Pianos in Albergue (HELP)

[Inaoz]

Hello all,
I am going to be walking the French way this June - August and I am very excited!
I am a pianist and was wondering if there's any pianos in albergues or hostel for people to play that you know of?

Not being able to touch the keys for two and a half months kind of worries me a little and I would like to take advantage of it if there any public pianos, music school, churches along the route?

Thank you a lot!

Ina

 

[mspath]

Inaoz,
Welcome to the forum!
For churches with possible pianos see this map for masses on the caminos.

Good luck and Buen camino!

 

[Bajaracer]

Casa Barbadelo just outside of Sarria has a piano. The most luxurious albergue, feels like a hotel but with bunk beds.

 

[wisepilgrim]

Finding one that is in tune is the real challenge here.

 

[Leap of faith]

Hi Inaoz, I had a wonderful night around the piano a few years ago. It was at the Alb. S. Juan Bautista in Granon. A very humble allergue but one of my most treasured. There was a photograph of the communal room on this site a few weeks ago and the piano on display in the background. I have no idea if it will be in tune when you are there. I will be in Granon sometime in early July and hopefully I will hear you play.

 

[Bruce777]

Hi Inaoz , There is a piano in Boadilla Del Camino at Albergue El Encina , If you can get a tune out of it as it is about 200 years old ,worth a try . I did and failed , good luck. Buen Camino.

 

[Zoran Pesovski]

Hi Ina , there was a piano in the The Paroquial Albergue in Grañón - https://www.gronze.com/rioja/granon/albergue-parroquial-san-juan-bautista
The place is great, don't miss it.
Buen Camino

 

[lovingkindness]

Hello @ Inaoz, if you feel like a taste of dementia, there's a fabulous piano in an old convent near Zumaia (Camino del Norte). In 2011 every note below middle C was a 3/4 tone flatter than every note to the right. Bach inventions and fugues morphed into Charles Ives without the mental effort of transposing...

I also know where the most decrepit piano in France is, too. But you'll have to walk all the from Norway to the Midi-Pyrenees to appreciate it...

twang, twango
have fun on your camino!

 

[Susu60]

Hello all,
I am going to be walking the French way this June - August and I am very excited!
I am a pianist and was wondering if there's any pianos in albergues or hostel for people to play that you know of?

Not being able to touch the keys for two and a half months kind of worries me a little and I would like to take advantage of it if there any public pianos, music school, churches along the route?

Thank you a lot!

Ina

Tardajos, just past Burgos, has an out of tune piano, but it is a great albergue and lots of music!

 

[PaulCat]

Hello all,
I am going to be walking the French way this June - August and I am very excited!
I am a pianist and was wondering if there's any pianos in albergues or hostel for people to play that you know of?

Not being able to touch the keys for two and a half months kind of worries me a little and I would like to take advantage of it if there any public pianos, music school, churches along the route?

Thank you a lot!

Ina

I'm walking June-July. If we bump into each other, maybe you can play and I can sing a song or two. I do plan on packing a harmonica and either my Irish flute or whistle. I'd pack my trombone but that'd just look silly.

 

[lovingkindness]

Hola, Inoaz

PS... and if you're desperate to play on a Steinway Grand you'll need to start your camino in Poland! There's an exquisite grand piano at Szafarnia near Torun, directly on the Camino Polaco. Szafarnia hosts peregrinos overnight. In fact, at Szafarnia there's also a well tuned upright in the elegant room set aside peregrinos... You can play all night, there's hardly any other pilgrims!... Szafarnia is where F. Chopin spent a couple of summers during his youth. Here's a glimpse of Szafarnia + it's piano!

 

[lovingkindness]

...and a couple of kilometres after Roncevalles, in Auritz_Burgete Ernesto Hemingway found a piano.

*There's a photo of it here: http://www.hotelburguete.com/en/

 

[alexwalker]

Granon, in the albergue in the medieval church bell tower. If you play the piano, it will be party time there. Most evenings, it is

 

[GuernseySally]

Alb. Essentia in Redecilla del Camino, just after Granon has a great piano and friendly host who’s happy for music sessions to take place. I got the details of this albergue from a blog on favorite albergues in this forum.

 

[SYates]

Hello all,
I am going to be walking the French way this June - August and I am very excited!
I am a pianist and was wondering if there's any pianos in albergues or hostel for people to play that you know of?

Not being able to touch the keys for two and a half months kind of worries me a little and I would like to take advantage of it if there any public pianos, music school, churches along the route?

Thank you a lot!

Ina

Just out of curiosity - where are you actually starting your Camino? And btw the piano in Granon is so out of tune, you wouldn't believe it. BUT if you can play the organ, I can, most likely, arrange something for you here in Santiago ;-) Buen Camino, SY

 

[Inaoz]

Hi Syates,
Thank you for the reply.
I will be staring my camino in St.James. Unfortunately, I can't really play organ.
I am also interested in giving out a mini recital at a church or cathedral. Do you think it's a wild idea?
Many thanks,

Ina

 

[Inaoz]

Inaoz,
Welcome to the forum!
For churches with possible pianos see this map for masses on the caminos.

Good luck and Buen camino!

Thank you!

 

[Inaoz]

Alb. Essentia in Redecilla del Camino, just after Granon has a great piano and friendly host who’s happy for music sessions to take place. I got the details of this albergue from a blog on favorite albergues in this forum.

Thank you so much,
Do you think they are interested in hosting a mini piano recital also? it would be great if I get to play!

Thank you!
Ina

 

[Inaoz]

Hola, Inoaz

PS... and if you're desperate to play on a Steinway Grand you'll need to start your camino in Poland! There's an exquisite grand piano at Szafarnia near Torun, directly on the Camino Polaco. Szafarnia hosts peregrinos overnight. In fact, at Szafarnia there's also a well tuned upright in the elegant room set aside peregrinos... You can play all night, there's hardly any other pilgrims!... Szafarnia is where F. Chopin spent a couple of summers during his youth. Here's a glimpse of Szafarnia + it's piano!

OMG this is great! I wish I knew this earlier. I will start my camino in St. James. but I will keep this in mind. I will save it for later! thank you again.
ina

 

[Inaoz]

I'm walking June-July. If we bump into each other, maybe you can play and I can sing a song or two. I do plan on packing a harmonica and either my Irish flute or whistle. I'd pack my trombone but that'd just look silly.

That would be great. I am thinking to bring my mini melodica (little keyboard with a blowing hose) in case I don't have any luck finding a piano.

 

[Inaoz]

Hello @ Inaoz, if you feel like a taste of dementia, there's a fabulous piano in an old convent near Zumaia (Camino del Norte). In 2011 every note below middle C was a 3/4 tone flatter than every note to the right. Bach inventions and fugues morphed into Charles Ives without the mental effort of transposing...

I also know where the most decrepit piano in France is, too. But you'll have to walk all the from Norway to the Midi-Pyrenees to appreciate it...

twang, twango
have fun on your camino!

Thank you so much for your info.

 

[Inaoz]

Finding one that is in tune is the real challenge here.

haha

 

[Inaoz]

Hi Inaoz, I had a wonderful night around the piano a few years ago. It was at the Alb. S. Juan Bautista in Granon. A very humble allergue but one of my most treasured. There was a photograph of the communal room on this site a few weeks ago and the piano on display in the background. I have no idea if it will be in tune when you are there. I will be in Granon sometime in early July and hopefully I will hear you play.

Thank you! I hope to see you

 

[simeon]

Could you not carry your piano. Would probably be lighter than some bags coming out of sjpdp

 

[GuernseySally]

Thank you so much,
Do you think they are interested in hosting a mini piano recital also? it would be great if I get to play!

Thank you!
Ina

Hi ina, the host was happy for guests to play the piano when I was there a couple of weeks ago. It’s quite relaxed, rather than a piano recital which sounds more formal. If you check out the albergues Facebook page there are several videos of guests playing the piano.

 

[NorthernLight]

St James? Do you mean St Jean?

 

[Deleted member 73526]

That would be great. I am thinking to bring my mini melodica (little keyboard with a blowing hose) in case I don't have any luck finding a piano.

You could get a roll up keyboard that weighs around a kilo. I'm not sure how that compares to the melodica in terms of playability and portability.

If you're looking for a decent piano for serious practice, you could contact music colleges on your way:

Conservatorios de Música en España - Google My Maps

Conservatorios de Música en España

www.google.com

I tried searching for bars with pianos in the cities on the CF, but the name "piano bar" seems to have been adopted by the wrong kind of bar.

 

[lovingkindness]

Hi there @Inaoz

I have been wondering how you got on in 2018, playing pianos along the Camino. Perhaps by now you are thinking of another musical adventure!

...in France there are pianos in many railway stations...

All the pianos in this video are found in cities where pilgrims pass whilst following les chemins de St Jacques to Santiago de Compostelle : -Lille, Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Marseille… Thre's also a piano in the station at Agen, a city on a variant route from Vézelay.

Cheers
Lovingkindness

 

[lovingkindness]

Well, another year has passed and it's time to say hello again to @Inaoz and all the other piano-players out there.

In Germany (2019), whilst walking along the Der Ökumenische Pilgerweg and other pilgrim trails I came across a goodly number of pianos (see attachment below: This + That). I had lots of fun making music and would have walked much further except that one day I dislocated and broke a finger...

Had I asked to play on a piano every day, I'm sure that one would have been found.

Cheers
Lovingkindness

 

[lovingkindness]

Hi there @Inaoz


...in France there are pianos in many railway stations...

All the pianos in this video are found in cities where pilgrims pass whilst following les chemins de St Jacques to Santiago de Compostelle : -Lille, Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Rennes, Marseille… Thre's also a piano in the station at Agen, a city on a variant route from Vézelay.

Cheers
Lovingkindness

After more than a year's silence in French railway stations due to hygiene restrictions, the French public is once again playing the piano:

Video: Les pianos reveiennent en gare!

 

[RJM]

...and a couple of kilometres after Roncevalles, in Auritz_Burgete Ernesto Hemingway found a piano.

*There's a photo of it here: http://www.hotelburguete.com/en/

Yes, I stayed there one night. Roncesvalles was quite full so we carried on. The proprietor of the hostel is a bit gruff but he showed us the piano and Hemingway's crudely carved initials on it. We assumed Papa musta been drinking (surprise surprise) when he did it.

 

[A Kerryman]

Hello all,
I am going to be walking the French way this June - August and I am very excited!
I am a pianist and was wondering if there's any pianos in albergues or hostel for people to play that you know of?

Not being able to touch the keys for two and a half months kind of worries me a little and I would like to take advantage of it if there any public pianos, music school, churches along the route?

Thank you a lot!

Ina

Albergue Essentia in Redicillo De Camino has a piano .

 

[lovingkindness]

Iglesia de Santiago, Pancorbo. Oct 2023.

...well here it is, an absolute pleasure to play: an old upright situated to the side of a floor-to-ceiling retablos in which Santiago himself has pride of place -La Iglesia de Santiago, Pancorbo (Camino Vasco del Interior)...

Happy New Year, 2024 peregrino/as!

View attachment El Camino Vasco del Interior. Piano. Iglesia de Santiago. Pancorbo. 2023.mp4

​

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Albergue Espiritu Santo in Carrion de los Condes has one. Not sure what kind of shape it's in...