An unexpected adventure by Fred Lundahl:

In 2020 our first trip was to be a month in Chile from the middle of March. We had paid all our money for the trip so we crossed our fingers that we could get the trip done before the COVID spread there.   Boy, were we wrong.  

 We drove our car to Vancouver BC, parked our car, and took Air Canada as usual.  The first sign that this trip would not go as planned was at the hotel in Santiago. There were dozens of unhappy tourists milling around because all the expensive Antarctic cruises they have traveled from far and wide to join had just been cancelled.  The only people more unhappy were the 7,000 - 8,000 passengers on the cruise ships at sea who were not allowed to dock.

As we scrambled to find a flight home, we did as much shopping as we could fit into that week and managed to get one of the last flights out.  We smugly went to the chaotic airport with boarding passes in hand and waited in line for hours.  We finally got to the ticket agent who burst our bubble when she told us that only Canadian citizens were being allowed on the flight.  Facing disaster, and a possible months long enforced stay locked down in Chile, we threw ourselves on the mercy of our local travel agent who managed to buy us onward tickets from Toronto to Seattle in two minutes flat and then brow-beat the reluctant ticket agent into allowing us to board since we would only be in transit briefly in Canada.

We got home to Seattle the day after the Canadian border closed so we could not go up and retrieve our parked car.  It remained there for six months until we mounted a secret operation to rescue it.  

(Note: The Lundahls say they won’t be taking any more trips in the foreseeable future because of COVID issues, and they have abundance of merchandise at home and in the store.)

Music for the Eyes on First Street in Downtown Langley definitely lives up to its name.  It’s impossible to walk through the door and not be dazzled by the huge array of colors, textures and products.  

Fred and Sharon Lundahl worked as diplomats in Central Asia for many years.  When they retired from the US Diplomatic Service in 2003, they decided to translate their love for the people and cultures of Central Asia into a unique business not only for Whidbey Island, but for the entire Puget Sound region. 

Many have noted that the Lundahls have one of the largest and finest collections of Oriental rugs, musical instruments, jewelry, robes and other artifacts from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan (former members of the Soviet Union). 

Prior to COVID impacting their lives (and everyone else’s) they made one or two trips a year abroad to restock their inventories of incredible Oriental rugs, hats and other unusual items.  They also enjoyed traveling to Turkey, which has always been a wonderful place for rugs and textiles, as well as to Russia, Tibet and other exotic places. 

Fred and Sharon appreciate the many customers who come by and have heard about their store.  They welcome visitors to the shop who want to stop by and share their own travel experiences and talk about the collection at Music for the Eyes.

Recently, the Lundahls have made several improvements to the store in response to concerns about COVID. They installed seven air purifiers (twice what is needed for the square footage of their store) to protect the staff and customers.

The Lundahls have noticed a major uptick in their rug sales. Sharon observes, “Now that people are not traveling as much and are spending more time in their homes, they are looking around and noticing what improvements they would like to make.”

They also get great pleasure out of chatting with the first-time visitor who walks through the door with no expectations.  One is welcome to wander through the large front area with its stacks of rugs and through the maze of smaller rooms that feature beads, jewelry, and other artifacts from Central Asia.  

For more information about the store, and the stories of Fred and Sharon Lundahl, visit the website for Music for the Eyes - www.musicfortheeyes.com , or stop by 314 First Street in Langley.  They are open 7 days a week 11:00 a,m, -5:00 p.m.