The Italian-speaking Southen part of Switzerland, Ticino, has a totally different feel. The lakes are exactly like what I imagined (see the movie Enchanted April for a charming portral), and the vegetation is incredibly lush. On a hike I moved from chestnut forest to birch forest to pine forest as the elevation rose, each with its beautiful character.

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There is never a hike that is boring. But they are impossible to discribe.

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The paradessence of meditation: an ambiguous focus. Any activitity that supports this frame of mind is meditative, and therefore, zen: walking, running, gardening, etc.

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