Musical Travel Memories.

I was listening to some music on random shuffle on my most recent plane trip and Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok” came on and it brought back great memories of…

Zermatt Switzerland!

And so I got to thinking how certain songs really remind me of places I’ve traveled, but they aren’t always the place you’d think.

The Ke$ha song in particular reminds me of a few years ago when I hardly knew her music but my daughter who was 10 or so at the time would occasionally listen.  And on the last day of my trip to Zermatt I was sitting outside, right off the ski slope after a hard day of skiing by myself, having a few drinks and “Tik Tok” came on.  And there was just something about sitting outside with a couple of Glühwein while it snowed, legs aching from a hard day on the slopes, that now to me “Tik Tok” and the Hennu Stall almost at the base near the Zermatt gondola will always go hand in hand.

Funny enough, I have another offbeat Zermatt memory too.  There’s another place that always had a pretty good band and I’d go there for a couple drinks in the evenings both times I’ve been to Zermatt.  And it seemed no matter who the band was, they played the same classic American rock.  I have fabulous memories of a crowded bar, completely full of Europeans still in ski gear, singing along at the top of their voices to “Sweet Home Alabama.”  It’s now my favorite Swiss song.

I was in Spain for the first time about 15 years ago now.  I went with my cousins whose father grew up in Spain and still lives there part time.  We stayed in his small hometown in the countryside, about an hour and a half drive north of Seville.  We spent a few days hanging out like locals, eating Jamon Iberico and Spanish tortilla and drinking a ton of Tio Pepe sherry.  And while there we heard some great Spanish music that I had a blast singing along to: Tu y Yo, Ole Ole Ole!  I came home and a few weeks later boy, was I surprised to see the brand new sensation Ricky Martin singing my “authentic” Spanish song live on the Grammys!  I own all of Ricky Martin's music now but I prefer his songs when the lyrics are in Spanish.

I kind of forced the association when I downloaded Toto’s “Africa” before my trip to Kenya and listened to it on the long van ride between the Masai Mara and Amboseli.  I will always link “Dancing Queen” by Abba with Nantucket where my daughter and I watched Mamma Mia at the Sconset Casino.  Beyonce’s “Love on Top” means Miami where last year my friend Heather and I danced around our hotel room getting ready for a night out on the town.  Pink’s “Just Like a Pill” somehow became the song I play on repeat during my 90 minute drive to the Jersey shore.  I could go on and on.

Who knows what muscial memories I will make next!