The piano tuner came today. He was here two and a half hours and it cost 100 euros. I thought that was quite expensive but perhaps comparing prices between Barcelona and Penzance is not a good plan!
We talked about humidity which I found funny as the piano has been in Lamorna for 17 years – I imagine it can cope with the humidity of Granollers.   But cold perhaps is an issue so I was advised to put some protection behind and underneath – we had a long conversation in Catalan as he tried to explain the material needed and in the end I think he suggested cork.

He explained that the piano’s pitch had gone down a lot and that it needed tuning up to get closer to the ideal which is 440.  But he would need to come back in the summer to complete this task as it had fallen so far it couldn’t be raised up all in one go.

I don’t think a piano tuner has ever explained the mechanics of it to me before. And this was in Catalan!
He is now off to Columbia where he spends the winter which led us to an interesting discussion about moving between different environments.  I have moved from a damp mild climate to a dry hot one which is dry and cold in winter. I have never felt so healthy as I am here – I hardly have asthma and my joints don’t ache. The piano tuner also has lung problems and he benefits from leaving wintry Catalunya to spend months in a Columbian summer.  Then there is Blue who seems to be benefiting already from her change of home – she fairly dances along the street and bounces up and down the stairs in a seemingly painfree bunny-hop.
We will see how the piano copes with its recent life change.

PS what was the first thing I played after he had left?