After finishing breakfast, I walked around our hotel and with every step I took, I couldn’t resist taking pictures of the spectacular mountain scenery. This area has got to be one of the most gorgeous places on earth!

Today the Historic Organ Study Tour took us to churches in the vicinity of our hotel in the Cadore region. If I lived here, I would have a hard time staying indoors— I’d want to spend as much time as I could outside admiring the scenery.

Our first stop was at the Chiesa dei Santi Simone e Taddeo, another beautiful church, where we played the 1791 Gaetano Callido organ.

Here’s a panorama I took of the area behind the church.

Just a review of each church we visit: Our tour leader, Roberto Antonello, begins by giving some information about each organ and then plays a 10-15 minute mini-recital. Afterwards, tour participants are welcome to try out the organ, and Roberto is at hand to help with organ registration. Here’s a video of me playing Quattro Corrente by Girolamo Frescobaldi.

Next stop was the 1848 Giacomo Bazzani e Figli organ at the San Vito di Cadore Pieve dei Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzia. It was here that the organ had fun special effects such as the Piatri (cymbals), the Rollante (drum roll), and the Campanelli (glockenspiel), which Roberto demonstrated ably to our amusement.

After lunch, we drove a short distance to the Chiesa della Beata Vergine della Salute, where the organ had to be pumped by hand! Here is a short video with Eric Talbot showing how it works.

The beautiful keyboard was inlaid with ebony and boxwood. Also there is original 18th-century writing on the music rack which gives advice on how to register the organ.

Tomorrow is Sunday and we’ll get to sleep in—our bus doesn’t leave until 10:25 am. Woo-hoo!