Montagne Invernale e Amice Italiano (Winter Mountains and Friends)

Northern Italy in the winter is such a lovely paradise to explore and share nature both solo and with friends  In a five day stretch I had some profound experiences.  I first hiked cross-country through the snow up to a log cabin (baita) near Alagna, at the base of Monte Rosa.

The next day I skied down spectacular slopes near the Swiss border, at a resort called San Dominico.  San Dominico is a smaller resort,  that is reached by riding a chair lift for 20 minutes way up to a bowl surrounded by spectacular mountains. It is just 75 minutes commute north of Arona.

It was a Friday, which meant no crowds-just enough folk to practice my Italian riding up the chairlift and with enough solo time to meditate on the wisdom narrative from, Steven Cave's "Immortality".  The Wisdom Narrative is where Cave advocates, "balancing a positive love of life with managing the fear of our life's end.  How to do that?  By cultivating virtue which per Cave is 1) selflessness and compassion for others, 2) living more in the present moment, 3) daily gratitude.  So after lunch, I definitely tested my fear of injury (if not death) by skiing the steeper slopes and found my "life-balance" after making it down two times without dying and then saying that's sufficient. Plenty of gratitude for life in that! 😅   The next day I worked out at the small local gym run by Luca, who leads exercises and instructs as his family of clients workout. Feels like a family. In the afternoon I joined my meditation and yoga group for what I thought would be a tranquil afternoon to recuperate.  To my surprise we I hiked up Sacro Monte (Sacred Mountain) sanctuary near Varese passing

12 medieval capella's (chapels) (each portraying a different Jesus event) culminating in a commune with the sunset

After sunset, I got to experience "medicinal" free-dance and meditative Tibetan music late into the night (think 60's hippies dancing around a fire revisited) . 

This week also gave me another opportunity marvel at my street muscian artisti friend, Roberto serenading Arona crowds with his amazing voice and guitar and learn so much from him about technology, of all things (magnetic energy for example).  Topped off the week on Sunday by playing my first sets of tennis on a clay court with my colleague and friend Matteo.  All in all life here offers a great ways to burn enough calories to enjoy one-of-a kind food and drink every night accompanied by profound conversations. Full disclosure I did abstain from today's annual polar bear swim in frigid Lago Maggiore.
Even with all the outdoor activities I found time to remain deeply engrossed in Yuval Harari's book "Sapiens" - a fascinating and enlightening history of humankind, beginning 2.5 million years ago with what was then 6 separate species of humans and an animal kingdom that dwarfs todays animals (figuratively and literally).  In Harari's discussione of different ideologies and religions that have been instrumental in ordering societies he recounts that Buddhists strive to train the mind to see the reality of NOW, forgoing any craving for experiencing something else.  Their goal is elimination of suffering that can come with pain or not focusing on the present and increased intensity of joy and tranquility during pleasurable experiences.  When craving has been eliminated they call it "nirvana" .  Living here feels quite close to nirvana!