Travel Tip: Listen to the Music
February 11, 2013 by Helen
Filed under Travel tips
Sometimes we get so caught up in “getting there” that we forget about “being there”.
With that thought in mind may I remind you to stop and listen to the music around you.
While on a walk to the local grocery store to pick up supplies for the kitchen at our timeshare in Mougins, France we came across a gentleman sitting outside some of the shops playing tunes on a little French accordion. You know… the haunting, romantic music that is frequently heard in movies as the scene changes to a little cafe in Paris. I sat enchanted on a nearby bench just soaking in the moment. Here I was in France, in real time, listening to authentic music. (Perhaps the artist considered it “tourist music” as he played La Vie En Rose, but I don’t think so, as he seemed lost in memories too.) Needless to say I was touched.
On the Isle of Skye we spotted a poster on a lamp post advertising a ceilidh being held that very evening. Now I knew from having visited Cape Breton Island in Canada that a ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) is a musical event celebrating Gaelic music. So we made a point of being at the hall that evening and were thoroughly entertained by local dancers, singers and musicians. One number even included the unusual addition of a bagpipe with the more traditional instruments. This was not the type of event one could have booked in advance on the internet. You had to be there and follow your instincts.
Ceilidh, Isle of Skye
Picture the scene…Lisbon, Portugal high on the hills in the Alfama district overlooking the Tejo River. Fado music floats through the air as you soak in the view. There’s the busker with his Portuguese guitar. (Busking is much more common in Europe than it is in North America.) His beautiful music tugs at one’s heartstrings. [Sigh]…Wish I could say my husband was as equally impressed as I, but he was off taking pictures of the scene from all possible angles while I was having my romantic moment.
Climb a mountain (or take the gondola up…like I did) to listen to the music. That is exactly what happened in Bergen, Norway. A recital featuring music of Edvard Grieg was being held at the top of the mountain so …of course I had to go!
Those of us who love to travel could go on and on about the impromptu musical encounters that have enriched our lives.
So…slow down, be there in the moment, and listen to the music.
Just one person’s opinion.
and listen to the music !
