving us was from Manchester and Stockport. nice decor and a very pleasant evening.

Free tapas were available with every drink in the site bar on Andalucia Day and they were pretty good as well. However, it was a relief when the Spanish left and the site resumed its normal tranquility.

The weather however, has turned and we can expect a few days of heavy rain before the sun returns.

As regards work, the last several days have been spent polishing the Trio 20 and designing artwork. I have tightened up all of the samples so that they are all in sync (nearly 1300 samples) which takes time. I have also reduced them all by 10dB. previously they were normalised to the loudest in each stop but this causes problems sometimes when further tonal boosting is required since they are already running as hot as they can. By reducing the overal amplitude throughout, it means that end users can boost whatever frequencies (within reason) they wish using either a Graphic EQ or a Parametric one without the sample going into distortion.

The results so far have been pleasing and many of the previous little annoyances have disappeared. The whole instrument is much more playable now and should be ready for release in the next few days.

Despite the fact that there are only 20 speaking stops, it has taken ages to get them right. Part of this has been to find a standard template that will work for all future stops and this has now been achieved. it now means that I can easily combine stops from different instruments into a cohesive whole. an example of this is the Basson-Hautbois which came from Sanguesa - as a straight Oboe it isn't very English but works well in the Trio. however, it does make a very nice Fagotto when re-pitched and with a bit of judicious filtering, makes a very good Romantic style Orchestral Oboe which I was missing. the net result is that one original single stop will provide a good half dozen different stops for future use which can be utilised in several different styles. I get an Orchestral Oboe, I will probably achieve a Cor Anglais, I get a Contra Fagotto, I get a Bassoon and I may even manage a 32' out of it and when carefully combined with existing Willis stops - perhaps only for a couple of octaves, I get several more possibilities.

It's a hell of a lot of work and it takes much experimentation but in the end, it will save so much time for future libraries.

21st - 23rd. February

Saturday didn't consist of much.

However, Sunday, Jaron and Anik  invited me to accompany them down to a chiriniguito on the beach at Nerja for a paella. Deciding that I needed a bit of a change of scene, I went. Wonderful paella (which is not always the case), and a very pleasant afternoon.

On returning to the site, I happened to chance upon two familiar faces. Low and behold, there were Pauline and Gerhard my friends from Murcia (who had cooked me m Indonesian meal for my birthday). Needless to say that the invitation came immediately to join them and Jaron and Anik as well so a very pleasant remainder of the day was spent in their company.

Today (Monday) Jaron had to accompany Anik back to the airport for her to return to Lyon and he decided to keep the car. The Dutch and myself disappeared off to our favourite tapas bar with Jaron  and had a lovely afternoon walking the Prom and catching Mercadona for some supplies and the site. Later we met up in the bar for a continuation.

Although the Dutch are moving on tomorrow, they did stay the extra day because we were here and both Jaron and myself agreed that they were some of the nicest people one could meet anywhere. we said fond farewells at the end of the day and who knows when if ever, we will meet again. However, life has a strange way of coming up with the most unlikely rendezvous.

Otherwise, I struggled on with definition files and finally things are working OK. I am actually quite pleased because everything is much tighter now and much more usable. However, the artwork still remains a fly in the proverbial.........

20th. February 2009

Fancied a change from the Trio Series so I have spent some time with the Great Organ stops for the Romantic Series. although I have worked on these on countless occasions, previous "editions" have exhibited certain aspects that were undesirable in terms of attack. Thus, the batch that I have been working with over the last couple of days redress that problem and they now sound a whole lot better than any previous incarnation. In addition, they have been worked on in their original sample resolution whereas previously, they had been reduced to 44.1 16 Bit files.

In common with the Trio Series, the sound has a much less forced character but retains the almost imperceptable attack transients which were lacking and can only be seen at high magnification in the wav editor. Previously, these important factors were missing because the waveform was cut to the first visible part of the pipe speech. it's only a fraction of a second but it is very important.

16th. - 19th. February 2009

The 16th. and 17th. weren't brilliant in terms of weather however, Jaron invited me to join him and his French lady friend for a trip to Nerja on Tuesday. I visited Nerja 20 years ago to see the caves but apart from driving through in latter years I had never been into the town itself.

We visited an alternative tapas bar for lunch (in Torrox), which had been recommended by my Glaswegian friends as even better than Federicos and although there was a huge selection, we were actually rather disappointed in the taste and quality as well as the fact it was 20% more expensive.

Nerja is a bit dead in comparison to Torrox, mostly due to the mayor who wants to bring it back to what it was - sadly an impossible task. However, as a town, it's really quite pleasant and apart from the fact that it was a fairly overcast day, it would be a nice place for a holiday. We went on to Maro which proved to be a one horse dorf with little to recommend it apart from peace and quiet. We returned for the evening quiz night at the Tabla bar and managed 4th. place (Andy and Debbie were missing).

Wednesday and Thursday have been very warm for the time of year and the temperature reached 22 degrees today with a pleasant mild breeze yet it is still frozen up Northwards where temperatures are up to -7 in some areas ! Spain is generally a hot country but it is also unbelievably cold in many parts out of season.

I have been playing about with artwork for the Trio 20 but so far haven't come up with anything that I like - maybe I'll just make it very simple. GH has been kind enough to check the CODMs on his own system with substitute wavs and it all seems to work "straight out of the box" which is a good thing.

The news from the UK continues to be rather dire and I am certainly not looking forward to having to go back. I have never felt the slightest pang of homesickness whilst I have been away but I feel sure that when I return to Britain, that I will feel very homesick indeed.

Thinking back, this time last year I was gradually moving northwards to discover the real Spain and everything was an adventure and I seemed to have a whole lifetime of undiscovered possibilities ahead of me. Now my voyage back will be via the main N-S route. Some of it will be ground already covered but other parts will be new. I look forward to visiting Riaza on the way and no doubt I will end up for the last couple of weeks at my friends Antonio and Dami back in Trespaderne before driving up to Bilbao to catch the ferry. The ferry will be my last bout of "lotus eating" and should be pleasant providing the Bay of Biscay isn't rough. Then it will be the landing in Portsmouth and the drive up to Somerset for a week or so over Easter. After that, I really don't know.

14th. & 15th. February 2009

I've uploaded some more demos on the News page. there are a few very rough demos of some of the Romantic Organ reeds as well as another couple of demos on the Trio series 20 - this time using full organ in parts (apart from the Celestes).

I have also managed to look at the Swell box parameters for the Trio 20 which are greatly improved.

Unusually, when the Trio is released, it will not be encrypted. My reasons for doing this are simple - hopefully, the price that it will come in at will encourage people to buy it and not pirate it. However, the main reason is that the samples can be played around with by users to achieve their own sound - many people don't have the voicing facilities of the advanced edition and even then, they are limited in what can be altered.

With un-encypted samples, more advanced editing software can be used such as CoolEdit or Audition etc. loops can be changed, attacks and releases can be altered and new stops created either by extension or pitch shifting. Of course, there is the risk that the unscrupulous will take advantage of this factor but I am hoping that they won't. The solution is quite simple.......if people do take advantage then I will just go back to encrypting the samples like everyone else.

Otherwise, not such a nice day today but not that bad since it isn't raining.

12th. & 13th. February 2009

Another couple of really beautiful days with hot sun and warm temperatures.

I've had a lot of problems getting together a couple of demos for the Trio 20. I don't know what it is but Cubase seems to produce hanging notes every so often but always in different places. I spent most of today preparing a couple of pieces only to find that I couldn't use either of them for the above reason. However, I have managed to get together wet and dry versions of the Gigue Fugue which can be found as follows:-

Gigue Fugue Dry MP3

Gigue Fugue Wet MP3

I have used the reverberation provided by the Emu card in the latter. Both demos include my stop noise but the blower is the standard HW3 St Annes one. The key action has also been turned off for both demos.

The only negative aspect of the Trio 20 is that like most tracker instruments, it shows up all sorts of faults in ones playing - almost a double edged sword. I always remember playing the big pneumatic Hill at Eton and then crossing the road to play the tracker Flentrop / Mittenreiter. The difference was really quite an eye opener because the latter required a very much neater and precise technique in playing and phrasing as opposed to the Hill which was forgiving and allowed one to get away with murder.

11th. February 2009

What a gorgeous day today was with azure skies and a temperature of  just under 22 degrees. I cycled down to the Costa and there were even people swimming in the sea ! Grabbed a few provisions and a couple of tapas at my favourite bar before returning and meeting up with Jaron until the sun set. It's beautiful weather like this that draws the over-winterers and it's not surprising. Only February and people are wandering around in T-shirts and shorts, sunbathing and swimming. Even if there was nothing else, I am really going to miss these warm winters.

10th. February 2009

Have had a lot of problems trying to get HW to work with Cubase despite using Midi Yoke and several other applications. In the end I gave up and after trying it with the old computer realised that the old machine isn't really up to the job when it comes to the HW library. Finally the solution presented itself and I found that the laptop was the best route since the Tascam interface I use came bundled with an LE edition of Cubase which is sufficient for my needs at the moment.

Joined Andy and Debbie for the quiz in the evening but Jaron couldn't make it. However, once again we won which was really surprising.

5th. - 9th. February 2009

It's rained most of the week and the campsite looks a little like a bomb has hit it because sand, leaves and other detritus has washed down the slopes. The Spanish can't really cope with lots of water (at least in the South), since most of the time they don't get it and thus the drainage systems are unable to cope with unusual weather. Sounds a bit like the UK with the snow.

I did finally get out to do some shopping on a rather cold and blustery day and met up with a couple of Glaswegian friends at the cheap bar near Mercadona where a beer is 50 cents. We moved on to a typically Spanish tapas bar later (which was also cheap) and the whole afternoon and evening were very pleasant indeed.

I returned not exactly the worse for wear but sufficiently sated to have a very, very early night.

News filters through from various sources as to the terrible weather in the UK but in reality, the majority of the country is simply not used to it and thus cannot cope with the new experience. Having lived for many years in Derbyshire, a few inches were nothing to alter normal life and it was only when we got a couple of feet that things became rather more difficult. However, it was nothing that we didn't overcome because we got it every year.

Jaron called round today and we went and had Sunday lunch in the bar which as usual was very good.

I have otherwise spent time fine tooth combing the Trio 20/25 including providing stop action noises. However, as regards the action noises, I have left these as they are in the HW standard library. Quite frankly, I find them more of annoyance than a contribution to the sample set and usually switch them off. However, a subdued drawstop noise is valid and thus, has been done.

I'm actually quite pleased with the results so far; the individual stops and small stop combinations are pleasantly playable and musical, the various choruses work well both singly and together and with the use of the suboctave coupler on the Swell to introduce both 16' reed and flue tone, the sound from 20 stops is actually quite remarkable and shows that correctly designed, voiced and regulated that small instruments can be very capable of accommodating most schools of playing. Of course, there are certain niceties missing that would be furnished by a bigger specification but all in all, I reckon it's pretty damned good.

The instrument can be loaded in full 24 bit /48k uncompressed stereo within 2 Gigabytes so it will fit in with most peoples systems. Now I must really work on some demos to upload before it is released.

1st. - 4th. February 2009

Sunday night was something else.......When it rains here, it certainly does rain and the road outside the site was like a river as was the campsite itself. However, all we got was rain and a bit of thunder whereas a tornado ripped the roof off the main bus station in Malaga and did a lot of other damage. I went down to the bar in the evening and was somewhat amused to see that there was water moving across the bar in a stream since the bar is on the first floor ! No, there wasn't so much rain that the first floor got flooded, it was just that all the water of the terrace flowed into the bar in quite large quantities.

Monday it cleared and was a pleasant sunny day although my next door neighbours discovered their awning full of detritus washed in from the night before which took some clearing up. I managed to find a decent enough Flute 4' for the Trio Great Organ which blends well and met up with an interesting bloke called Jaron who although English had lived for much of his life in Israel.

Tuesday night is quiz night at one of the other bars and like last week, Andy and Debbie invited me to join them. Last week we came third which netted us a bottle of wine each but this week we were joined by Jaron and we came first which was appreciated by everyone since they were fed up with the same team winning every week. We weren't actually doing that well until the final round where three question carried five points each. Similar to the "call my bluff" radio programme the first question concerned a tambour which obviously I knew, the second was a yurt which Andy knew and the third was a paradiddle which no one in the room knew except me and thus, we won.

Today has been mostly sunny although there is much snow on the mountains behind. However, by the evening, it has degenerated into heavy rain again. However, judging by what the rest of Europe is receiving especially the UK, we are really very favoured. Apart from catching bits on the internet, another neighbour lent me an English paper. Seems that the UK is really having a hard time with the weather as well as everything else.

The Trio 20/25 is pretty much complete now and just needs to be double checked for errors in loops etc. I will post a few demos in the next few days.

The only other interesting thing is that this campsite has a rather interesting owner from what everyone tells me. The site is actually owned by a Spanish war criminal who was one of Franco's right hand men. God knows what atrocities he carried out but he is certainly a somewhat unsavoury character and is guilty of murder and much else. As a reward from Franco for his services, he was given vast swathes of Andalucia including this avocado plantation on which the campsite was built - he can be seen occasionally wandering around the site.

30th. -31st. January 2009

The weather changed for the worse on Saturday and it looks set to rain for a few days. It's still relatively warm though and a couple of days rain is not unusual for this time of year even here.

Having been up to the bar with the piano on Wednesday last which had looked promising, the owners have decided that they are not going to go ahead with what they had planned simply because it is not economically viable in the present climate. I have also enquired what else might be available locally and there is absolutely nothing going on anywhere else either.

Otherwise, I continued working on the Trio Series stops plus a little graphics work on the Romantic Series. I hope to have the first of the Trio Series libraries out in February.

25th. - 29th. January 2009

The weather has continued to be superb over the last few days with temperatures around about 20 degrees, blue skies and warm sunshine. However, one only has to look northwards to the nearest mountains to see where the cloud bank begins and everything is snowed up as little as 20 miles away. The weather in other parts of Spain has been pretty horendous with blizzards, high winds, floods and just generally appalling conditions and the same goes for France and Germany.

Took the piano down to the bar yesterday and showed them what I can do and hopefully, I will be playing for the Valentines evening as well as every Sunday in February. I won't get an awful lot for it but it's better than nothing and should pay for my camping here for over a month.

I have decided to stay here for a while, not because it's got anything to offer particularly but because it's cheap to stay, I have free internet access, there are several supermarkets within cycling / walking distance, the climate is excellent and the site isn't noisy. I will probably stay here now until the end of the second week of March.

Today, I booked my ferry back to the UK. Prices are rising day by day and many sailings are getting booked up so I thought it best to strike whilst the iron was hot. The price of the ferry including a cabin with the van comes out at £319.00 and sails from Bilbao to Portsmouth. It's something like a 30 hour crossing and I reckon that this is pretty good value. I leave Spain on April 6th. and arrive back in Portsmouth on April 7th.

To have gone through France would have amounted to an extra £500-600 due to the extra fuel costs and days spent getting up to Calais. Doing it the way that I have chosen means that I am about 200 miles closer to my parents house in Somerset and there is far less stress.

It's sad that I am having to go back to the UK but I cannot earn a living here and the current exchange rate makes it rather more expensive than it was even a few months ago. Spain will remain forever in my heart and I have had some wonderful experiences and met some of the loveliest people in my life. Maybe one day in a few years I will be able to return to live here for good and certainly, I now know those parts where I wouldn't wish to live in the future.

It's been a very valuable experience - at times lonely, at times boring, at times exciting, at times cheap and at times expensive (though I have avoided that for the most part). I have traveled to more parts of Spain and Portugal than most Spanish and Portuguese and although there is much that I haven't seen, I feel that I have a pretty good overall idea of what these countries have to offer.

What the future holds is most uncertain and in many ways, a frightening proposition. However, no doubt, I will survive somehow.

23rd. & 24th. January 2009

Working on Trio Series. Otherwise, the weather isn't too bad with sunshine most days. They reckon that Torrox has the most favourable climate and weather in the whole of Europe and judging by what people say, this isn't far off the truth. Many places claim it but looking at the weather maps it would seem that Torrox is especially favoured. I have now been here for a couple of weeks and it makes sense to stay for a couple more to get the full advantage of the discount.

22nd. & 23rd. January 2009

The last couple of days have been spent tidying up the Trio 20/25; checking loops, a little regulation, substitutions for some notes etc. etc. It's sounding quite good and all I have to do now really is find a 4' flute for the Great, a 4' Flute for the Pedal, a 16 reed for the Pedal and a replacement for the Gaitero on the Swell.

Traveling north at the moment is a bit of a no,no having spoken to some people who have just come down over the last week through France and Spain. The weather is really bad still in the north with snow, blizzards, fog, dodgy conditions and so on and they only just made it. The thought of skidding around on icy roads and fog in the van doesn't bear thinking about.

However, I have looked into the ways of going back to the UK and it seems that the most economic and sensible way is via Bilbao to Portsmouth. By the time I have paid for the diesel and camping stops traveling through France and then across England from Dover, it's a lot more expensive than the 24 hour ferry. It would have been nice to return through France but the costs of everything there along with the generally appalling weather conditions for this time of year make it a non attractive proposition.

21st. January 2009

Phoned my accountant first thing since he wanted to explain to me what he had done. Clever bloke and he really doesn't charge a lot for what he does in comparison to some. He has certainly saved me quite a bit over the years. Having ascertained that everything was in order, I scooted down to the town to post the signed returns back to him so he can file online.

Did a quick shop at the Mercadona and grabbed a couple of tapas on the way back.

Continued work on the Trio series but also started fiddling with the CODM files for the bigger organs that GH had prepared and brought over. Laid out afresh, they look quite well and I will be pleased when I can start substituting the completed Romantic Organ Series stops as they get completed.

At the moment, I anticipate having the first of the Trio series out quite soon and the remaining 30 and 40 stop ones shortly afterwards. The Romantic Series should be available sometime this year in 64, 48 and 36 stop versions. However, the bigger 80 and 100 stop ones will have to wait a little while I'm afraid, but they will come eventually.

GH did comment that the way that I have been doing things is somewhat laborious (an impossible task was his quote), he has given me a couple of programmes that will make some of the preparation faster in the future. I am usually wary of short cuts because they tend to screw things up but what he has given me seems to be very useful. All of us are learning in this idiom and some things make life simpler as they are developed. As an example, it is very much easier to find loops using Zero X than it used to be in Samplitude though the latter did have the ability to redraw a waveform which was very useful.

20th. January 2009

Early start to get GH to the airport. No one can leave the site until 08.00 hrs in the morning so I hoped that we would make it in time especially during rush hour. thankfully, apart from a couple of slow downs, the trip to the airport was relatively painless apart from nearly going under a restricted height barrier at the departures drop off point together with some rather tight reversing and rerouting through an equally tight corridor. however, GH was dropped safely and I returned to Torrox without problems.

Received a PDF of my accounts from my accountant for Capital Gains Tax on the sale of my property which was better than I had anticipated. Perhaps things are going to improve - after all they can't get much worse at the moment.

Otherwise, continued work on the Trio series.

19th. January 2009

Rang my bank first thing who informed me that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the card or the account. Unkike the UK where cards are destroyed immediately the machine swallows them, Spain is different and they suggested that I go down to the bank and see if they still had my card. I cycled down to the bank explained the situation and the teller opened her drawer where there were several cards including mine. After identification she returned it to me and we checked that it was working which it was. Phew !

It wouldn't have been an insurmountable problem if they hadn't had the card but it would have been very inconvenient indeed since I believe that this is the time that RDS is away in Italy whilst his daughter plays a private concert for the Pope which would have delayed receipt of a new card considerably.

18th. January 2009

Quiet day apart from having a very good traditional British Sunday lunch in the site restaurant. GH spent most of the day separating samples whilst I worked on Trio stops.

17th. January 2009

We took a walk down to Torrox Costa along the promenade. Less distance than to Torrox Pueblo.

However, disaster struck...........Went to draw some money out on my bank card. Got the balance and then pushed the button to take money out. unfortunately the key pad was a little worn and it put in too many numbers. I pressed cancel so that I could start again only to get a message saying that the card had been retained and to contact my bank. I really don't need this sort of hassle at the moment. I may be able to retrieve the card from the bank on Monday but if not, I then have to wait until another card can be sent out via my mailing address in the UK which will take about a week.

Fortunately, I do have credit cards which will enable me to get some money to tie me through but it's just the utter inconvenience of it all. Hopefully, I will be able to get the card from the bank on Monday and with a phone call to the bank, make sure that it is still active. Still, it's just more stress and living in Spain was supposed to be stress free.

16th. January 2009

Most of the day was spent going through the Trio library and various bits of Hauptwerk stuff. After a couple of days of really sunny and warm weather, today was overcast and a lot cooler though still not cold.

15th. January 2009

Drove the van into the Carglass garage where the news windscreen had arrived from Madrid and then set off into Velez Malaga. Initially we thought it was going to be a typical fairly grotty Spanish town but were pleasantly surprised to find it was nicer than we had expected. We even managed to get into the Semana Santa museum below the castle which proved interesting. The film could be described as every single Corpus Christi procession that one had ever seen crammed into about 10 minutes of gaudy zealotry complete with Klu Klux Klan costumes by the dozen.

We wandered back past a couple of other old bits and had some tapas in a bar before picking the van up which had been completed on time.

14th. January 2009

We decided to walk up to Torrox village since it was a nice day and arrived in a not unpleasant place after a long walk of a couple of miles. Nothing very inspiring, just a typical Andalucian village. we had a coffee and then returned.

13th. January 2009

GH arrived at Malaga on time but the airport is in a complete mess with rebuilding so I had to park some distance away. Unfortunately, through following signed directions, I ended up walking about  a mile more than I should have had to do. Eventually I got to the arrivals lounge and found GH.  It took us about an hour to get back to the campsite after I had picked him up and we had done a little food shopping.

12th. January 2009

Phoned the Autoglass people first thing and they have a garage just over 10 miles away in Velez Malaga. The glass won't be in until Wednesday and then It will take a couple of hors to fix. Hopefully I won't have any more problems.

Another beautiful day with clear blue skies and warm sunshine. This is really a very nice site but it is a bit tight with the overhanging trees. once again, thank God I don't have a bigger van because it just wouldn't get in.

11th. January 2009

The site at Torre del Mar was really rather poor and the couple of people I spoke to this morning were not exactly very friendly. Whilst I did sleep a bit, I got woken up several times by the next door van slamming their door in the night added to which they started talking in loud voices at 7 in the morning.

Having researched a bit as to what sites were available, I phoned one about seven miles down the road which honours the ACSI card and they had space. After a shortish drive, I arrived at the site which is quite pleasant and found that it is actually cheaper for me to stay without the ACSI card than it is with it.

The on site supermarket is very expensive for pretty much everything but the bar and restaurant is very much cheaper than Torre del Mar and I spent a pleasant afternoon sitting in the warm sunshine. The people here are also much more friendly. After last nights storm it was a beautiful day although there is much snow on the mountains not more than a few miles away. However, in Torrox Costa it was a very pleasant 20 degrees and even come the evening it was still about 14.

Speaking to some people on the site they told me that in Puerto Banus down by Marbella they charge €8.50 for a pint of lager, €5 for a coke and €4 for a small coffee. God knows what they might charge for a meal. I know it's millionaire country but those sort of prices must be the highest in the world including Norway and Iceland. So that is one place I definitely won't be going to !

Phoned the insurance people over the windscreen and they gave me a Spanish phone number for the equivalent of Autoglass. Hopefully they will fix it quickly when I ring tomorrow.

GH rang this evening in slight panic to tell me that he was Tuesday and not Thursday. I knew that they had changed the times of his flights but hadn't realised that they had changed the days as well. However it isn't a problem since I am only about an hour or less away from the airport and it's a good road.

10th. January 2009

I said my goodbyes to all my friends at La Fuente and left just before midday. La Fuente is a very reasonably priced site and long term it has been very economical. I set off west and wisely decided to take the coast road having run into mild snow showers around Lorca. The Sierra d'Espuna was quite white and taking the top road to Granada would have been asking for trouble - it's minus 10 there.

Almeria looked as uninspiring as it did last time and hitting the coast road finally brought sunshine. Passed through Callahonda and Carchuna (Don Cactus site where I spent 6 weeks last year) and got hit by a stone on the approach into Motril which has cracked the windscreen (it never rains..........). I must get it fixed quickly since the destruction of said windscreen would be a total nightmare. I am insured but I still have to pay the excess and there is also the inconvenience of it all.

I struggled on to Torre del Mar where in a heavy rainstorm I managed to find the site. If they thought I was going to pay €23 for a night in that site they were sorely mistaken. Therefore I moved a few hundred yards to the next site which was about €5 cheaper. It's still outrageous out of season but it was getting dark so I had little option for tonight.

Lucky I did since within 10 minutes of arriving, the heavy rainstorm turned into a very severe thunderstorm. Now I know that thunderstorms differ depending on which part of the world you are in both in terms of lightning and the noise of the thunder but this one was quite excessive. Tremendous flashes and when the thunder roared, it really shook the van completely. I have never heard such weird thunder - apart from the outrageous claps, there were also weird ones that sounded like a motorbike revving up. it went on for a good 3 hours so I decided to go to the bar eventually.

There another shock ensued; I have been used to paying €1 for a half and €2 for a pint. Here, 1/3 pint costs €1.70 which is excessive and you don't even get a tapas with it nor a full glass ! Spain may have been acceptable when the rate was £1 to €1.40 but now it's just plain daft. It really is surprising how the same thing can cost so differently depending where you are.

GH arrives Thursday but we will certainly be eating and drinking in for most of the time and once he departs, I must seriously think of diving into Portugal or anywhere else but the Costas because they are just so overpriced. I did stock up on instant coffee in Fortuna because I know that here, it's €8 a jar whereas in Fortuna it's only €4. The latter is still OTT but it's a lot better than €8.

What is the world coming to ? The worst cold anyone has known for 40 years, pretty much the whole of Spain snowed up, global economy meltdown, millions being laid off from work worldwide, in the UK every tiny little thing spied upon and reams of regulations to adhere to. George Orwell got it wrong by 25 years. It's still not quite that bad but it's coming to a town near you soon.

I thank God that I have been able to have this year plus in Spain and but for the outrageous exchange rate and the fact that Spain now has the highest unemployment in Europe, it would still be an idyllic place to live (depending where of course). It is still cheap to live here despite the exchange rate providing that one lives in an area where they don't charge the earth for everything and sadly, in many places they do. They have a big shock coming as their tourist £ dries up.

I have no recent photos since there has been nothing really worth photographing. I'm sorry if all this seems a bit negative but I have never written bullshit in this diary. I have always written about what transpires and how I feel about it, honestly and at times bluntly.

Never mind, tomorrow is another day...............

7th.-9th. January 2009

These last couple of days haven't been the happiest for me I'm afraid. The dire state of the euro versus the pound and rapidly dwindling capital don't help matters. Then there is the possibility of a large bill for capital gains tax due to the sale of my property. My storage is costing me a fortune and the prospects of returning to the UK and finding a job are somewhat dismal.

My German friends could tell that all was not right and have done much to support me in terms of friendship but I have had a couple of days of little sleep, no appetite and general feeling of being low. I must shake myself out of this because it becomes a vicious circle. Things haven't been helped by the fact that the fine tuning of the Trio series has been a nightmare and I have reached the equivalent of "writers block".

The weather here is not brilliant but compared to the rest of Spain it's still fantastic. All the motorways north are closed and Madrid is at a standstill due to heavy snow. something like half the provinces of Spain are on Category 2 Alert and requiring assistance because of the cold and snow. Thank God I don't have to go north just yet.

Finally after 3 months, I have to move on from Fortuna. Due to the weather, I am going to have to be careful as to which way I go down towards Malaga.

6th. January 2009

Only a few days now until I move down towards Malaga to pick up GH. I have been here three months which is the longest that I have stayed on any campsite. There isn't really an awful lot to do around here and very little in the way of interesting towns etc. however, I do rather like the place and I have been happy here. This has mainly to do with the people on the site and the vicinity.

In some ways I am looking forward to going to the east of Malaga and in other ways not. Whichever way one looks at it, it is another part of the adventure and who knows what I may find and of course, the beauty about a camper van is that one can always move on.

5th. January 2009

My birthday today and the day turned out gloriously sunny with that typical azure blue sky of Spain. Doubt that I will get much done today since Hans, Hilda, Gerrard, Pauline and Helga are preparing a special lunch for me. Gerrard is cooking Indonesian, Hans is bringing the booze and Helga is making the pudding. Should be a good afternoon.

Tomorrow is the real Spanish Christmas:- Tres Reyes (Epiphany) where everything will be shut down and all the kids get their presents.

It was a superb meal of Indonesian food with a couple of presents thrown in as well and I felt really welcome amongst my friends. We ate outside - albeit a little cool in the shade but pleasant enough providing one wore a pullover. At about 17.00 a couple arrived en transit overnight for the UK, making an emergency dash back to Kent where their water pipes have burst in the cold and all the ceilings have come down.

My German friends report that it is -16 Centigrade in Germany and Holland and the british couple reported that it is the coldest in the UK for 40 years. Crazy how we were sitting outside in 15 - 16 degrees in the shade and more in the sun.

Reckon that the fireworks in Fortuna etc. tonight will be a bit damp since it's now raining quite hard.

3rd. & 4th. January 2009

Quiet days working, dreary weather.

2nd. January 2009

Had to help Hans sort out his Wi-Fi connection before starting to prepare for the meal. Although the day started off with a few showers, it has gradually cleared. it's still cloudy but the sun should break through eventually.

Lunch was ready for 15.00 as promised and the sky had cleared sufficiently that we weren't going to be rained on. Personally, the beef wasn't quite as rare as I like it, but for everyone else they found it perfect along with the veg and the roast potatoes which drew a lot of comment. Seems that roast potatoes are not something that are normally to be had in either Holland or Germany but they certainly vanished quickly. All in all a lovely afternoon which went on until the evening.

I'm afraid that I didn't do any work today on the libraries.

1st. January 2009

Happy New Year to everyone.

I went out eventually last night at about 22.00 hrs. First stop was at El Paraiso which despite my experiences of a couple of weeks ago remains a pleasant bar. I was given a free pint and spent about an hour there before walking down the road to Bobs' Bar. Both bars were quite busy but not filled to over capacity. Quite a few friends at Bobs' including Wendy and John from the restaurant at La Gineta where I played last week.

Saw midnight in there with a free glass of champagne for everyone but left soon after midnight to walk down to the campsite bar. Immediately bumped into all my German friends who reported that the night had not been brilliant - the food wasn't great and the DJ didn't turn up until about 12.45 because his other bar in Fortuna had been a bit busy. The general feeling amongst everyone was that €43 was a bit steep for what they were getting. Glad I didn't shell out.

Had a few drinks with friends before retiring to the van at about 01.30 and watching a video.

Today was moving day where I swap places with Gerrard from Holland. At a civilised hour, I wandered the couple of pitches up to his place were I was offered coffee and cake. We were soon joined by Hans and Hilda and a few others. Gerrard cooked typical Dutch savoury pancakes for everyone and the champagne came out so we didn't actually get around to swapping places until about 16.30.

My new pitch is sunnier than the previous one and tomorrows forecast is good. I invited Hans and Hilda with Gerrard and Pauline to lunch tomorrow where I will roast the joint of beef (neither of them have ovens in their vans) and we will eat outside.

Otherwise, spent a quiet evening in the van - I shall have to do a bit of spring cleaning over the next few days before GH arrives since everything tends to get rather dusty within a very short space of time.

31st. December 2008

Last day of the year and I can't say that I will be glad to see the back of it because in most respects it has been the most wonderful year that I have ever had. Fair enough, there has been a fair amount of "lotus eating" but it has also been a time to enjoy life and experience living completely in a foreign country. Whatever the future holds, I will have fond memories of Iberia and plan to eventually settle down somewhere in it.

As I have said before, it is really a stunningly beautiful and fascinating country but more so than anything else, the real people of Spain are what makes it so special. I have found so much great warmth, courtesy, friendship and generosity in so many places and have made some very good friends. I have felt accepted into the communities that I have lived in but none more so than Navarra which I still think was the most friendly and welcoming place that I visited.

Asturias and Burgos were a close second along with Murcia where I am now. I have really had no problems in Spain to speak of and any minor ones (apart from noise) that I have had were certainly not from the Spanish. Parts I didn't like particularly were more because of the nature of the surroundings either because they were ugly or were just plain dull. The least friendly people were in the centre - they were still exceptionally polite and friendly but tended to be a little withdrawn. Sadly, this is also where some of the most beautiful and unspoiled parts of Spain can be found.

I have to change pitch again tomorrow since mine is booked as from the 1st January. Looks like I will end up near the main gate. The only thing that I lose is the on-pitch drainage which has proved very convenient but it will also be cheaper for the remaining week and a half that I will be staying here.

29th. & 30th. December 2008

The halcyon days of 2008 have crept upon us. Sadly, the year has not finished well and the outlook for 2009 is somewhat grim. For those in the Euro, a visit to the UK is like all Christmases coming at once and people are buying to ship back into Europe because it's cheaper including the shipping. For those of us tied into Sterling it's not a happy time with a 30% loss in the value of the pound in the year.

Having said that, in general, it's still cheaper to live here than in the UK - just about. Eating out is outrageously expensive so I don't do it generally. Some things like coffee, anti perspirants and sweets are OTT. The sweets I can do without but the other two are really rather essential. Alcohol etc. is cheap and so is transport. I still find it mind boggling that the council rates out here are so cheap in comparison to the UK. In the UK the average property rates are 1500 pounds per year and for that one gets very little - bin collections are scant and heavily sanctioned. Here, the average rates are less than €100 per year, the bins are collected on a regular basis and there are many other services included which are extras in Britain.

Apart from that, the last two days have been spent as normal - working. However, I did take the bus down to town at lunchtime to get a few essentials and on my return an hour later, was invited to join Hans and Hilda for an outside lunch with a Dutch couple from the site and an English couple from near Orihuela. We had a Zigeuner type stew together with Spatzle (which I haven't had for years) and it was a very pleasant couple of hours.

The lunch (Hans cut off in his prime)

27th. & 28th. December 2008

The last couple of days have been spent going through the trio 20/25 files checking all of the loops and adjusting individual notes here and there. It's time consuming and very dull but it has to be done. However, one needs to concentrate hard because it is all too easy to work on the wrong samples from an earlier edit which is then a complete waste of time.

The weather isn't particularly nice again but at least it's not windy or raining, just overcast and not overly warm. I paid up Isabella until the 31st. and after that I will be here for a further 10 days or so before I move down to Malaga to pick up GH. My second time in Fortuna has been pleasant and the main reason that I have stayed so long is that I have a lot of German friends on the site, it's sensibly priced, the area is not unattractive providing one ignores the denuded landscape and I have actually managed to earn a few Euros.

I doubt that I will be here again since my time in Spain is going to come to an end in the next few months unless a miracle happens or I can find well paid work. My capital is running out fast and I must look seriously at what I am going to do for the next few years - the prospects seem rather depressing in any country at the moment.

With the pound at an all time low, the "land of milk and honey" is now very much more expensive than it was a year ago and this hasn't helped by a 30% decrease in the value of Sterling against the Euro. However, come the future, I would very definitely wish to live somewhere in the Iberian peninsula. I do not tire of it and I have but seen a fraction of it.

I really have no idea of what the future may bring and it is a rather worrying prospect since the job situation in the UK is even worse than it is here and together with the outrageous cost of everything and the big brother bureaucracy, it is not a first choice country to live in.

Be that as it may, I will stay in Iberia for as long as I can and hope that something positive lies around the corner.

26th. December 2008

"Boxing Day" is just a normal day here - no holiday, shops open etc. They even emptied the rubbish bins at about 01:00 hrs this morning which would be unheard of in the UK.

A pretty quiet day yet again (most of my days are quiet since I rarely go out anywhere). I continued work on the Trio 20/25.

The Trio Series 20/25 is shaping up quite nicely having reworked the main Principal chorus and Mixture plus a few other bits and bobs. I reckon that it might be ready sometime towards the end of January with the 30 and 40 stop following quickly afterward. I am also thinking that I might release it as merely a CODM un-encrypted set so that maximum flexibility is available to users. I trust that people will be honest and at the intended low price will purchase individually.

The answer is simple if people start pirating it, I will just revert to encryption and dongle unlock fees for future sets.

25th. December 2008

Happy Christmas to everyone.

For the another year running, I am on my own but this time, it's through choice. I was invited out to two different places but the problems of driving out and returning to the site on Christmas Day made it impossible to consider. Anyway, I'm afraid that generally I'm not over fond of the event and glad when it's all over.

I went up to Bobs' Bar for a lunchtime drink before returning to the campsite. I was quite surprised to see that not only was the site pool open but so was the main one in the village. The site bar and restaurant was also open all day as usual which was also unexpected. Unlike last year, I decided not to go for a swim. It was a beautiful sunny day with clear blue skies albeit with a slight chill in the air.

Just a few odd photos taken today (on my mobile phone since the battery was flat on the camera).

Bet you can't guess what these are !	View towards the village with Banos hill behind	View over towards Abanilla with the campsite in the middle	Same direction, more trees

I returned to the van and cooked myself a nice duck with various trimmings and an orange sauce before continuing on with the Trio Series. Most of the work now consists of going through the regulation with a fine toothed comb and checking all of the loops are without any clicks plus getting rid of extraneous wasted silence. in the last respect, I save something like 10-12 Mb per stop which is considerable when dealing with 25 ranks and more.

24th. December 2008

I'm glad I did my shopping yesterday because I gather from those that did it today that it was hell - and the Spanish don't really go overboard about celebrating Christmas. A quiet day was spent tidying up some of the stops in the Trio series. After several days of gorgeous blue skies and warm weather, today was overcast and rather untoward.

Went up to the bar for the Christmas Eve get together - organised by the Germans and was surprised to find that they actually had a mass being held on the patio. This was followed by some very alcoholic Gluwein and wursten.  As a result, I didn't bother going out later in the evening - I won't say that I was incapable but I certainly didn't feel like any more.

23rd. December 2008

Minimal response on the Forum with regards to the demos apart from one or two stalwarts (to whom thanks) but this is normal. However, I know that a fair amount of bods have downloaded the demos because my server tells me so. It's just a pity that people in general don't respond for good or for bad no matter who posts what and where. Perhaps it's human nature or perhaps it's apathy but one thing is for certain, if people in general weren't so reticent about coming forward, the world wouldn't be in half the mess that it is in.

We are no longer living in a police state and the penalty for criticising for good or bad isn't going to end up with several years in some Gulag or the sudden disappearance of the criticiser. If all of us made the effort to get up off of our arses and say something- either positive or negative about half of what goes on in the world, then I'm not saying that something would or wouldn't happen but it might give the instigator of an idea pause for thought.

Of course this can work in a number of ways.........People told Columbus that the world was flat and the more people that told him so, made Columbus even more eager to prove to them that they were wrong. However equally, if the majority of the UK had made it plain to Gordon Brown for instance, that selling off our gold at half price was a bad idea it might have stopped him or he might have ignored peoples wishes. At the very least it would have given him pause for thought and we could all turn round now and tell him that we warned him.

I'm afraid I'm just as guilty as anyone else over this sort of thing and the temptation is all to easy to sit on the sidelines and continue to observe everything whilst the best or worst of things transpire. However, we cannot really moan because something has happened when it does because it was in our power to make our feelings known at the time. If enough people make their feelings or wishes known then who knows what the changed outcome might be. Of course, it may not alter anything but then again it might.

Too many good writers, artists, composers, inventors et al have given up through lack of encouragement and likewise too many have continued because no one ever told them that what they were producing was crap.

22nd. December 2008

Have finally managed to get a few initial demos of the 20 stop Trio up on the news page. They aren't particularly good musically but I hope that they will give a rough idea of the overall character of the sets.

21st. December 2008

Was invited to join the Germans in the afternoon which was very pleasant and they all wanted to know where the new restaurant is. Since it is so difficult to find, I suggested that the best course would be for me to go over in a car with one of them so that they know where it is for the future.

Otherwise a fairly quiet day. Both the manual mixtures are running well and there is not much more to do for the smallest of the Trio series apart from a bit of regulation, some fine tuning, one or two substitutions and of course, the Pedal organ which is only six stops and is well on its way to completion. Then it's just a case of writing in the Swell organ parameters and pretty-fying the graphical interface.

I am just about ready to post some initial demos over the next day or so to see what the reaction is to this new library.

Only four days to Christmas and as usual, I will be glad when it is over. I could say that now we have passed the shortest day, then the days will get longer but strangely, it doesn't really have much impetus here. Not only are we further South but the hour ahead really does make a difference. It doesn't start getting dark until about 18.00 hrs. unlike the UK where it always seemed to start getting dark around 16.00 hrs.

20th. December 2008

Having spent the majority of the day preparing for this evening, I went up to Bobs bar and met up with John who drove me down to the restaurant.

What a difference...........I wasn't allowed to pay for my drinks and neither was I expected to pay for my food. All right, I only wanted something very simple but that wasn't the point. A pleasant evening was had by all - including myself and my fee was given over with no fuss. Actually, I nearly got paid twice but I'm too honest to take advantage and it would have come out in the wash anyway.

I feel sure that if I get to the right place, I should be able to make ends meet on playing alone.......Problem is, finding the right place. Wendy & Johns place is great but it comes down to a case of economics and  justification from their point of view. It was a birthday party for some kid and the place was quite full with them. However, despite the fact that most of them were English by birth but now live in Spain, they seemed a nice, polite bunch of kids. Their only problem is that they tend not to shut doors behind themselves which is really neither here nor there. Having said that, it would seem that regardless of nation, the bringing up of a kid in a decent country (by today's standards) produces an entirely different animal to the current feral youth found in the UK....We have much to learn (or unlearn as the case may be).

The night finished off with John and myself at Bobs' Bar before I eventually retired to La Fuente. One thing that strikes me and has struck me before is that in Spain generally, the night sky is so clear. In fact it's a bit confusing because there are so many extra stars that one would never see normally. I'm no star gazer and I can just about recognise the Plough, Cassiopea and Orion - albeit down here in a different position, but the night sky here is magnificent.

Pascual emailed in Spanish to say he had sorted out some of the Leitor samples and to give me dates and times when he is on holiday and free. He has had a problem with a soundcard and with Christmas and family, is much engaged. GH emailed to say that his flight had been changed. It's not a problem for me but it's a pain in the proverbial for G since he can't now take the cheap train in to the airport and faces an expensive taxi /parking or a night on the tiles.

In that respect, I have decided to speak personally to the powers that be to ensure that when he comes here, it will be pleasantly warm and sunny - well it's the least I can do.............

19th. December 2008

Packed everything up so that I could drive over to the other restaurant. Despite the map given to me by john, it took me a couple of hours to find the place - what he didn't mention was that there are several irrigation canals in the vicinity and all of them have humps and a bridge when you turn right.  Ended up in half a dozen lemon and mandarin plantations where I received directions in Spanish as to where to go (none of them correct). Eventually -more by luck than anything else - I found the bar and dropped off the piano.

On my return, I filled up with diesel which was a pleasant surprise as to the price compared to previous fill ups at 1.30€a litre. On a full tank, that means something like 50€ which is considerable. Popped into the supermarket to get a few bits and bobs and returned to La Fuente.

14th. - 18th. December 2008

The last four days have been spent somewhat quietly working away on the TRIO series.

The Germans have informed me that they will not be returning to the restaurant partly on account of the fact that they broke their side of the bargain, partly because they tried to charge me for the drinks that the Germans had already paid for and partly because the restaurant adds a 2% surcharge for payments made by credit card.

All in all the Germans are somewhat displeased. It is sad that what could have been a year on year income from a captive community of 100 plus has been lost because of a short term "fish and chip," mean minded mentality. All I can say is that they only have themselves to blame.

Of course it doesn't help me in my predicament as regards earning but at least I now have the satisfaction that they won't be earning anything more as the result of my hard work.

Be that as it may, the weather has been very cold and windy - not at all very pleasant and everyone is complaining because last year at this time, it was hot and sunny all the time. Indeed it has been so for the last several years. It can hardly be called global warming but it can be called climate change.

The TRIO series continues to grow and apart from the majority of the pedal organ, one mixture and a 4' flute, the 20 stop - 25 rank is shaping up quite nicely. Whether it is the sort of sound and character that will sell remains to be seen though I am hopeful. of course I prefer my Romantic stuff but to my ears, what is coming out is a rather gentle, musical and fresh sound that I have not accomplished before. Once I get some demos up, I will be able to gauge what the general feeling is. Nothing will be lost since much can be used (with a few bits of editing) into the Romantic libraries.

13th. December 2008

Spent all day working on the music to be played tonight. Went up to the restaurant for 19.00 hrs. and pretty soon the Germans started arriving along with a few others including an English couple on the site. Apart from having four power outages because of the rain, it went very well and something like 30 people turned up from our site and had an enjoyable evening.

However, sadly the owner said it was the worst evening that he had had in his entire time that he had been open - three people sent their meals back because they weren't right (probably because of the power cuts). In the end, he reneged on our deal and said he could only give me 50€ for the night. Obviously, I was not well pleased. The original deal had been that if no one turned up then I would still play, and play for nothing but if it was a successful night then he would pay me at least 100€.

I kept my part of the bargain and brought in a lot of people. Maybe I'm going about all of this the wrong way but I am really fed up with doing a good job and then been taken advantage of.

10th. - 12th. December 2008

Cold again over the last couple of days and as usual, I spent the two days working.

9th. December 2008

German Sylvia came down from the El Paraiso restaurant to market the idea of a German themed night on Saturday. Not sure how it will go or indeed if anyone will decide to come but at least we will have tried.

Spent the rest of the day getting very frustrated over a three rank Mixture and the Trumpet. The latter isn't bad, it's just that the top couple of octaves are somewhat poor both in terms of speech and tone. However, all is not lost because the Harrison Trumpet that I have has an excellent treble but a rather poor bass. Hopefully the two stops will combine to make one really good stop.

Eventually gave up partly because my ears were tired and partly because I was just plain p$%$%% off. Walked up to El Paraiso for a couple of jars where I managed to fall off a bar stool and landed on my cocsis. I wasn't drunk or even mildly so. The stool just disappeared from under me on the marble floor. Apart from the fact that it was painful, when I was helped up, I found that I couldn't stand which was rather worrying. A low chair and wet tea towel were brought and everything became fine until I tried to stand up again whereupon I felt like my legs were going to give way again. The whole situation lasted for a good quarter of an hour before I was able to stand up without feeling dizzy. Most weird - I've taken tumbles before both sober and otherwise - underground down 40 foot when a rope broke and above ground 30 foot off a bridge into a dry stream bed when I had had a shade too much. Indeed, I have occasionally fallen of bar stools but never before have I been unable to stand up afterwards.

Phil and Carol the restaurant owners were somewhat concerned and said that I had the demeanor of a boxer who had just taken a hard knock-out blow but was trying to get up. I suppose that the cocsis is directly connected via the spinal chord to the brain and it must have jarred it considerably. Anyway apart from a rather sore lower back, I seem to be OK.

Walked back to La Fuente.

7th. and 8th. December 2008

Not much going on apart from work however, did renew an acquaintance - William, made last Friday with a Canadian musician staying on the site who wants me to sort out some MIDI stuff for him. Also spent a good evening with Hans, initially with his wife Hilda and then onto more serious drinking when she went to bed where the rights and wrongs of the world were discussed. Monday night with Marie Claire (Williams' wife) in the bar discussing esoterics and various different religions and dogmas.

6th. December 2008

Most of the day was spent getting ready for tonight including taking the amp up to the restaurant.

In the end, a successful night and I did get paid - not a lot but at least it was something. Unfortunately many of the Germans couldn't make it because they had had a birthday party this afternoon and weren't in a fit state to go out in the evening. However, I reckon that they will be up in force next weekend.

Didn't get any work done on the samples but then that's the way of things

At least it's warmish now.

5th. December 2008

Isabel (the site receptionist) came knocking on my door this morning to remind me that I have to move pitch since the one I am on is booked up from tomorrow. I paid my electricity bill which came to just over 100 € for close on 2 months which wasn't too bad considering that much of my heating has been on electric and it is a 10 amp fuse as opposed to 3 or 6 in some places. Most campsites charge 5 € per day which is outrageous. Thus at about 12.50 € per week it's pretty good.

Because it's a holiday weekend here due to the Immaculate Conception, I took the opportunity to visit the Mercadona supermarket in Molina de Segura  again since I had to move the van anyway.

On the way back, I called into the Castle since I had the piano on board so that I could show them what it and I were capable of. Sadly the guy looked the gift horse in the mouth. What I cannot understand is that here is a guy (English) who is struggling to get a newly managed bar going and yet he ignores a golden opportunity handed to him on a plate. sadly it's the same old fish and chip mentality once again.

I trundled onwards and decided since it was on the route to call into El Paraiso (yet another English run bar and restaurant). I had avoided this place from the point of view of music in the past because I didn't reckon that what I do would fit in with them. However, nothing lost nothing gained. Took the piano in and immediately he asked whether I could play tomorrow (Saturday). Additionally, having played a bit more, he asked me whether I would like to play for Christmas Day. The difference is quite marked in that he asked me how much I would charge rather than the usual expectation that I would do it for a few beers.

I have provisionally extended my stay here until the end of December so the dates will be no problem. So for Christmas, I will get paid, get my lunch etc. for free and not have to sit on my own in the van - I rather better proposition than that which was facing me. If only I had spoken to them a couple of months ago instead of scratting around with vaguely interested places.

Whether I will be able to extend my stay onwards until the time I have to pick GH up from Malaga remains to be seen but it will only be a couple of weeks at worst.

As regards the libraries, the 20 stop Trio is pretty much together although much still needs to be done before it can be released. The general Principal chorus work is shaping up quite well and the Flutes are not too bad apart from the pedal Bourdon which is a bit too big (I've used the Huddersfield one as a temporary measure and it's far too powerful for the other registers). However, that is relatively easily sorted.

Once the 20 stop is done and dusted, it is a fairly short job to produce the 30 stop and the Continuo specs as well as the 40 and 27 stop three manual specs. as the libraries go up in size, they will contain all of the smaller spec libraries which means that anyone buying the 40 stop will get  the other five smaller instruments in the series. It's only a matter of ODF's since the basic stops are identical. likewise I reckon that anyone buying a smaller instrument initially will only have to pay the difference plus a new dongle unlock fee to upgrade.

I can't see that buying a 40 stop with 5 other ODF's using the same ranks would incur individual dongle prices for each ODF though I may be wrong here. I can see however, that buying say a 20 stop and then upgrading to a 40 stop where there are extra ranks would incur an additional dongle unlock charge. I shall have to ask Brett.

When done, these libraries will work out at £5.00 a stop which I reckon is pretty good considering the work that will have gone into them.

Working on the Trio series has been very valuable since with some considerable revoicing, I have found so many missing elements that I needed for the Romantic series especially for the Positive division. It is surprising how well a very blatant high harmonic, low pressure stop changes to an eminently suitable Romantic one when pitch shifted down or cut and filtered cleverly and which also blends perfectly with the other Romantic stuff to boot.

I am lucky enough to have one special piece of older software that allows me to seamlessly cut out unwanted bits or repair / alter attacks and releases. Doing it with any of the software that most people use is an impossible task which results in audible clicks no matter how perfectly the cut is made. Even the new version of this software causes the same problems. It's just a silly little program of only 337 K but it works perfectly.

4th. December 2008

Although it wasn't particularly sunny today, the temperature difference has been remarkable hitting 21 degrees as opposed to the 6 or 7 degrees of the last few days. It's still quite warm as I write this evening at about 16 degrees. What a change.

Otherwise it's been quite a good day - have managed to get rid of some of the hanging notes on the Swell 15th caused by the pallets failing to shut quickly enough on some of the upper notes. This remains a recurring problem with the instrument in question and is in part to do with the low wind pressures used and in part to do with the pallet springs being in need of adjustment to make them stronger.

Having spent a whole day some years ago trying to sort out the worst of the offenders, it wasn't an easy job and there was little room to manouevre even if one had small hands. Although a beautifully built instrument, the windchest design isn't the best that I've seen. When I sampled it, it was rather a rushed job and there was no time to sort out the pallet springs.

Georges' Dulzian is definitely going to be called a "Gaitero" since it has a very similar sound to that instrument. The Gaitero is a version of the bagpipes in Asturias, Galicia and Cantabria but in Navarra and Pais Vasco it takes the form of a chanter only, without drones or wind bag. It's a quirky sort of sound and has absolutely nothing in common with normal reed stops but has everything in common with the older medieval and 17th. century instruments found in so many churches throughout Spain and Portugal.

I'm not sure whether I will keep it on the Swell or move it to the Positive since it really is most odd. I think that an Oboe or a Trumpet might be more in keeping for that division.

3rd. December 2008

A quiet day working and still very cold.

1st. & 2nd. December

It continues to be very, very cold with a really biting north wind. Considering that the normal temperature here at this time of year is expected to be about 25 - 30 degrees during the day and about 15 at night, the recent weather has come as a shock to everyone. By day, it's lucky to reach 14-15 and at night it is close to or at freezing. Of course by UK standards, it's not actually that bad but when one considers that only last week, most folks were running around in swimming trunks whereas this week, everyone is wrapped up to the gills for warmth, the contrast is quite considerable.

Obviously, I continue to work but I did take a chilly cycle ride down to Fortuna today for various provisions. Once the sun had gone down at about 18.30 hrs. the temperature did drop considerably and the wind got up. However, the forecast for the end of the week is good and hopefully temperatures will be back to normal.

I still remain in a quandary as to whether I will stay here for much longer. Indeed I may not be able to because the site gets pretty full over the next few weeks. Never mind, if I'm here then I'm here, if I have to move onto the coast then so be it. This time round, I know to avoid Almeria and I will probably make for Motril to Don Cactus and Carchuna. At the moment, the only sensible road to get there is along the coast since the rest is snowed up but it won't be for another week or so and things will most likely have changed by then.

If I don't end up at Motril then it will probably be a little further along the coast at somewhere like Velez Malaga or further. What I want to avoid is spending to much time in the concrete jungle west of Malaga because it isn't a part that I relish being in - even in the off season. After Graham has departed in late January, I will most likely dive across into the Algarve in Portugal (unless of course others decide to come out for a few days).

Work on the Trio series goes ahead and although the library is a bit brash, it is typical of its genre. Absolutely excellent for Bach and many other composers but pretty useless for anything else that is remotely Romantic - it will be interesting to see the reaction to the demos when I post them.

30th. November 2008

Already, it's the end of November - time rushes by so fast. I haven't the first idea where I will be for Christmas but it certainly won't be at Los Madriles where I was last year since it is just too cliquey. The only firm date in the diary is that I have to be in the Malaga area mid January to pick up GH for a week. After that who knows. sadly now, I have to look at a finite time here in the Iberian peninsula before lack of capital means that I have to return to the UK. of course miracles may happen and if the forthcoming libraries are well accepted then I could stay here for much longer.

The thought of having to return to the UK is a far from pleasant one. It fills me with dread - not just because of the awful climate but because of the state of the country in general.  Feral yobs, violence, unmitigated destruction of other peoples property, rip off prices, rudeness and a general feeling of hopelessness make it far from being a desirable place to live in. Spain and Portugal are by no means perfect but they must be considered to be idyllic in comparison.

Otherwise, got invited into the German enclave this afternoon. It was bloody cold but Ludwig rustled up a wonderful hot broth which drove out the cold and a few beers helped. The afternoon was sunny but the wind is very cold.  According to the news, the rest of the country is reeling from unseasonable weather. Even Almeria where snow is virtually unknown is snowed up and there is a metre or so in Granada city which is extraordinary.

Yet on the coast at Motril or Malaga it's still like a pleasant English summer day and even at night it only drops to about 10-12 degrees. Weird.

27th.-29th. November 2008

It's bloody cold and I ran out of gas which required a trip down to Fortuna for a couple of new cylinders. Thursday  was spent working but the trip back from Fortuna on Friday resulted in a rather extended session at the Castle followed by Bob's bar. I did manage to get back in one piece but it was touch and go.

Saturday morning found me a little worse for wear before I continued working.

26th. November 2008

Took the bus into Murcia city partly because my Spanish mobile had run out and I cannot recharge it locally, partly because I needed a new computer keyboard since my old ones are proving unreliable and partly because I wanted to check on the status of the organ in the cathedral.

It was a pretty miserable day with much rain but I had a superb Chinese lunch of three courses including drinks for 7€. fortunately I discovered the most incredible fish bar after I had had lunch. Unbelievable place but also at unbelievable prices with a single oyster coming in at 4€. I don't care where or how the oyster came to be but at those sort of prices, it should be gold plated at least or guaranteed to have a pearl in every one.  Their beer was also outrageously priced.

However, I  discovered that pretty much the only place to get a computer keyboard was at the gorgeous "El Corte Ingles" ECI is a bit like going to Harrods or Fortnum and Mason because generally the prices are extreme. I found a really good Logitech keyboard for a surprisingly low 15€ and had a look around the food hall.

Corte Ingles is weird because certain things are cheaper or the same price as anywhere else but otherwise, things are ruinously expensive. I found some "rovellones" or "niscaros" at less than those - even on the local market and in far better condition, yet my jaw dropped when I saw "Kobe" beef " - just a rather tiny, rather fatty steak at nearly 60€.

Trundled along to the cathedral and said hello to Manolo - one of the organists. The newly restored Merklin-Shutz looks magnificent in the photos and Manolo confirmed that it is indeed superb. sadly all the lights were off in the cathedral so I couldn't photograph it. As regards playing it or anything else, I now have the phone number of the head organist so who knows what may come.

After considerable messing about, I finally managed to charge up my mobile and found a very cheap Vodaphone dongle for universal internet access before catching the last bus back to Banos.

25th. November 2008

Thought the van was going to get blown away in the night -didn't get any sleep with the van constantly rocking about  seems like I wasn't the only one because everyone said the same in the morning. The day dawned bright with sunshine but a very cold wind so heaven knows how cold it must be everywhere else.

Otherwise carried on working - this time on an old Stopped Diapason and a Dulzian. Sadly, it seems unlikely that I will be able to use the former since it is just too full of noise and quirky character to blend properly with anything else. The Dulzian on the other hand, is shaping up quite nicely.            

24th. November 2008

The  weather looks set to turn today and it's been very windy over night. Otherwise the day started off sunny and fairly warm but by evening the rain had come and it has cooled considerably. However, things are really bad in the rest of the peninsula according to the news. Many of the rivers in the North are badly flooded and there are considerable snow falls as far down as only 100 Km. away. There were 3 waterspouts in the bay of Palma in Majorca and high seas everywhere else. Reports from the Germans on site say that in Germany they've got lots of snow as well. Glad I'm here.

23rd. November 2008

Took the piano up to the English bar and played for about an hour which was well received though I got nothing for doing so. However, he does want me to come up again and he will pay next time.

Rang my parents since it was my fathers birthday. Don't know why I even bothered since he couldn't be arsed to get out of his chair and speak on the phone - well, at least I made the effort.

22nd. November 2008

Went down to the market with some English neighbours to get a few bits and bobs that I hadn't got at Mercadona then continued working. The campsite restaurant was empty in comparison to last Saturday when I played so maybe the management will see the sense of paying me to play !

19th. - 21st. November 2008

Just carried on working as usual. Weather is beautiful though slightly chilly at night. Took the piano up to an English bar and showed him what I could do and he asked me to call in on Sunday to see how it would go. Otherwise drove to the Mercadona supermarket in Molina de Segura which was miles away especially since I got lost and virtually ended up in Murcia.

18th. November 2008

Nothing much happened today. I had a small problem with some top notes where they weren't playing correctly in HW3 yet were perfect as they stood. Problem solved when I discovered that my HW settings were for 44.1 kHz not 48 kHz. once the line of code had been changed in the file, everything was fine.

As usual Mixtures are proving to be trying and are a complete pain in the arse. I am trying several different techniques and some success is apparent but I think that Mixtures are never going to be easy no matter which way one tackles them. Trouble is that until I have a decent Swell Mixture, I don't know how the reeds will work or the flues for that matter.

The real glory of most organs lies in the Swell reeds and Mixtures the exceptions being of course, the Dutch, German and Spanish type organs. That is not to say that reeds are not important in any of these instruments it's just that they rely on other ingredients which take precedence and thus don't enter into the equation so much. In the French and English organ, the Recit or Swell together with other reeds in other departments etc. play a much more predominant role in the overall tonality and thus are very much more important. It would be a rather parabolic statement to say that Cavaille Coll or Willis instruments are all reeds and not much else but in reality, this isn't a million miles away from the truth. The reeds in these instruments do tend to dominate pretty much everything else.

17th. November 2008

Pasqual turned up at about 10.30 and brought with him three CDs. Two were of a public concert on two different organs which he had engineered and the third was made on his own sampled version organ (not using HW).

The live recordings do sound very nice and considering how and when he did his sampled organ, it sounds pretty fantastic as well. However, due to the constraints of memory and technology at the time, it does show up some of those earlier constraints.

We spent about 5 hours discussing possibilities and going through HW3 etc. Unfortunately Pasqual doesn't speak any English at all so at times it was slightly difficult and the dictionary had to be brought out on a couple of occasions.

I must say that his techniques and ideas about sampling are really something very revolutionary and different and for the time being, they must remain a secret. Suffice it to say that his thinking and logic are very sensible and perfect for producing a really exact facsimile of a historical instrument. Whether it is necessary to go quite as far as he does is a moot point but it certainly gives me food for thought. All I will say is that if one were to use his methodology, it would certainly produce a phenomenal instrument using today's technology which would leave everyone else standing.

Fortunately he has all of the original samples. The only problem is that they are in .tda format and it is a case of whether we can convert them to .wav. Failing that, he still has access to the several instruments in the region and if necessary, we can sample again. He left after taking me to lunch but we will get together sometime soon to go into things further.

Looks like I won't be moving down to Motril just yet.

16th. November 2008

Quiet day working

15th. November 2008

I trundled down to the market and as usual, met several local people who recognised me and said hello. Returned to the site and took the piano up along with one amp and then did some preparation.

The evening came and most of the Germans on the site were there. I played and everything was fine apart from some woman who said she didn't like the music. The rest of the Germans took her to task and apologised profusely on her behalf - seems she is one of those people that nothing is right for. Otherwise it was great. I didn't have to pay for any drinks and I was given a decent tip by one of the Germans.

One lady asked me if I would play a particular piece which I did and I made it extra special. The reaction was quite unexpected since several of the women broke down in tears and seemed to be very moved by my rendition.

I had finished but a load of Spanish came in. The next bit was one of those magical moments that happen just once in a while. I had brought up a microphone just in case and one of the Spanish girls said she would like to sing.

I can't say that solo flamenco is something that is musically pleasant to listen to but this girl poured her heart into what she did accompanied by hand clapped rhythm from a couple of the men. Even more extraordinary was the teenage boy who came up and acted out her songs in an almost balletic dance.

It was  absolutely fascinating and it is the first time that I have ever seen this sort of thing. My German friends were equally intrigued. Of course, it is possible to go to tourist flamenco evenings which is a bit like going to a Pizza Express and thinking that one has experienced Italian food. However, this was absolutely authentic and utterly engrossing. Another moment in my travels that will remain imbedded in my mind for the future.

14th. November 2008

The son of the owner of the campsite finally agreed and said that we ought to try a bit of live music in the bar / restaurant. His main concern was how much it was going to cost. My answer was that I would do it for free but if it was successful then we could discuss things further. So I am set to play tomorrow night and see what might happen. The majority of the German crowd have said that they will come so who knows what might transpire. If it's a wash-out then so be it.

Come the evening, I wandered up to yet another local English run bar which seemed to have a little more about it. There was a quiz night on and although I didn't take part as such, I gave the owner and his team a couple of answers and they won. The first thing I knew was that when I came to order another drink, I was told that it was "in" and that was for just a couple of correct answers.

The guy who runs the bar seems to be more in touch with things and we will see how things go. In addition, the clientele were actually friendly for a change. However, I spent much of the evening speaking to a bunch of Morrocans who were really nice guys and at the end of the evening having said my goodbyes to the rest of the English crowd, they (the Morrocans) insisted on giving me a lift back to my campsite by car. It isn't that far to walk but I accepted. Nice bunch and I am sure that I will bump into them again.

One thing is for certain, that the bar and the people who visit it are so different from the rather stand-offish and almost unpleasant people in the other British run bars that I have visited. Maybe I have just been to the wrong bars !

13th. November 2008

After a day of working, I duly returned by bike to " The Castle" for the evening. I might as well not have bothered. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice enough bar although a little out of the way and the people who run it are pleasant enough. They certainly do an excellent burger which actually tastes like a proper burger and eventually I did play.

Essex Boy joined in on the rather crap old Roland and I let him run things. Sadly, whilst he does have the bottle to get up and play, he is somewhat limited to three guitar chords in every song which tends to become utterly boring after just a couple of minutes. I did play for a fair amount of time and was congratulated by Essex Boy for "doing quite well"

Not even a free drink and to add insult to injury, the owner came out with the comment that not everyone can jam. Well excuse me ! I rather think that my musicianship goes beyond three chords and I have certainly jammed with some fantastic musicians over the years but obviously the sun shines out of "Essex Boys" proverbial. thing is that the owner is a really good singer - it's just a pity that he can't see an asset when it presents itself.

They want me to return on Saturday - I don't think so. I'm not being elitist but I rather think that my talents are better suited elsewhere.

12th. November 2008

Yet another beautiful, warm day but as ever I continue working on these damned samples. I just wish that I could finish at least one library so that I can earn a few pennies but sometimes a feel that I am further away than ever from my goal.

Sometimes I wonder whether it is all worth it. I will have spent several years of my life creating these libraries which when complete, people will either want for free or next to nothing. what is so annoying about this sort of work is that people will pay out considerably for a new computer or console and other components which are mass produced and in real terms cost peanuts yet they balk at paying out for things that have been painstakingly created over many moons. I suppose that in the end, it is a question of economics which is why so many of our traditional crafts have disappeared.

I sometimes wonder how it is that other producers get their libraries out so quickly. Maybe they have armies of sprites and pixies working round the clock, maybe they sample perfect organs where every pipe is absolutely in tune, speaks correctly and have been sampled in some idyllic building where there is no external noise or disturbance.

What am I doing wrong if anything ? Do others experience the same problems that I do ? Am I too much of a perfectionist ? Am I striving for something that is impossible to achieve ? I just don't know. I have sampled old organs, new organs, rebuilt organs and most of them have been respectable instruments yet even the best are still pretty awful up close. Maybe there is something to be said for recording from a distance. It would prove to be a lot less troublesome.

11th. November 2008

I had really intended to move on today but I weighed things up and decided that it was better for me to stay here for a while amongst friends etc. It's difficult because I also have friends where I intended to move to in Motril. Both places have a benign climate and both places have their plus and minus points. I get on very well with the various Germans on site here who are very kind and hospitable. The campsite staff I have also got to know as well as the local town.

Quite frankly, whilst there isn't much around, The city is only 20 km. away, the climate is one of the best in Spain during winter, there is the gorgeous spa pool, it's not too noisy the local bars and supermarket are sensibly priced and the campsite itself is pretty cheap in the long term although internet access is pricey. n Motril, the campsite is about the same in price the Alpujarras are close as are Granada and Malaga, there is the sea, the local bars are better, the supermarkets and shops are further away, the bars are more expensive (but one does get a tapas with every drink) Internet access is free. It is a hard decision since the pros and cons are pretty much equalled out.

I was telephoned this early morning by Pasqual who works for Telefonica and who has sampled one or two historic instruments in the vicinity and was given my number by Manuel Torregrossa (professor of organ in the Murcia Conservatory). He is currently working in Halion but is interested in the possibilities of Hauptwerk. One thing for certain is that a telephone call in Spanish is very different from a face to face conversation where gesticulation helps considerably.  However, we managed two conversations on the mobile phone discussing microphone and sampling techniques and we will be meeting next week when he is not working. Who knows what will come of it.

Otherwise, apart from working, I cycled into Fortuna for a few bits and bobs and stopped at the English run "Old Castle" on the way back. Took part in the quiz night and look set to go down Thursday and Saturday to play in a jam session. We will have to see what transpires - if anything. The owner has an old Roland E20 which is somewhat temperamental but "poco a poco" is the watchword. This is after all Spain and a sudden "whirlwind amongst the budgerigars" is not warranted. I feel sure that somewhere I will find a niche - I don't think it will be here but the experience will be useful.

9th. & 10th. November 2008

I'm about to lose my internet connection again and in the light of the fact that the last week hasn't been very good in terms of access whilst being expensive to boot, it is unlikely that I will be back on for a few days.

Now that I have my 30 days up on the camping site, I plan to move down to Motril in the next few days unless something exciting suddenly happens. As last year, I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Banos de Fortuna despite the rather bad weather from time to time which has now improved beyond all measure. If I am still in Spain in a year, I will be back again.

As regards work, I am now 3 stops short of the Kenneth Jones / Nicholson instrument. When I say 3 stops short, I mean that I have everything that I recorded up and running in HW3 - albeit in rough condition but exactly as they sound off the windchest. I believe that I can create a 3 manual with about 40 stops which will be a little different from what I have produced before.

So why have I suddenly begun working on the KJ / N stuff ? Simple really. Whilst much of the Willis stuff is pretty much sorted, I am missing bits and pieces and as ever, mixtures are proving to be a nightmare. The KJ / N stuff has some good ranks which although inherently modern will provide certain missing aspects of the big Willis spec. such as a rather good Salicional and enough Diapasons to construct several good mixtures. It also stands quite well on its own albeit rather "modern British" as opposed to Romantic.

The other reason is that with rapidly diminishing funds, I have to get something out soon so that I can earn a bit of money which will allow me to continue my work here.

As I have said before, the mixing of different pipes etc. is not uncommon and when it comes down to it, in broad terms, a stopped wooden flute is just that. The general construction and voicing and overall tonal quality tends to vary little (with the odd exception) so if I can find some nice flutes etc. from other sources which blend in well with the other stuff that I have got, I'm going to use them !

Just how far this goes can be surmised by several of Conachers' new instruments when constructed which had pipework by Schulze, Cavaille Coll, Zimmerman and a couple of others all in the same instrument. The results were excellent it's just that he just chose the best makers and voicers for each stop. From what I remember, even the Harrison in the RFH had reeds made in Holland and certainly most builders today don't have their own pipe making facility and thus rely on their pipework from one or many sources - nothing changes.

8th. November 2008

Another gorgeous day so I cycled down to the Saturday market in Fortuna which is really large and stocked up on cheap fruit and veg as well as some other bits and pieces. One thing that is so totally "non UK" is that in markets or merely in touring vans going round the campsites, it is usual to see live animals offered for sale. In the right of the photo which was just one tiny part of the market there are various cages etc. These contained live ducks, chickens, roosters, snails, rabbits, pigeons, quail etc. They ain't for pets..........

For those squeamish, it may seem absolutely terrible and might turn one to being a vegetarian but unfortunately this is the way of life just like the pig in Burgos. Personally, I would not purchase live animals to eat partly because I would have difficulty in dispatching them but also because it's such a fag to gut and prepare any beast fish, fowl or otherwise.

The first time I saw the little bunnies in cages I was saddened and wanted to rescue one for a pet or whatever but after a year living here, it has ceased to be a problem. Anyone who eats meat has got to realise that this is the norm but normally we only come across the neatly packaged almost unrecognisable product. It's just that in Spain etc., it's a little more "in yer face".

Returned to carry on working as well as preparing the toadstools that I had got in the market.

7th. November 2008

Absolutely gorgeous warm day which made a change after the really grotty weather of the past couple of weeks and it looks set to get better. The news is full of people skiing in the mountains on the one hand and swimming in the sea on the other.

Apart from doing my washing, I spent the remainder of the day working but decided to go out to a local English run restaurant in the evening which had been highly recommended - what a disappointment. The owner wasn't over friendly and the clientele who were all English weren't either. I decided to have a curry since it was one of their specialities and I haven't a curry since I left the UK except what I have done myself. It wasn't unpleasant by any means but it couldn't be called a curry in a million years - more of a sweet and sour with chilli powder and the rice was short grain Spanish.

It wasn't bad value at €8.95 but they charged 20 cents more for their beer than all the other local bars and restaurants and €1.50 for a puppodom on top. When I didn't leave a tip, the owner looked daggers at me but I reckon any tip was more than covered in those "extras" and the place though nice wasn't friendly. Just shows that "rip of Britain" has emigrated to Spain.

6th. November 2008

The next door neighbours to Diana (who had left early in the morning) proved to be an interesting couple (Nicky & Michael Holman) and I spent a pleasant afternoon with them. Turned out that Michael had taught organ etc. at Uppingham School (where my grandfather was) for over 30 years. Not only that, he had been taught by Ralph Downes albeit for a longer period than myself and others like Sidney Campbell of St Georges' Windsor. In fact the amount of people that we both know / knew such as John Bertalot, Nicholas Kynaston, Ralph Attwood and so on makes one realise just how small our little organ world is.

He had certainly never heard of Hauptwerk and wasn't even aware of what MIDI was being of a rather older generation than myself so he was really quite intrigued by what HW offers and the great steps forward that have been made in digital sound production. I don't think that he will be rushing out to set himself up a system but the fact that another person now knows a bit about HW will hopefully, spread the word further. We may meet up again since they are returning to Las Madriles in Puerto de Mazarron tomorrow and I may very well go there again myself.

Otherwise I continued working.

5th. November 2008

Diana (the NZ lady) knocked on my door this morning and joined me for coffee. After more conversation and because it was a very nice day, I offered to show her the way up Pila (which Jose had showed me on Monday). We went in her van which was somewhat lacking in power especially on hills and struggled most of the way up Pila. At one point the road goes round a cliff with a considerable drop and poor Diana said she couldn't cope with it. So I offered to drive the van around the precipice.

I haven't driven an automatic for many years and it proved slightly disconcerting to try and remember that I didn't have a clutch. Diana walked round and got back in where it wasn't quite so exposed. We carried on with the van struggling and decided not that far from the top that it would be silly to let the van struggle anymore since a breakdown 7/8 ths. the way up a 4000' mountain would have been awkward to say the least. Thus, we turned round and came back down again. It was a pity since the views would have been better than a few days previously.

We carried on into the next valley in beautiful countryside which was full of all sorts of fruit trees and eventually hit the main Albacete-Murcia road. A side turn off took us into some somewhat different and rather rugged countryside and villages which were recommended in the guides for a visit. Can't say they were stunning and being Wednesday, everything was closed, However, they are pleasant, pretty little villages.

Finally arrived back at Banos and decided to have a meal in our site restaurant since neither of us could be bothered to cook.

It was a really lovely day and Diana proved to be wonderful company and we just clicked from the first moment we met. Our views on spirituality and life in general were on common ground and it is sad that she is moving on to friends in Alicante on Thursday.

As a secondary product of our meeting, it turned out that her next door English neighbours were a retired couple where he had been an organist.

Pila from the North	Ricote valley	Strange rocks in Ojos

4th. November 2008

Another quiet day working.

Went to wash my pots in the public sinks for a change rather than use my own and bumped into a lady who was having difficulty opening the washing machine. Chatted for a while and she turned out to be from New Zealand though originally from Gloucestershire. Joined her outside her van later for a bottle of wine and further chat. We then ended up going to the other campsite restaurant which has a sensibly priced Menu del Dia since ours was closed.

3rd. November 2008

Was awakened quite early by Jose who asked me whether I would like to take a trip out to Pila which is the largest mountain around to which I obviously said "yes". after a coffee and sorting bits and pieces out, we drove down to Fortuna and picked up young Miguel who I had become friends with on my last visit.

The driving of Jose at the best of times leaves a little bit to be desired as I have said before and going up steep mountain tracks with large drops is not he best place to get used to it but nonetheless, we arrived safely right at the top having passed the snow wells used in winter. It seems incredible that they do get snow here on the mountain from time to time.

The views from the top were quite something and one could see as far as Torrevieja and the Laguna as well as over to the Mar Menor. In the other direction the views took in the Sierras de Cazorla and Espuna etc. However, it was a little chilly on top despite the sun and we eventually descended and I was dropped back at Banos. Both are really nice lads and it was great to see them again. Jose will call later in the week for another trip out somewhere - maybe I can persuade him to take me to Ricote to see its old organ ?

Otherwise, I spent a quiet (for a change) afternoon working and must admit to feeling slightly depressed - partly because of the unseasonably cold and generally not brilliant weather, and partly because of worrying about the future in terms of financial aspects and "what the hell do I do when I run out of my fast diminishing capital". Jobs around here as much else in Europe are somewhat in the doldrums and the future isn't really that bright for anyone unless they are very, very rich.

Having said that, it's definitely a lot worse elsewhere than it is here. The North continues to be inundated with floods and snow and there are even warnings of snow in Alicante Province mountains which I could actually see from today's views from Pila.

I must hope that something somewhere will come up............The sample libraries when they are finished will earn a tiny bit but it will be a pitiful return for the amount of painstaking work that will have gone into them. However, if I didn't have the samples to work upon, I think that I would find it unbelievably boring.

On that subject, I seem to be forever going round in circles. There is definitely the proverbial pot at the end of the rainbow in sight but it is proving very, very elusive to find. At the moment, the libraries are a "curates egg" and I suppose that my need is to produce a library where people cannot say "it's very nice but it's a pity it hasn't got a "Double Bent Bassoff 9',3/8" ". I really need to produce a library where the comment can be:- "it contains everything that one would ever need or want in an organ of its size and type" When they are released, I don't want people coming back to me and saying "it's lacking X Y or Z" because it only means that I will then have to go back and create it.

I think I may catch the bus into Murcia City tomorrow and see what is going on. Otherwise, I can't see myself staying here for much more than another week before I move on to the South Med Costas. Much as I hate the idea of being in the Costa Blackpool concrete jungle, I may find work there - if not, it will be on into Portugal and the Algarve for Christmas etc. where at least it will be quieter and cheaper.

What else do you do on top of a mountain except play tennis ?	Downwards	Looking towards the distant coast with Fortuna just RH of centre	View West	The rather insipid though edible strawberry tree

 

 

 

31st. October -2nd. November 2008

It's been another very noisy weekend because it was All Saints day which is a bank holiday here. Thank God they have buggered of now because for everyone not Spanish, it was a bit much to have to suffer. At least there won't be another bank holiday now until the Immaculate Conception on the 8th. December.

My friend Jose sent me a text that he was back from his honeymoon so I expect he will turn up in the next few days. Otherwise, the weather has been really rather crap. Today was nice and sunny (and warm) after torrential rain last night but the national forecast isn't looking good for the next few days with rain or snow just about everywhere.

Where I am currently, and where I plan to be over the next couple of months or so is never going to be really cold - even at night. However, the trouble is that once one has got used to nice warm weather for most of the time, it really does become very noticeable when it gets even slightly colder. The thought of suffering another British winter is something that doesn't bear thinking about.

The long struggle on the sample libraries continues and I have returned to some Kenneth Jones / Nicholson samples to see whether I can find those things that I am missing. So far some of the results are favourable and the way things are going, I should be able to produce an acceptable small three manual out of what they offer. Of course this isn't anything to do with the Romantic Willis and will be a separate instrument, but if one stop can be used which blends well with the original Willis then that will be fine.

Of course, it won't be original Willis but then again, many instruments by Willis weren't all Willis. Willis along with pretty much all the other builders throughout history wasn't one to go throwing out perfectly good ranks or part ranks of other builders in either new or reconstructed instruments if they were any good. Indeed I know that the "new" instrument by Jones and Nicholson that I have sampled had plenty of old stuff - the bass of the Salicional for instance is definitely by someone else and whilst repainted, revoiced and beautified, is still someone else's old Salicional bass.

The skill lies in being able to incorporate new / old and good stuff within otherwise original ranks - a beautiful Lieblich Gedeckt is precisely that - whether it fits into a particular tonal scheme is something that needs to be worked on. If it is necessary to provide a new top octave to replace a battered existing one, then so be it. What I got from Sanguesa was a mixture of good and bad but out of it, there is a very acceptable Gamba (which I was missing) and an Oboe which although not absolutely wonderful, produces an excellent Fagot 16' bass octave (which I was also missing) and no amount of pitch shifting of existing ranks or using alternative part ranks could provide.

The stuff I did at George's works is mostly for the bin but amongst the dross is a fine Waldhorn bass. That was the only part of the rank still extant but it was good. I have a couple of Cornopeans - both at 8'; one will remain as it stands as an 8' but the other which is slightly less prominent needed a 16' bass to make a perfect Waldhorn and this I have now found. If I really want to go to town, I can "re-voice" pretty much anything to fit but it's so nice to find say just one octave of an otherwise unremarkable stop that fits perfectly into the scheme of things.

Sadly this is the way of pipe organs and very few builders have ever produced an instrument that is all good. Remember that I am not producing some historical facsimile of a known instrument - I leave that to others......what I am trying to produce is a typical British Romantic organ with the emphasis on Father Willis qualities. If I have to use stuff from other builders and it fits then I am definitely going to do so.

Many Willis instruments used Tierce mixtures to the exclusion of any other mixture and whilst these are still valuable, modern day trends tend to eschew their universal usage in a specification. Even Father Willis moderated his mixtures in later years so that the typical "Stainer" mixture appeared which was a sort of half and half. In St George's Hall Liverpool, a typical original mixture of V ranks was along the lines of 12:15:17:19:22 but listen to them today and there is no hint of any tierce in their make up. Similarly, a recently rebuilt F.W. had tierce mixtures when I first played it many years ago but now they are unisons and quints only. In most cases I intend to provide the separate Tierce as an individual stop and following Audsley's advice, "if there is a Tierce in the division, it is unnecessary to duplicate it in the other mixtures".

It's all a very complex procedure and playing through what I have done shows that I am now heading in the right direction. Hopefully, I shall be able to release a really good British Romantic organ in the not too distant future - heaven knows, it's taken me long enough.

19th-30th. October 2008

My internet connection is about to run out so I will have to be quick in writing this. Suffice it to say that work continues on. The weather has been crap but nothing compared to what it has been elsewhere especially in the north of Europe. It's supposed to be really nice down here at this time of year but the temperatures have dropped and the cold North wind is blowing down the freezing conditions of regions not so many leagues from here. Imagine that where I was only 3 weeks ago in fairly pleasant weather is now under a blanket of several feet of snow !

it's still quite pleasant down here but not half as pleasant as it should be.

As regards work, I continue on with yet more samples and hopefully one day I will see the wood from the trees. yes, I had all but completed the former Great etc. but in playing it all back, something seemed to have been missed. The last few months have been spent working out just what it was that I had managed to lose. Now I think I have found it and the technique will be referred to as "gradually scaled attack" or something similar in the future. It has taken ages to work out the exact formula to achieve a natural sounding stop without the other problems associated with using this technique. Hopefully, this will bode well for my future workings though it does mean that much of what I had previously completed is now for the rubbish bin.

The only other fly in the ointment has been the dying of an old graphics card in my main computer which has meant the transfer of everything to a replacement.

I hope to replace much of this with some pics and a better diary than time allows at present.

17th. + 18th. October 2008

Working again: this time on more celestes and string stops.

16th. October 2008

Took the van in for the service which then left me several hours to kill. Fortuna has little to offer so I cycled gradually back to Los Banos calling in on the way to an English run bar which was quite pleasant. I then spent a few hours in the gorgeous spa pool before returning to pick up the van.

Unfortunately, they were unable to find why the radio cum DVD etc. player wasn't working but confirmed that power was getting to the unit so it's obviously duff. Total cost of the service including oils and filters etc. came not to 80€ but 70€ inclusive of VAT which I thought was excellent and this wasn't some back street shed but the main Renault garage !

The gorgeous spa pool on site	It may be raining everywhere else but Fortuna is blessed

15th. October 2008

Unfortunately, Jose rang me to say that he wouldn't be coming because he was ill so I spent the day working.

14th.October 2008

Got a knock on the door by some bloke I didn't recognise and who turned out to be Jose without his beard and  a couple of stone heavier. ! Long chat over coffee complete with dire warnings about the Gitanos who have moved on to the site and whom he recognised - they won't be here long. I don't think that they will cause much fuss but nonetheless, he warned me to lock everything up just in case.

Looks like we are going caving tomorrow.

Otherwise, dropped down into the town to get some bits and pieces and enquired about servicing the van at the local Renault garage. They will do it on Thursday and it will be ready the same day. Cost ??? Approx 80€ including oils and filters etc. Why would one ever want to get it serviced in the UK ?

13th. October 2008

Carried on working on some more Celestes and waited in for my friend Jose who didn't show.

12th. October 2008

Quiet day being a Sunday - worked

11th. October 2008

Originally, I had intended to spend several days in Ruidera but I was so disappointed that I decided that one noisy night was enough. Thus I set off eastwards towards the Sierra de Alcaraz /Cazorla with the intention of stopping at the Nacimiento del Rio Mundo on the way. The "Birth of the World River" was a mere 5 km. detour from my road so I drove up to it in the by now, pouring rain.

The NDRM must be one of the most impressive resurgences in the world in that the river cave exit is at the top of a 300' cliff. The best time to see it of course is during snowmelt in spring or winter but nonetheless, despite the fact that the waterfall wasn't the great "chorro" that it can be, it was still a very impressive sight.

From there, I continued on in the pouring rain finally arriving in Murcia in the late afternoon. The rain stopped and although the clouds were still in evidence, the sun was attempting to shine through. What was very noticeable was the sudden increase in temperature. I finally arrived back in Fortuna where I had been a year ago and after a quick visit to the supermarket arrived at the campsite.

What a difference to the previous campsites of the last few days. La fuente was always reasonably priced which is why I stayed for six weeks before but they have reduced prices slightly this year and they now have WiFi (albeit at an average charge). The receptionist recognised me immediately and even knew my name. She threw her arms round me and gave me a kiss as did the lady cook in the restaurant / bar. In fact, everyone recognised me which was very nice.

I was very happy here before although there isn't that much around in terms of architectural interest and I feel almost like coming home. What's more, I have Spanish friends who live here and the difference is that my Spanish is now pretty fluent whereas nearly a year ago it wasn't. I don't know how long I will stay here but it will certainly be for a while.

And finally, it's warm both in the day and at night and when the current "Gota Fria" or cold front has gone on Monday, the sun will shine and it will be really very pleasant indeed.

10th. October 2008

Unfortunately, Richard had to return to the UK but in the time he was here, we saw much that was worth seeing. We drove up to the airport and I dropped him off.

I then drove southwards through some initially rather hairy traffic around the Madrid ring roads. The journey across La Mancha was not overly inspiring and very, very windy which created a constant haze of dust. Finally, I arrived at the Lagunas de Ruidera which proved to be utterly disappointing since the drop in the water table through extraction has left both them and the Tablas de Dalmiel in a rather unimpressive state. the Lagunas should be like Plitvice in Yugoslavia but they are a very, very poor equivalent (even if the water was flowing).

The campsite was noisy with neither mobile phone signal or any form of internet access and although the restaurant and bar were open for the weekend otherwise, the nearest anything else was a good 10 kilometres away.

9th. October 2008

(The campsite at Toledo was overpriced and really very poor. Not only was it very expensive but only one small ablutions block was open, there were only 4 water points for the whole site and the nearest restaurant or bar was a good mile or so walk away in the city since everything on the site was closed. The night before, we had walked into the city and found it very difficult to find anything open apart from a rather expensive restaurant which whilst being very good was rather too expensive for what it offered).

We walked back into the city in the morning and found a really delightful place. Although Segovia and other cities are very attractive and interesting, Toledo is really rather special. Everything seems to blend harmoniously and every street presents a new and interesting vista.

The Jewish synagogues and the former mosques are very beautiful and the cathedral is vast. It's actually a bit overdone as regards pretty much everything but nonetheless rather spectacular. Apart from the two main "Choro" organs bristling with en chamades, there is also the Emperor organ built into a stone case plus at least two other small chamber type instruments. So, Toledo is definitely a city worth discovering and worth visiting on more than one occasion.

A rather noisy night followed with loads of Spanish in tents

8th. October 2008

Drove the few kilometres to the "Valley of the Fallen" which was free on Wednesdays to EU citizens. Richard had mentioned that on flying in, he had seen this huge cross and there it was in front of us. What can one say ? The Valley of the Fallen is rather stupendous. Set amongst forest, one arrives at the car park where the 400' + cross sits on a bunch of rugged rocks. Directly below is this huge columned entrance into what must be one of the most extraordinary churches on earth. The Basilica is basically a huge tunnel into the mountain which ends at a enormous dome. To give some idea of the scale since no photos could be taken inside, it is larger than either St Peter's in Rome or St Paul's in London.

A full mass was in progress when we entered with half a dozen priests and a boys choir accompanied by organ. both Richard and I debated as to whether the organ was digital or pipe. It was very difficult since the acoustics were so huge - sometimes it sounded slightly digital other times not. Richard remarked that the choir sounded one hell of a lot better than those in Rome. When we finally got to the dome after the mass was finished there was indeed a large pipe organ behind a rather uninspiring pipe front but the actual organ we had been hearing was an Ahlborn ! Just goes to show that in the right acoustics, if two very experienced organists and organ builders have difficulty deciding whether an organ is real or counterfeit, it rather puts the whole thing into perspective for the average parishioner who doesn't really know what an organ should really sound like. The whole place had a slightly weird atmosphere and was utterly breathtaking and fascinating.

On to El Escorial from there and yet another mind blowing place which actually houses the largest organ in Spain. The monastery cum Hapsburg palace is huge and definitely well worth a visit although sadly the chapel and basilica were closed for restoration. Apart from all the El Greco paintings, it was stunning to see some very famous other paintings hanging on the walls.

Looking towards Madrid from the Picode la Miel area	Not something you see over a city everyday	Valley of the Fallen 1	Valley of the fallen 2
El Escorial 1	El Escorial 2	El Escorial 3	Eescalona Castle on the way to Toledo

We then drove onto Toledo.

7th. October 2008

We set off in a westerly direction and since it was not too far, we drove over the mountains towards Segovia. On the way, we stopped at a very pretty monastery which was closed and decided to carry on to Segovia. The road took us way up into the mountains to about 5000' where we passed through the famous ski resort of Navacerrada before descending via the San Ildefonso Gardens into Segovia. Parked up a fair distance from the city near the aqueduct and walked in.

Whether it was the fact that the weather was somewhat cloudy or that I had been there before, Segovia didn't have quite the impact it did on me the first time I visited earlier in the year. We did all the sights and returned to the van to travel on to El Escorial.

Huge campsite at El Escorial with nothing open and the nearest restaurant a good 9 km. away. However, it was pleasant enough.

6th. October 2008

Left Aranjuez to drive to Madrid airport and pick up RDS calling in at a PC City on the way to get some ink for the printer.  Interesting to see the rather more informal dress of the Spanish as opposed to PC World in the UK. otherwise it looked pretty much the same apart from everything being in Spanish.

Arrived at the airport in good time for a recce and found that it would be relatively easy to pick up RDS when he arrived. Drove off into the nearby suburbs and got completely lost looking for a decent supermarket before finally arriving back very near the airport to await a call from Richard. Panicked a bit when far earlier than expected, I looked at my mobile and found one call missed and one message. Tried calling from both phones but to no avail. However, the airport was a mere minutes drive away and when I got there and used my Spanish phone RDS answered - in fact he was only a few yards away.

Drove off northwards to a campsite about 35 miles away which was situated by some beautiful razor shaped mountains and "set up camp". Lovely meal in a very nice restaurant / bar a few hundred yards from the campsite before settling down for the night.

5th. October 2008

Another quiet day working. Met up with some charming Austrians who invited me over for a drink and a very pleasant evening ensued.

4th. October 2008

Samples !

3rd. October 2008

Cycled into the town. What can one say about Aranjuez ? I had imagined this fantastic place where Rodrigo had inspiration to write the gorgeous Concierto. Yes, it does have a wonderful palace which gives it the name of "The Versailles of Spain" but apart from that there isn't much to recommend it. I thought it was just me but speaking to other people, they seem to echo my thoughts. Fontainbleau has a stunning palace but the town itself isn't vastly exciting however, it's an improvement on Aranjuez.

Yes, it's a pleasant town. Yes, it has beautiful gardens and many trees but the most accurate description that I can provide is to imagine a place like Milton Keynes or Welwyn Garden City a couple of hundred years in the future. All of the trees will have grown up and the lakes and fountains will have matured along with the architecture of current times. Indeed, I imagine that in future years that the likes of Milton Keynes will seem to be a pleasant oasis amongst a sea of as yet unbuilt surrounding towns and cities. Certainly in comparison to places like Almeria it is definitely attractive but the one thing it doesn't have is that traditional soul and heart.

I can't say that I like Seville particularly or Granada, Malaga etc. but at least these cities (apart from the mess of their outskirts), have an inner charm and character especially around the historical parts which are rewarding to discover once one gets past the ugliness of those outskirts. Aranjuez was merely a load of fields a few hundred years ago where they decided to build a palace and plant lots of trees. The town was built on a grid plan around the palace. There is no cathedral, there are only a couple of "Georgian" style churches, there are really no other great stately houses and there is no atmosphere that one can find in the likes of Segovia or Avila etc.

2nd. October 2008

Time to move on to Aranjuez which will put me fairly close to Madrid. Left Cuenca and drove westwards. Got as far as Tarancon, a rather uninspiring little town, where I got into a few problems. There were just no signposts for anywhere at all. Having got into the centre, logically I made my way through in the hopes of finding the right road out. It was somewhat tight in places and eventually I ended up on the periphery of the town hoping to find my way on. No such luck - the roads led me straight into the weekly market and a dead end. Having turned around with great difficulty, I finally stopped in the middle of the market and got out of the van to ask for help. Loads of market stall holders came up to offer advice and they spent several minutes discussing which was the best way for me to extricate myself from the mess that I was in. Much advice and contra advice given as to the best route with dire warnings of how tight it was this way or that.

Finally I ended up in something a bit wider and asked a postman who told me that I was still going the wrong way and that I needed to go a different way. So I spent almost an hour getting thoroughly lost and into some rather tight places before I found the road onwards. It's at times like this that I really thank God that I don't have a bigger van or I am towing a caravan !

Finally on the road towards Aranjuez, I stopped at a Mercadona supermarket where I found the first fresh milk that I have seen in several months as well as various other things that I haven't come across for a long while. I still find it hard to comprehend that the further away you are from the actual milk producing areas of Spain, the easier it is to get fresh milk. It is almost impossible to buy fresh milk in the north.

Finally arrived in Aranjuez which turns out to be a very attractive town with the campsite a short walk away from the centre.  Got tooted on the main roundabout in town for not giving way to someone coming onto the roundabout but there were no signs indicating that entrants to the roundabout have right of way. However, it was a polite toot - more of a "by the way" comment with a smile than an obstreperous "Oi ! What the ^&*% do you think you are doing" one.

Lovely Category 1 campsite by the River Tagus which unlike the "Nacimiento" is now actually a respectable river with water in it. It's also a lot warmer here since it's only about 2000' up as opposed to 4000'. Aranjuez (famous of course for the concerto), is known as the "Spanish Versailles". So far it seems to be a rather nice place and I shall be here at least three days before I have to brave the Madrid traffic to pick up RDS on Monday.

1st. October 2008

I have now been away from the UK for exactly a year. What a year it has been in many ways. I have seen a pretty good amount of Spain in all of its seasons and apart from Galicia, I have visited every province. I remain convinced that it is one of the finest countries on earth and that it is a place that I would one day wish to live in. Yes, it has a few problems but overall, it is a country of tremendous beauty where the people are the kindest, most polite, friendly and welcoming that one could wish to find anywhere.

There are some ugly parts - mainly on the overbuilt Costas or on the outskirts of cities, There are little annoyances which defy any rational thinking but these are so insignificant that they cannot ruin what is otherwise a perfect place to be.

Enough of the waxing lyrical............

I drove the few miles up to the Ciudad Encantada and apart from being a little confused as to where the entrance was on account of the upside down map, I entered and found a very interesting little place. It's not quite as impressive as El Torcal down in Andalucia but it is worth the visit. Like show caves, there are plenty of fanciful names for the various formations and one or two rather defy the descriptions given to them. On the way back I stopped at the Ventano de Diablo or Window of the Devil which provided a pretty view.

The main symbol of the park	Just another big rock	The Toboggan Run	The Sea of Stone
The Convent	The Hongos (toadstools)	The Theatre	View from the Ventano de Diablo

 

30th. September 2008

Drove into the city and parked the van on the outskirts.

Cuenca is a very attractive city and I walked up to the Plaza Major where I bumped into a couple from Albarracin whom I had also bumped into at the Nacimiento de Cuervo yesterday. They offered me a coffee which I accepted before we moved off into the cathedral. No photos allowed but since there were also no photos available to purchase, I ignored the rules like most Spanish and quietly took a few (albeit with some difficulty). As you can see, the Gospel organ is being restored whilst the Epistle one was done a couple of years ago. From what I gather, both are very fine instruments. There was also a small chamber instrument in a rear chapel with a duplicate split specification.

The city was very pleasant to walk around in but all other churches except one were closed and that had an electronic. The views from the city are impressive but I searched for ages to find the classical hanging houses. Eventually I did after a long walk and they are impressive but not quite as impressive as I had expected. I thought there were loads of them but in reality there are only a few. There are two rivers in the city; the Jucar and the Huecar. The Jucar is not particularly dirty but also not overly clean however, the smaller Huecar was remarkable for a city, being crystal clear.

All in all a pleasant day, nice and warm with a typically deep azure sky.

The cathedral front	Plaza Major	General view of the city	View northwards from the city	Hanging house	clean Rio Huecar

The cathedral organs:

The Epistle organ and empty Gospel organ	Epistle Organ	Epistle organ detail showing small en chamade reed etc.	small chamber instrument	chamber organ stoplist

 

29th. September 2008

Left Albarracin for the drive over to Cuenca. Very attractive countryside throughout and I stopped at Frias de Albarracin to have a look at the "Sima" which is rather impressive being over 300' in diameter and just as deep if it was ever dug, it should lead into an enormous system. the n it was on to the Nacimiento (birthplace) of the Tagus / Tajo the largest river in Iberia which quite frankly was a terrible disappointment as you can see from the photo. However, the Nacimiento of the Rio Cuervo was altogether different. The resurgence itself wasn't overly impressive but the tufa (travertine) cascades were.  For those not familiar with geological terms, tufa type waterfalls are a mixture of calcite deposited from a highly charged river together with vegetation which becomes petrified and  eventually build up into a very solid rock. The best examples are at Plitvice in Yugoslavia where a series of tufa dams create 16 lakes. However, they are relatively common everywhere where there is limestone and even the waterfall in my parents garden is identical in form although on a rather smaller scale at about 6' high. This one was about 100' high.

As I wandered through the woods, I came across one "rovellone" (Saffron Milk Cap / Lactarius Delicosus)) and a load of Suillus Bovinus (a variety of Cep) toadstools which I quickly picked and which will provide an interesting vegetable for dinner.

I drove down towards Cuenca rather worried at the state of the gas tank which was very low - there not having been a petrol station for 70 miles but finally found one a few miles outside Cuenca. Drove into the edge of the city looking for the campsite but then drove back out to one I had passed on the way in which proved to be the one I was looking for. Unlike most cities the town hall doesn't allow signs for campsites in the city which makes it a bit difficult.

The campsite is about 5 miles outside the city and I look forward to visiting both it and the Ciudad Encantada.

Met up with a bloke in the camp bar and started chatting. He turned out to be an expert in fungi - complete with identification book. So I brought in my haul from earlier where he confirmed that they were what I had thought but also showed me how to prepare them properly. I've been eating ceps and other boletes for years but I had never been shown the correct way to prepare them before cooking and I must say that either raw or cooked, the  new technique will end up in a much better result. For those who shy away from toadstools, what they don't realise is that pretty much all commercial mushroom soups (Cambells, Heinz etc.) have a considerable amount of ceps etc. in them for flavour !

Now that's a really big pothole	Typical Montes Universales	Is that "IT" ?	Statues at the Tajo source	The tufa waterfall at the Cuervo source	Suillus & Lactarius

 

26th. -28th. September 2008

Quietly working away on celestes and other things

25th. September 2008

Albarracin is a very attractive medieval walled city and I walked the kilometre or so into it from the campsite. Sadly, the cathedral is closed for restoration and the other churches are not open to the public at all. However, I spent a pleasant morning and early afternoon wandering around the tight medieval streets.

There is much to see in the area which lies at the eastern end of the Serrana de Cuenca. this huge limestone block encompasses the Montes Universales and is also the source of several rivers including the great Tajo which flows into Portugal and exits into the Atlantic at Lisbon.

I'm not sure how long I will stay here and certainly I will be visiting places such as the Ciudad Encantada - a strange landscape of weird rock formations half way between here and Cuenca. It's only a week and a bit before RDS arrives in Madrid and I am now within easy striking distance.

Various views of Albarracin:-

24th. September 2008

The weather was marginally better today but not set to continue for long. Mountains are all very wonderful but there isn't much point when you can't see them.

View from the Torla campsite when you can see something	The abandoned village on the way to Ainsa

 

I decided to move southwards and drove down typical U shaped glacial valleys towards Ainsa. On the way, there was a rather forlorn village which had been abandoned when they had plans to build a big dam. The dam never got built and the village remains.

Ainsa looked quite attractive but I didn't stop and continued on to Huesca which wasn't very inspiring. Thence on to Zaragossa with its two very famous organs. Zaragossa is huge and not very attractive but there is no campsite otherwise I would have stayed. Unfortunately the Expo 2008 had finished as well so I continued on.

I had expected the great Ebro plain to be very flat at this point and was surprised to find it quite closely ringed by hills. Leaving Zaragossa I drove through some very beautiful countryside which I had not expected and passed through the stunning town of Daroca. Unfortunately also no campsite so I continued on towards Teruel and turned off to Albaraccin arriving half an hour before reception closed at 22.00hrs.

23rd. September 2008

I was awakened by the sound of hundreds of cowbells (attached to cows) trundling down the road to their pastures. The day was pretty dismal with rain and low cloud so the mountains were not in view. If and when it clears at all they will be quite stunning since they shoot up pretty much vertically to 10,000 and 11,000 feet.

I walked down into Torla which proved to be a somewhat un-inspiring little village and much was closed in between the end of summer and the start of the skiing season. It is also outrageously expensive being only a few miles from France.

It's not overly warm at 70 degrees and drops considerably at night. With the clouds cover and the rain, it is actually quite a depressing place. I won't be staying long.

A bit dismal

 

22nd. September 2008

I left Sanguesa after several coffees and sad goodbyes and drove off on a fairly sunny day. On the outskirts of Sanguesa by the trading estate, I was stopped by the police at a road block. After about ten minutes, I wondered what the hell was going on but happened to notice a crowd so I assumed it must be some sort of strike. Then there was a whoop from a police car and a chain of cars started out from the estate. The cars got bigger until finally a limo came out with a Spanish flag pennant and Juan Carlos inside. They passed within a few feet of the van because I was first in the queue and then raced off into the distance.

The journey on took me past the big Yesa reservoir and some quite weird countryside which was very denuded but not unattractive. Arriving at Jaca, it seemed a pleasant enough city but I didn't stop and continued on my way into the mountains until I arrived in Torla.

The campsite is attached to a hotel and is pleasant enough with quite a few British vans and for once, really hot showers. Spoke to a couple of people - one couple were from Llandegfan in Anglesey which I know very well having been brought up there to a certain extent. He turned out to be an organist who had attended Manchester Grammar School and been taught in Bangor Cathedral on the old Hill/Compton. Small world.

The other couple were from Truro and a very pleasant evening was spent with them.

21st. September 2008

I don't know when I will have internet access again so this may be the last entry for some time.

Quiet day gradually preparing the van for onward travel and working on a Clarion 4'. It was Oscars birthday today and I was invited across to the bar for a drink with everyone.

The campsite has gone REALLY dead and although it now remains open all year I doubt it will get any busier from now on. Of course the bar and restaurant will remain open as well so it won't die completely as many do. It really is peculiar that everything is mad until the last day of August (and exceptionally because of the fiesta, continues on in Sanguesa until mid September) and then it all stops. The weather is still warm, the tinges of autumn haven't even started to show, yet half the places shut down and each places retreats into itself come the first day of September.

Many campsites shut and many that don't, only remain open until the end of October. However, the great influx of the nearly departed (and otherwise) in their myriad caravans and motor-homes are about to descend towards the Costas for the winter. I will be joining them. Down there, it's a bit closed up in certain quarters but much goes on and many businesses look forward to the bonus influx of the quieter months.

20th. September 2008

I feel rather sad today because I know that on Monday, I will move on. I was very happy in Trespaderne with Antonio, Dami and the other friends that I made there and certainly I was made to feel very much part of a family but Navarra has proved to be a cut above. I can honestly say that I have met more nice people here than anywhere else on my travels.

Would that the climate here be like it is in the areas further south. Trouble is that up here, when it gets cold in winter, it gets REALLY cold. I always believed that when I got into the northern areas of Spain, that I would find what I was looking for and certainly Navarra takes one hell of a lot of beating. However, I still have so much of this peninsula to see. Yes, I have found many answers here and if "push came to shove" I could do worse than make my future life here.

I have spoken to Roberto and asked if it would be possible next year, to come and work for him on the site here - in other things apart from music; he seems to be in favour of the idea. We shall have to see. One thing is certain; both Trespaderne and Sanguesa will remain indelibly printed in my mind no matter what happens in the future.

However, I travel on, on Monday, to different areas and who knows what I may find: It may be worse, it may be better but whatever way one looks on it, this last couple of months or so have resulted in me really realising that Spain is definitely the country that I would be happy to live out my days in.

I went to the supermarket today and they had lobster on offer. It's years since I have been bothered to consider lobster but since it was on offer, I decided to get one. I cooked it just as my mother has always done but then realised that I had forgotten how to sort it out.  So I went into the restaurant and asked "Txuxi", he spoke to the ladies in the kitchen who demanded that I bring the lobster in which I did.

Then I was told in no uncertain terms to depart. Ten minutes later, a beautifully presented plate with salad and marie-rose sauce appeared together with a glass of Navarran white. It was very good but having said that, I am still of the opinion that lobster tends to be somewhat overated and normally; excessively expensive to boot. This wasn't an exception that would sway my notions in any other way.

I suppose it's like many of these things that carry the label (and price) of luxury. Many luxury foods and drinks are non-exceptional and often simpler, less luxurious things are preferable. Like foie-gras and truffles they are pleasant but nothing to sell the family silver for. However, I will make one exception.......... My mother brought back some REAL caviar from Russia and I must admit that the difference between lumpfish roe and other substitutes was unbelievable. real Belluga and Sevruga are really something quite special (if you like that sort of thing - which I do). I suppose it's also like champagne, I have had many champagnes in my life and generally I am not excited by the prospect. However, a really good one does make one realise that all champagnes are not equal. I don't like whisky but having said that, a taste of some of the rarer and rather more select whiskies in the world makes one realise that it is but a an all encompassing name and a specialist single malt from an obscure little distillary is a very different animal to a tumbler of Johnnie Walker !

19th. September 2008

Despite the fact that I've been here for nearly two months, I haven't really driven out into the surrounding countryside so today, I set off to do so.

My first stop was in Javier where there is little else but the castle and a Jesuit college. This was the birthplace of St Francis Xavier who then met up with Ignatius and travelled throughout Asia spreading the Word. Then it was on to Sos del Rey Catolico which turned out to be the most charming medieval village. The castle wasn't much and consisted of just a tower. Crossed over the pass into the next valley where the Bardenes Reales are and took the road signed for the National Park which turned out to be a dirt track. The Bardenes Reales is an area which is pretty much desert with some strange sedimentary hills which have been sculpted by wind and water. Unfortunately the majority of the park is only accesible by foot or dirt bike so I didn't get to see the main bits. Actually, it's not the most attractive area all told and I travelled on.

Arriving at Olite the fiesta was in it's last day and a stroll around the town was very pleasant. Fantastic castle and all in all, a lovely little town. Then it was on to Ujue - pretty much an unspoiled medieval village with fine views over the surrounding countryside The church is being restored and there were some old ladies cleaning. After a chat, they asked if I would like to see the organ up close and provided a key. Sadly, they didn't have the keys to the organ which was a most interesting design and obviously very old. I particularly liked the painted mouth Flautadas. Obviously a small instrument as per usual from what I could see plus some very fine choir stalls.

Then it was back to Sanguesa.

Photos of some of the area:-

Javier castle	Sos: typical street	View from castle	Town Hall

Olite church doorway	Local band setting off for the Corrida (bullfight)	View from a side street	The fabulous castle from the main square	The castle from outside the town

View from Ujue	Organ & beautiful choir stalls	Organ closeup		View towards Sanguesa

 

18th. September 2008

Sample work

17th. September 2008

Well, the fiesta finishes tonight - it's been a good week. Much will now start to wind down for the autumn here in the north ready for winter though there is always something going on.

I plan to move on at the beginning of next week and then gradually make my way southwards towards Madrid to pick up RDS in October.

Otherwise for the moment just a few photos taken in the last few days.

Recording studio on a bike	One of the many bands in the fiesta	Gigantes 1	Gigantes 2	Fairground at night

 

16th. September 2008

Lovely warm sunny day with clear blue skies as is fairly normal. I spent a mainly quiet day doing my washing and working on samples.

At 18.00 hrs I went to the bar to see the TV interview of yesterday but nothing appeared. Roberto reckoned it would be on the main 9 o'clock news (if at all) so I went back to the van to continue with the samples.

Returned at just after 21.00 hrs. where the news was in full swing - pretty much like UK TV. All the important news stories from around the world came and went and then a tiny little few seconds of me playing which I thought was it. Couldn't really hear the TV because Spanish bars tend to be so noisy. However, I was told to hang on because the announcement had actually said "coming up after the break"

Suddenly there I was on the big bar screen. A big cheer went up and there were not a few double takes as people realised that the guy on TV was the same guy standing in the bar. I didn't hear much and certainly I'm not sure how good or bad my Spanish interview came across in retrospect.

I don't like being photographed because I'm far from photogenic but I must admit I didn't look as bad as I thought I might. The whole slot lasted about 1.5 minutes.

I spent a considerable time cleaning the outside of the van last week - not because of the TV which was unexpected, but because it needed it. The one thing that really pissed me off in the TV interview was in the final part with me and the van, - some bloody crow had done a whoopsie down the side of the van and it showed up on national television.

Otherwise, my pedaling looked slightly messy - well after all, I've never watched my pedal work before from that angle. I really must change my seating position as well because it goes against all of the classical rules but is one I have adopted since falling off the seat onto the pedals with a rather loud combination during a sermon some years ago. All in all, it was pretty weird and a little other-wordly. It's like being in a different dimension  not like looking in the mirror at all, entirely different.

15th. September 2008 - Later

Spent the siesta time when the church was closed just running through everything for the recital and also sampling the Open Diapason bass which I had missed previously. Tuned up one or two reeds that had slipped and left at 4 for a shower and to change into something more formal.

Finally, was driven down by Roberto, the campsite owner to the church at about 5 and retouched one or two reeds that had slipped again. The people then started to arrive........... I expected only a handful despite the newspaper article but they kept on coming in about 70 ish in all which is really good for any organ recital. Then the really big "fly in the ointment" arrived in the shape of a TV crew with cameras etc. Oh shit !!!

Now, I have been on TV as a tiny 11 year old singing in a choir for Songs of Praise and the documentary "Jesuit Child" (doing the same thing) but never otherwise and the thought of having to give a recital whilst being filmed together with interviews was something not to be expected.

We started off with Roberto introducing me and then I took over to announce each piece with a small description etc. Obviously, it had to be in Castellano (normal Spanish), and then I commenced playing.

The recital went pretty well apart from the odd cipher and late stop change and there was appreciative applause between pieces. After the initial fright of being filmed playing, I settled down to being a little more confident. Even got an encore at the end. Concert over, everyone came up to shake my hand and thank me and everyone seemed to have enjoyed it. Some people had travelled 50 Km.

Then, the TV crew wanted to interview me in Castellano. All questions were asked - rather fast and I did my best to respond in kind. It's bad enough to be interviewed for radio or TV in ones own language but really nerve wracking in a foreign one. In addition, it's not for some little country programme, it's going to be on the main news tomorrow.

We then went back to the campsite where the TV lot wanted to continue the interview outside the van with a parting shot of me driving off in it.

So, that was that. It's been a different experience to say the least and all in all, I can't say that I didn't enjoy it. So many people will do anything to get on TV or in the papers but for me, it's not something I crave. However, I must admit that it is quite exciting .

According to Roberto, my Spanish was pretty good overall and 99% understandable both in pronunciation, words and grammar, so I reckon I haven't done too badly.

15th. September 2008:Earlier

Today's the big day with the recital at 5.30. I don't know quite what to expect and hope that the organ doesn't play up too much. Nobody could turn up or it could be well attended. It's going to be "fun" addressing an audience (if any) in Spanish..........

14th September 2008

Went into town at midday to see the "gigantes" and returned to work on yearly accounts and samples. Dinner in the bar restaurant for a change and back into town to watch the firework display.

Quite a stir with the article in the papers and lots of people recognising me from the article. I got pretty much half a page including photo which is pretty good in the regional newspaper. Unusually and a refreshing change; the reporting was pretty accurate unlike the UK where most interviews get it wrong somewhere and what you really said is misquoted utterly.

13th. September 2008

A reporter and photographer came from the regional newspaper of Navarra to interview me etc. they were quite fascinated to be up close to an organ for the first time and asked loads of questions about how it worked. They were also somewhat amazed to see the inside of the organ. A couple of language difficulties over things like the word for tin etc. but otherwise no problems.

Played in the bar in the evening to 100 people who were all singing along then went out on the town with a couple of friends which was somewhat noisy.

10th.-12th. September 2008

Spent most of the last two days sampling the organ in Santa Maria and practicing for the recital on Monday.

9th. September 2008

Turned out to be a really good day in the end: I went to the church at 09.00hrs. so as to avoid as many tourists as possible - to no avail since as soon as one bunch had come and gone, the next lot arrived. I really expected to get very little done but did open up a panel on the swell box which meant I could get my microphones in with the box shut.

One of the problems I came across in the samples from yesterday was this awful clicking throughout which was obviously caused by the hard drive being written to. RDS mentioned some time ago that he had the same problem when tying to record in England. The thought of having to cart the desk top into the church was not appealing so I looked around the settings and played around with the buffers - problem solved and no clicking. I haven't had this problem with my normal capturing software but it can't sample at 48/32 and I recorded directly into Cooledit. This is the first time I've used a laptop to sample with and it is just so much more convenient.

Managed to persuade the tourist office to lock me in the church for the siesta and was able to sample the swell, both tremmed and non-tremmed. As per usual, what sounds good at the console isn't quite the same up close and despite the fact that the pipework is in relatively good condition, there are occasional notes on all stops which aren't good. However, overall, I am really pleased with the results - relatively quiet samples versus action and blower noise and a nice stereo image together with all of the nuances of the pipework.

Finally left the church at 19.00 hrs. having spent a solid 10 hours in the church.

8th. September 2008

Decided to try an initial sample trial and also decided to do it at 96 / 32 bit just to see what a difference it would make. Tried various settings from coincident to near coincident to ORTF and spaced pair and the results weren't that bad apart from a somewhat noisy Lauckuff "Ventus" blower which although quite modern isn't in a soundproof casing and sits directly beneath the Great organ.

Listening back to the samples this evening I'm afraid that nice stereo recordings are out of the question really and I will have to go down the mono route of very close sampling like about 2' and create the stereo field myself. It's not what I really wanted but I have no choice. Likewise, the tremulant is just too noisy to get away with although I might manage it on the swell reeds.

Roberto, the site manager has produced a very nice advertisement flyer for my recital next week and corrected some of my bad Spanish spelling and grammar - I may be able to get away with this in normal conversation but official writing is rather different.

I'm in several minds as to what I can get away with playing because the action is both slow and uneven in response. Bach is certainly out of the question because I will tie myself in knots due to the non- preciseness of the action. There is nothing worse than playing a fugue and finding that everything is out of sync. so it looks likely that I will be "doing" a romantic cum orchestral concert.

I should be able to get away with the Boellman "Suite Gothique" without too many problems, Bonnet's "Elves" works fine, VW's Rhosymedre will be OK, and along with a couple of transcriptions and relatively simple pot boilers it will suffice. I reckon that I will also get away with the Widor Toccata V because I tend to play it just a little faster than Widors' own speed so that the phrasing doesn't disappear - it's not and never has been a race though so many believe it to be so. I CAN rattle it off at great speed but what's the point since all musicality of the piece is lost and it just becomes a pedal solo with a indistinguishable blur of accompaniment.

It should be fun- it's been advertised in the papers and it is during the Fiesta. I don't expect many will turn up as is the norm for these things but it will put me in good stead for the future.

A few more photos whilst actually in the organ (the others were taken from outside the instrument) and one of the altar.

Some of the Great pipework	Treble half of the Swell (large basses are in the middle).	Bass half of the Swell	The altar

 

4th. - 7th. September 2008

Fairly steady few days with a mixture of work on the existing samples and getting the main parish church organ operational. Santa Maria is proving to be a little frustrating at times because many of the faults are transitory. There are some pretty bad pipes with regards to speech and these are mostly the harmonic flutes of which there are several. Some just hit their hidden fundamental but others sound like Jethro Tull. The reeds have remained well in tune despite knocking them about apart from the odd one which is to be expected. My main concerns at the moment are one or two notes which just won't speak 99% of the time. the pipes are OK, the pneumatic starter valves operate but it looks likely that the real problem is in the windchest itself which I am not about to start taking to pieces.

3rd. September 2008

An early start with the first thing in mind to obtain something suitable to make a reed knife out of. Local hardware shops proved to have nothing but directed me to a bicycle shop which had the required material. The bloke allowed me to use his grinder and I was able to fashion a suitable tool to do the job - I must remind RDS to bring over my tuning cones when he comes.

Solo tuning is a pain but I managed to get the Trompeta tuned. Despite my best endeavours, some notes just wouldn't accept regulation so one or two notes have been left with a bit of chuddering in tone until I can reseat and clean the tongues and shallots. Sorted out a couple of other problems with pipes shooting their octaves and discovered where some of the problems lie in the action. Their main problem is an active infestation of woodworm.

This is leaving sawdust which in turn is causing some valves to leak where the sawdust gets in between the pallet and the surface. The wooden 16' isn't in too good a condition (a Gavioli frein Harmoniqued affair0 to the extent that the worm has so weakened the wood that the beard on one pipe had become detached. For the moment it's fixed back in place with a piece of tape and the pipe speaks again.

Otherwise, the metal pipes are in good condition thanks mainly to being slotted tuning as opposed to cone tuning. The Swell Oboe isn't an oboe at all but a small trumpet and all of the reeds have French type shallots. Lots of harmonic rollers on many pipes and the pipework is well laid out for sampling (and tuning) in the majority of cases.

Sorted out the swell box which now works. The Tremulant works on the whole organ and when active, provides a very passable imitation of a cinema organ. Now THAT would be amusing - a Spanish Theatre Organ...........

2nd. September 2008

Toddled off down to Santa Maria to practice and make a note of what minor problems there might be. Obtained the keys from the sacristan so that I could access the insides and managed to sort a couple of problems like the odd reed not speaking. There are one or two occasional ciphers that occur which should prove possible to remedy. The whole action is exhaust pneumatic so I won't be getting into anything serious since I certainly haven't got any materials to sort out any major repairs. If it's just a case of dust or a pallet not seating correctly then that is easily sorted.

I also discovered why the swell box wasn't working as you can see from the photos - it should be an easy enough repair.

I went through the instrument with a fine tooth comb and there is really some very nice stuff in it. Access is a doddle and there is plenty of room to mount microphones either for stereo or mono sampling. Not sure about the swell since I didn't have time to take of the front boards or gain access to the interior but it shouldn't be too difficult. The Open is a bit rattly on certain bass notes and 3 notes on the Trompeta need the reed re-seating properly. The Swell has a nice Harmonic Flute which is speaking badly on a couple of notes, very nice 4 and 2' flutes, an excellent String and Celeste with one or two notes slow and a very nice Oboe and Vox - yet again with the odd note not speaking well.

 

Console: Upper view	Typical straight pedalboard	Trompeta & 16' Flute & a bit of the 8' Flute & Open	L-R: edge of Trompeta, Flute 16,Flute 8, Mixture, Principal, Open	So that's why the swell doesn't work !

 

30th August - 1st. September 2008

Apart from playing on Saturday in the restaurant, the rest of the time has been spent quietly working. However, I did take the opportunity to wash the van on Sunday and it looks better for it. However, one or two minor little blemishes will need to be sorted. It can't be because I've hit anything because I haven't but there are a couple of minor surface cracks. They have probably always been there, it's just when the thing is really clean, one tends to notice them.

29th. August 2008

Having spent the day working on the mixtures, I toddled off in the early evening to play the organ in Santa Maria which proved to be a much nicer instrument. both the instruments in the town are by the same builder:- Amezua of Donostia and possess similar specifications though the Santa Maria instrument has a Voz Humaine and the Trompeta (upright not en chamade) is on the Great rather than the Swell. Not only is the Santa Maria instrument much nicer but it's in better condition apart from the odd reed flying off tune. The acoustics in the very beautiful church are fairly small and the organ is in a gallery rather than at floor level.

Amezua was a well known builder in the northern parts of Spain and modeled his instruments with a decidedly romantic quality to the extent that he is known as the father of the Spanish Romantic organ if such a thing can be described as such.

Both instruments are somewhat out of tune in parts so I have offered to touch them up since organ tuners charge the earth out here. Once that is done, I have offered to give a small (safe) recital during the upcoming fiesta. When I say "safe" I mean nothing too demanding since lack of practice over the last year has left me unable to play certain pieces with confidence - especially before an audience. However, I also have full access to either instrument to practice.

The other bonus of all of this is that I will be able to make sure that both instruments are in the best possible condition and hopefully, I will be able to get a decent sample set(s) from them. They are really quite interesting and the reeds are certainly very good as well as the Celestes and Flutes. I'm not so sure about the Flautadas which are quite strange - the one in Santiago could almost be used as a reed. The mixtures aren't fantastic on either, amounting to just a couple of ranks in each case at 12:15 but then these are fairly small romantic instruments so it is to be expected.

22nd.-28th.August 2008

I'm back to mixtures and having a rather hard time of it all over the last few days. It's rather hot at the moment and temperatures often reach 100 degrees Centigrade in the van whilst I am working.

Otherwise, had a pleasant evening with a couple of Saphic ladies from Exeter the other night and met up with a Scot who was holding off going south for a few days because of the costs but otherwise doing pretty much the same as myself.

Yesterday, got in to play the Santiago organ and took Roberto the site manager with me. The instrument is not fantastic but makes an acceptable sound and the acoustics are quite resonant. However, they give the organ a rather metallic and hard sound. Things were somewhat curtailed by the funeral of the stepmother of Jean-Luis who works on the campsite. They funeralise folks quickly out here since she only died yesterday.

21st. - 25th. August 2008

Quiet days spent working. Managed to get  10 stops of the Swell Organ of  up and running as well as several Choir Organ stops. Initial results are fairly favourable but it also makes one realise just how the overall effect of the Willis organ sound was achieved. The individual choruses - especially on the Swell leave little to write home about until one adds in a mixture then the whole effect changes beyond recognition.

Of course many of the individual quieter registers are very fine but the overall effect of the flues in say the Swell is not mind blowing - in fact, in many ways it's very disappointing. However, add in the reeds and the mixture and the effect is quite different. Without the flues, the chorus is still very fine but the addition of these otherwise rather mundane flues contributes to and makes the Swell what it should be.

It's all quite an education since playing is one thing, working down to the individual harmonics of every sampled pipe is quite another.

I can now quite understand why certain well known builders and organists dismiss much of the work of Willis along with the misconceived average quality of some of his voicing..........The big picture emerges when it all goes together and then it is quite something else. There are a myriad of individual stops that are better made and voiced than many Father Willis ones but their overall effect in combination usually leaves something to be desired no matter how beautiful they may be on their own. The opposite applies to the great Henry where many stops of seemingly little consequence add together to combine into that sublime sound that few others have ever and will ever achieve.

20th August 2008

Finally made the effort and caught the bus into Pamplona (there are only 3 a day). The journey passed through some very pleasant countryside and Pamplona itself proved to be rather a pleasant city. The cathedral isn't that impressive and the other churches are far better. Pleasant architecture for the most part and a typically Spanish city all told.

Loads of bars along the San Fermin run and the variety of the Pinxos in most bars was stunning. Pinxos are like tapas but generally consist of a piece of bread with something spread on it which can range from a bit of crab stick salad, to eels in a sauce, to aubergines and an anchovy with cheese and so on. Most bars had at least 20 varieties available and whilst they tend to be a bit on the expensive side, they are certainly delicious.

The big surprise of the afternoon came when I found a tiny church door which led into a large church which was not in evidence from the street. Inside was a stunning organ. There was a recital to be given that evening which started at the same time my bus left unfortunately, so I couldn't stay.

Spoke to the sacristan who took me up to the loft where the recitalist for the evening was posing for photos. I was introduced to him - a pleasant young man who judging by the programme notes seems destined for great things. His name is Santiago Banda. He played a few bits and bobs for me and I must say that the instrument does indeed sound as good as it looks. I didn't play myself due to the forthcoming recital but I do have an invitation to go back and play it sometime. The organ has 2 manuals plus the ubiquitous half dozen toe studs. 4 ranks of chamades including an Oboe. All in all quite a sizeable instrument for Spain. Obviously restored fairly recently since everything was very clean and neat.

All in all, a pleasant day. Some of the city is shown below:-

Fountain in middle of the city	Part of the San Fermin run	Where the San Fermin run starts	Church of San Sernin	String section of the local orchestra ?
View from the upper city wall	Another church	The cathedral	Doorway in the cathedral	Countryside on the way back

Various organs in the city:-

Cathedral Organ (largest in Navarra)	San Sernin	Dominican Church Organ	L.H. jamb	R.H. jamb

 

18th +19th August 2008

Much the same as the previous 2 days Apart from meeting a nice Dutch couple in the bar who were doing the Camino de Santiago. A pleasant evening.

16th. + 17th. August 2008

Carrying on working..........Actually, I'm not really doing anything else at the moment. It's pretty hot, Sunday everything is closed, Monday,; all museums etc. are closed so I didn't bother going out. It remains moderately quiet on the site despite being the height of the holiday season which is a bonus. I can't wait until September when the discounts kick in and I can start moving around again.

The north is very nice but it does tend to lack the luminosity of the south and I haven't had the chance to cover the Spanish side of the Pyrenees because of the current high season camping costs. Likewise, pretty much anywhere apart from where I am is going to prove expensive at the moment. sadly, Sanguesa although a pleasant little town, has little to offer in the long term really. There are actually only 2 restaurants which is surprising for a town of this size - not that I tend to eat out in restaurants these days because it costs an awful lot to get something that I can do better myself.

Perhaps I need to travel out to Pamplona or around the surroundings a bit because I'm stagnating somewhat. However, I am getting a fair amount of work done. also managed to get my tax disk and insurance sorted out courtesy of RDS and was pleasantly surprised to find my insurance had almost halved in price !

I must admit that I am finding work on the samples hard going.........there is just so much work to be done and end results tend to be elusive. They are generally good but they just aren't quite right yet. Perhaps  I need a holiday ? No, I think the real problem is that I have settled into the "manana" state when it comes to doing anything exciting and then who can I do it with.

15th. August 2008

At last a couple of demos of some of the Great and Pedal stops together which is the first time that I've heard them myself. they can be found on the News page. They aren't brilliant and much work needs to be done still but they are getting closer. They haven't been finely regulated or finely tuned yet and the balance in parts is a bit awry. More demos of individual stops and combinations should be uploaded in the next few days.

11th.-14th. August 2008

Just working quietly away.

10th. August 2008

After much mucking around with HW3.11 I took the simplest of files and compared the original samples with those coming out of the HW3 software, and they were really different. I decided that there must be some very stupid little fault in the reams of text required to get even one stop to work and set about going through every single line of text to try and find out what it could be.

Finally found it - a silly little line for each stop that states what audio format the samples are to be played in. It was set to play back mono samples and thence create a quasi stereo field through the software. My samples are of course, all in stereo so there were some very weird things going on. Once this had been altered, things were a much improved.

Otherwise a pretty quiet day though slightly hot. The clear skies should enable me to see the Perseid shower later on which is always stunning.

9th. August 2008

After a day working on the samples, played for a couple of hours in the bar. One couple had come in especially and they even danced. The only problem at the moment is the acoustics which are horrendous. I can hear a conversation from the other end of the room and they can hear the piano rather loudly yet I can barely hear it at all. We are going to try moving it to another spot to see if we can sort the problem out.

Roberto the site manager would like me to stay until mid September when the local fiesta is on and since this would save me several hundred euros, I may very well do so. He is off to Cadiz today (1200 Km) away for a few days with his wife and kids. We seem to have a fair amount in common since he is also a musician and in addition to running this site, has an adventure company in Toledo dealing with many outdoor pursuits so he is familiar with caving and canyoning.

8th. August 2008

Have come to an arrangement with the site boss..........Being council run, there is little budget for anything and in fact, the site loses most weeks. Thus there are no funds to play for any "animation". However, although he has no funds to pay me for any music, he can at least give me free camping which doesn't affect his budget but does affect mine. So, a couple of hours on a couple of nights each week is not too much hardship for me and probably works out at about 25€ an hour in real terms.

I played tonight and it was successful - even managed a few euros in the pot. According to the barman, people round here are very mean (known as having noses like "boquerones" (boquerones being anchovies but differeng from "anchoas" in that they are not salted but rather preserved in vinegar or lemon juice).

The remainder of the night was a bit of an eye opener where I was dragged off into town by a local in the bar to "go out on the town". Ended up in an apartment which was his mates and who turned out to be the local drug dealer. Talk about living dangerously in a foreign land.............and here, we are talking about more serious drugs than just a bit of marijuana. I wasn't particularly worried but remained very much on my guard in case anything untoward might happen.

Lots of questions (all in Spanish) were asked before I was even allowed over the threshold and I entered with some trepidation.

Drugs were offered but politely refused. All part of life's rich tapestry I suppose. They all turned out to be very nice and hospitable people though obviously showing signs of their habit. Nice Yorkshire Terrier and a pleasant cat. At no time did I feel threatened or in any danger and I suppose in many ways that I should feel honoured that I was trusted enough to be invited into an environment which 99% of the population would be denied access to.

(I thought it prudent not to mention that at one time, I was a police officer..........).

I always intended to immerse myself in Spain away from the tourist side but I suppose that one can't get more immersed than to be invited into such a scenario.

I eventually escaped and was escorted back out of the maze of backstreets (via a late bar) until I was on known ground.

7th. August 2008

Nowt much happening here

4th.- 6th. August 2008

The very hot weather where it was hitting up to 40 degrees was somewhat cooled by tremendous thunder storms which according to the newspapers dropped the temperature down to about 24 degrees in a matter of a few hours - that's some drop.

Roberto, the site manager has managed to get me an adapter for the piano since I have mislaid mine. He said it wasn't easy and the shop had to get it in specially but it's here now so I won't be playing one sided tomorrow when I next play.

Otherwise, a walk around the town again and another church visited. This one had an organ slightly bigger than the other one that I played by a couple of stops but was by the same San Sebstian builder. According to the lady in the tourist office, there used to be a very fine baroque instrument but it got destroyed like many others. Still, I suppose they are lucky to have any instrument at all in vies of the dearth of instruments elsewhere.

Sample sets not going to well with a number of problems occurring - none of which are impossible to fix but yet again, require more time going back over the files once again.

I suppose that I'm a little downhearted since I had hoped to get some stunning demos up and running, but I am far from pleased with the current results. I seem to have lost the authenticity that I had achieved. It is down to over editing and fastidious analysis but I will not put anything up for public analysis until I am much happier with the results.

3rd. August 2008

Awakened at 09.00hrs by some bloody kid bouncing a football. Initial requests to desist had zero effect so I spoke to the father in no uncertain terms, pointing out that there was a complete leisure complex adjacent to the site where his kid could bounce his ball to his hearts content without pissing anyone off. Problem solved and no more bouncing balls.

Otherwise, spent all day trying to get my head around HW3 again with the CODM aspect. It really is rather complex despite it supposedly being simple in comparison to the full definition file format. No rhyme or reason behind much of what goes on but by the end of the day I was getting somewhere. I can get a custom organ to load and work but I suppose that I will not be able to use the voicing tools until I cache the samples which it isn't set to do at the moment.

How the hell Martin ever devised the software in the first place is mind boggling and even touching the edges with the "simple" CODM is for someone like myself, really difficult. Previously I have just imported HW files to get an idea which was easy but now I'm going directly into HW3 which is a whole new ball game.

Otherwise very, very hot with temperatures in the van at over 100 degrees Fahrenheit despite all of the windows being open and the fans running.

2nd. August 2008

Quiet day playing around with the samples and taking ages to download HW3.11 which kept on getting to 80 or 90% then reporting corrupted files. Finally managed it.

Managed to get 1/4 of a suckling pig on offer in the local supermercado which I cooked this evening before popping into the bar. When I arrived, they asked where the keyboard was at which point I said it was a bit late but they came back with the reply that the bar was open until 1.00.

Finally got the piano and one amp in place and commenced to play. A very different reaction here and whilst no monies were forthcoming as yet, I at least established that I could play and it went down well despite having only one channel.

On speaking to the site manager afterwards, he remarked that he knew I had been playing one of the organs in town - news travels fast -and the reports that he had got back were that someone who had been listening said that it made the hairs on her / his arm stand on end.

If I can do that within a day or so, then maybe there is hope here. We shall see. When I'm good, I'm very, very good but when I'm bad I'm really, really crap.......

Just a few photos from recent days:

Antonio and Dami at Rio Nela	Beriain mountain from the Etxzrri site	Big limestone mesa from the next valley	Sanguesa campsite high season !	Typical street	The castle
Church 1	Church 2	Church 3	Plaza Major	One of the organs in town

The spec of the organ is a bit difficult to read so here it is:

Pedal: Subbass 16', Contras 8'.

Teclado I: Violon 16', Flautado 8', Violon 8', Octava 4' Lleno 2' (12:15)

Teclado II: Armonica 8', Gamba 8', Celeste 8', Octaviante 4' Nazardo 2,2/3' Picolo (sic) Fagot-Oboe 8' Trompeta 8'

Normal couplers plus octaves

1st. August 2008

Still very hot.

According to the guide brochures on the area, there is quite a bit around including the monastery at Leyre and the castle at Javier where St. Francis Xavier was born. There is also the castle at Olite and lots of other interesting places  though not quite so many as in some of the other areas that I have visited.

Sanguesa is still just in Navarre but only about 4Km. from the Aragon border so it is still Basque but very much less so than further North.

31st. July 2008

I set off from Etxarri into the Urbasa range close to the Etxarri. Impressive limestone country and found a campsite on top of the mesa which was about the same price as Etxarri but very exposed with no shade at all, no swimming pool and all in all, pretty rough.

Carried on into the next valley through attractive countryside and pretty towns until I found another site. this was pretty full and the owner explained to me that all sites were full because of the fiesta at San Sebastian (which is over 100 miles away) ! slightly cheaper than the other two but not by much and at least this one did have a swimming pool. however, the thought of spending several days next to a bunch of Spanish with a loud radio on the only pitch available and with no shade at all was not attractive and the local village was a mere hamlet.

So I drove on to the main motorway junction from Pamplona to Logrono and tossed up wheteher to go into Rioja or make my way towards the Pyrenees, The latter won and I made my way up through many vineyards through attractive villages in pleasant enough countryside.

As the last week has been, today was very hot with temperatures hitting the 40's.

Finally I arrived at Sanguesa on the Rio Aragon an attractive town and was surprised to see campsite directions. Ther is no campsite listed here in any of my books including the Spanish Guia to all campsites so I was intrigued.

The site turned out to be a municipal one on the edge of the town. I asked if I could take a look around which I did and found a very nice site next to the river with shade and also pretty much empty. I asked a few questions and for the prices and was pleasantly surprised to find that the site is not advertised and therefore remains quite uncrowded. best thing of all was the price that works out at just under 12€ a night which is even cheaper than the ACSI discount card which tends to be 14€ a night throughout Spain. they also have a nice reasonably priced restaurant and bar with free internet access. The adjacent swimming pool is also free. The manager and staff are also very friendly.

I reckon that I will stay the month.

Wandered into the town in the evening which is really very pleasant and on the way back, found a church which was open since mass was being said. The mass was just finishing and the organ was being played so at the end, I wandered up to the console where there was a priest playing and said hello.

Explained that I was an English organist and was invited to sit down and play.

Very un-Spanish instrument although of Spanish build. Nothing special but not unpleasant - a bit akin to the average parish church organ in the UK. Had a good half hour on it. Conversations with the priest who's name was Carlos, informed me that there were other organs in the town and the surrounding area though the really decent instruments are in Pamplona or Zaragossa.

I think that I will like it here.

29th. & 30th. July 2008

I ended up staying a couple of more days on the Etxarri site. Met some returning English from the Algarve who have sold up in the UK and were just going back to earn a bit of money before coming out again. They thought that the site was somewhat expensive for what it offered. As regards the site, it was about average for Spain in the high season but the restaurant tended to be a rip off. 16€ for a "menu del dia" is pushing it and charging 12€ for a take out Rioja Crianza is just taking the mickey.

The big problem now is to find a site that is not only quiet but also not outrageously expensive until the ACSI discount card kicks in at the start of September - a tall order.

28th.July 2008

Having said my goodbyes to all and sundry, I finally set off eastwards twards Miranda and Vitoria. Called in at alarge camping shop just outside Vitoria (which I had noticed on my trip out last week) to see if they had one or two minor bits and pieces that I need but they didn't. Took a wrong turning and ended up in Vitoria itself which although a sizeable city is actually quite neat once one gets past the outskirts.

Finally arrived at Etxarri where I had originally planned to go a couple of months ago until I got tied up in Trespaderne. I'm glad I found Trespaderne since I can't say that Etxarri is the most wonderful place. Yet again it's surrounded by mountains and these are a little bigger than those in Trespaderne but they were mostly covered in cloud. The temperature has dropped considerably today by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit which is a huge difference.

The village itself hasn't got a lot to offer and a wander round this afternoon confirmed that fact. it's also very, very Basque and there is a distinct underlying tension which is quite palpable. There is actually an "Irish pub" in the village but it's got more to do with Eammon DeValera and Michael Collins as kindred spirits than being actually Irish. Some very interesting photos on the walls of both notable Irish and Basque freedom fighters otherwise known to you and me as the IRA and ETA.

The people are pleasant, friendly and courteous just as they have been everywhere else in the Iberian peninsula but speak the utterly incomprehensible language of Euskara which is totally unrelated to any other European language. Fortunately, they also speak Spanish.

I may stay here a few days or I may move on. One thing is for certain, it's one hell of a lot more expensive here than anywhere else I have been. A glass of beer in Trespaderne and the outlying areas came out at between 1€ and 1.10€ here it's 1.75€ and you don't get anything with it at all. Food is markedly more expensive as well although wine and spirits remain about the same.

I think it unlikely that I will travel up to Donostia (San Sebastian) and will most likely cross to Pamplona before possibly dropping south and west it depends on the weather. I still would like to see the Spanish Pyrenees and i will have to get the van serviced in the next few weeks since it is coming up to a year old.

It's done very well actually and there have been few problems. One or two have sorted themselves out by themselves whilst the odd other problem has been simply rectified. The only thing that is annoying is that the radio, cum DVD cum everything else ceased functioning about 3 months ago so it's silent driving. Fortunately I have a separate hi-fi system on board and I can always play DVDs through the PCs. and of course now, I am sharing my bed with a bloody great portable grand piano which is slightly awkward. Ah well..........

24th.-27th. July 2008

Thursday and Friday were spent working on more pedal reeds before the arrival of hordes of people for the weekend. As I have said many times before, the Spanish are a very noisy lot and unfortunately, that aspect of Spanish life is something that one has to put up with. I really dread to think what this site will be like during August when they move in for extended stays.

If they were all motorhomes, it wouldn't be too bad since they tend to be of a certain size but tents are a different matter since they can pitch very closely indeed and there is only a thin sheet of canvas or plastic as a sound barrier. Then there are the bungalows with their balconies where obviously, people like to sit out and make a noise until the early hours. Many sites do have strict rules about no noise between certain hours but often as not, no one takes any notice. Whilst it has been possible to drive off during the day and return knowing that I have a place, this will not be possible in August.

I have been here two months and sadly since the keyboard playing side of things hasn't worked out as expected, there is no need for me to stay. I have decided therefore, that the time has come for me to move on tomorrow. I have only the month of August to contend with until the low season starts and I am sure that I will be able to find a small quiet site somewhere in Rioja, Navarre or Aragon. Certainly, any of the Costas are out of the question at the moment since they would be truly appalling at this time of year.

I have enjoyed my time here and have made many friends but I do find it restricting in terms of culture and much else. There is also no Wi-Fi at the moment which doesn't help. Once I have got August out of the way, I will be able to move southwards and by that time, I will be able to take advantage of the "Snowbirds" discount for long term stays. Last year, I missed out on much because I set off too late thanks to the initial problems with the van. This year, I will be able to take full advantage and enjoy what is the best time to be here.

23rd. July 2008

Armando the Cuban decided to strim the grass today so this time I moved the van for him. Since I had had to pack things away to move the van and it wasn't quite as hot as previous days, I decided to take a drive.

Drove towards Miranda  de Ebro through pleasant countryside and thence up to Vitoria-Gasteiz. From the outskirts, neither city seemed particularly inspiring so I didn't stop. Continued up towards Mondragon and Bergara in the Deba valley which started off pleasantly but the two towns were far from attractive and the River Deba is very polluted indeed having passed through much industry. Since Bergara was my turn off point to get to Azpeita, I had to drive through it. Ended up in a rather tight situation with inches to spare in a one way system looking for the right road.

Actually, Bergara turned out to be far less unpleasant than it looked from the outside and indeed, once I found the right road that took me through the old part of the town, it turned out to be quite pleasant. The road then climbed into the hills and the scenery was very pleasant if not absolutely stunning. Finally I arrived in Azkoitia and in the distance, I could see the dome of what I had come to see.

The Sanctuario de S. Ignacio de Loiola could be said to be my spiritual home in many ways. having spent my life in the company of Jesuits both at school for eight years at Stonyhurst and before and after; this is where it all started.

The place is huge and is dominated by the basilica. I was allowed free entrance into the museum (the original house) and it was very impressive. Superbly put together as an exhibition and very spiritual in atmosphere especially for someone like myself.

I then went into the basilica which is somewhat ornate and a bit overdone and in the distance could hear organ music which I assumed must be piped. As it turned out, it wasn't and was actually a lady playing through some hymns on a GEM keyboard. There was a rather squat pipe organ in a gallery which looked nothing special.

Got chatting to the keyboard lady who only spoke Spanish and explained a bit of my history whereupon she switched off the keyboard, produced a set of keys and asked me if I would like to see their very precious pipe organ. Now, in my travels I have seen quite a few precious pipe organs and indeed in Evora, got to see and play the oldest so I rather expected something  quite mundane since "everyone" has a "precious organ whether it is or not.

She took the covers off the console and lo and behold; there was a Cavaille-Coll in all its glory. She sat down and played for a while and I was then given the opportunity to play for about half an hour.

I have only ever played one other original Cavaille Coll; that at Parr Hall in Warrington which was moved from it's original home to the hall and has been since electrified and possibly altered slightly as well. Otherwise the only other I have played "in part" is Paisley Abbey but little remains of the original 2 manual having been built into a large 4 manual and tonally revised by Hill Norman & Beard and Ralph Downes. As far as I can remember, of the other C-C instruments in the UK, the much altered Blackburn was destroyed when the new Walker was installed, Sheffield went up in flames and the one or two other instruments are so altered as to be un-recognisable apart from Farnborough Abbey but that's probably more Mutin than C-C.

So here I was at the console of an unaltered C-C. Rather heavy action on the Recit and Cadereta (Positive) which are tracker but easier on the Grande Orgue with its Barker lever assistance. As at Parr Hall, getting ones head around the Tirasses* proved to be fun and of course the manuals are a bit arse about face to what us English organists are used to. Tonally it was as expected but unfortunately half an hour is insufficient time to really delve and explore the instrument fully. However, it was another interesting and valuable experience and the acoustics of the basilica (being round and tall) are exceptional.

* Tirasses are a peculiarly French idiosyncracy whereby in addition to normal inter-manual and pedal couplers, parts of a division ie: the reeds can be brought on or taken off en masse.

The Sanctuario and basilica

Entrance to Sanctuary	Entrance to Basilica	From the side	The altar	Squat organ !

The organ up close

Trompeta Real	Lady organist	the console	L.H. jamb	R.H. jamb	tirasses etc.

The statue in the entrance to the museum and a rather strange photo which is probably a trick of the light........(I haven't adjusted the photo).

	L.H side ?????

The journey back led through some pretty ugly industrial towns before I finally arrived in Bilbao and got thoroughly lost - not helped by some of the city being closed off due to a fair. From first impressions, Bilbao looks very pleasant, if a little large and I did glimpse the famous Guggenheim Gallery and many other buildings as I attempted to find the road back to Trespaderne.

Finally, I did manage to find the road which ended up passing through some quite spectacular countryside. One wonders just where all these big limestone mountains come from and what huge cave systems must be undiscovered in their interiors. Without doubt, Spain must have potentially some of the greatest systems on earth and yet so little has been discovered apart from the obvious. A huge great lump of solid limestone at least 20 times the size of Ingleborough or Penyghent must have something in it.

All in all, an interesting day. I drove just over 200 miles and yet on the map it looks like nothing.

15th.-22nd July 2008

A fairly quiet time with variable weather which goes from one extreme to the other. Now that the computers are working properly, I have been able to get on with some work. I played for the birthday party of Dami who is the site owners wife and it was fairly successful but otherwise, I doubt that I will play for the site again.

It's been somewhat hot in the last few days with temperatures reaching 95 in the shade so it's been a bit much. Thankfully, the night time temperatures are comfortable especially since I don't have air conditioning in the van.

On one day, I took a drive out to visit some of the local sights shown below. The cascade at Pedrosa is quite unexpected being in the centre of the village. It's more impressive in winter or after heavy rain. Puentedey is about 20 miles away and very close to the Ojo Guerena system which is amongst the dozen longest in the world. There is a sizeable and well decorated system in the village of which photos can be seen in the local bar.

Cascade at Pedrosa about 3 miles from Trespaderne	Outskirts of Puentedey