TOURS 1-2
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TOURS 1-2 |
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A hike near the Eiger
Home | Tour Leaders and About Our Low Prices | Payment & Cancellation | Reservation Form | Hiking England
We offer two different tours: Wildflower and Waterfalls and Three Cultures Tour. Although each tour emphasizes a different aspect of this fabulous country, all of our tours feature beautiful wildflowers, fabulous mountain vistas and lovely hotels. They differ only in the degree to which each of these qualities is featured. They DO NOT suggest a variation in the type (difficulty) of the hiking that is offered.
As a note the recent NY Times Bestseller, 1000 Places To See Before You Die, mentions several villages we either stay in or visit and other things we "do" during our tours. They include the Lauterbrunnen Valley (Wengen), Murren, Kandersteg, Saas Fee, St. Moritz and riding the Glacier Express and visiting the Jungfraujoch.
Yankee Travels Owners and
Guides: Some Swiss Wildflowers
Early Purple Orchids
David and Jeanne, near the Eiger
On all the tours each day will start with a delicious buffet breakfast at our 3 or 4 star inn, then we usually hike right from the inn and embark by cable car or cog railway to an elevation that will give options of how far or high to hike. In Switzerland splendor is all around you both on a grand scale and in miniature. We will hike at a moderate pace and stop to bask in the scenery and the aroma of wildflowers. Jeanne is an excellent botanist and can identify nearly all the flora we encounter. We can carry a trail lunch or stop at one of many small mountain inns or tea houses for a delicious noon time soup, salad or sandwich. We return to our lovely hotel each afternoon and then end the day with a 4 or 5 course dinner at the inn where we discuss the next day's adventures. On any free day you may use your Swiss Travel Pass to visit one of hundreds of lovely towns, castles or other renowned attractions in Switzerland.
WE OFFER TWO EXCURSIONS EVERY DAY, a
Light Hike and a Rigorous Hike:
The daily light hike follows a
guideline of about 4-7 miles and 500-1500 feet of elevation gain and/or loss.
This permits each person to enjoy magnificent views and incredible fields of
wildflowers at a pace that anyone who likes to hike can enjoy. For lunch we can picnic or enjoy the food at a berg restaurant. These
hikes will make for an
active day and be good exercise for those who do not like a lot of elevation change or a more relaxed day for those who need a break from the more rigorous hikes. There will be numerous opportunities for photography, flower identification and other activities that a more leisurely pace can provide.
Hike near a wood carver's hut above Saas Fee
Doorway in Zuoz (one of our towns on Tour 3)
The daily rigorous hike will be from 7-11 miles and include elevation changes of 2000-3500 feet. These guided hikes will move at a faster but comfortable pace. They will include spectacular trails to high mountain huts (which often serve lunch), hikes through high passes (less than 10,000 ft.), and along or even across some glaciers. No special equipment or training is necessary for any hikes but they do require each hiker to be in
"good shape". Age is not a factor as fit hikers of all ages have done these hikes with us. There is still time to take loads of photographs and to enjoy the scenery on these hikes as the point of our trips is to enjoy the splendor of this alpine wonderland. Many people do as the guides do and switch between each type of excursion. You can permit your energy level to dictate whether to do a
light hike or rigorous hike each day.
Both the daily hikes are custom designed for each tour. Yankee Travels is dedicated to making each tour meet the needs of its clientele. We lead exciting hikes and have the requisite knowledge of each area and the life experience necessary to make your tour memorable and safe. You will see the best of Switzerland with us, travel 1st class, stay in lovely hotels, and feel you are in professionally competent hands. Many experienced clients after coming on one of our tours tell us we are the best in the business and we charge a fraction of what the large "famous" tour groups do. Call us at 603-783-9131 for references.
Lunch at a berg hut during a hike
View during a Light Hike
COST- SEE
TOUR DESCRIPTIONS BELOW
| Summer 2008 | |||
|
Trip |
2008 Dates |
Cost |
Single Supplement |
| Trip #1 Wildflower
and Waterfalls
Tour
|
June 21-29, 2008 (8 nights/9 days) |
$2295 |
$100 |
| Trip #2 Three Cultures
Tour As of NOW you can register for part of the
tour-the cost would be based on how many nights you join us. Call
603-783-9131 to discuss this possibility. |
June 29- July 12, 2008 (13 nights/14 days)
|
$3695 |
$150 |
Register early so as not to be disappointed.
All of our 2007 tours were sold out!
Call
603-783-9131
or email us
djhkswis@comcast.net
Sixth consecutive year of SOLD OUT TOURS!
The number of single rooms is limited at our small hotels. We will try to match
up roommates if you request but we cannot guarantee a roommate.
Cost of the tour- Accommodations and Transportation
- our Price guarantee
The tour price includes a twin bedded room (beds are combined for couples) with a private bath and usually with private balcony. It also includes an extensive buffet breakfast and
4 or 5 course dinner. Vegetarian meals can be provided at no additional charge.
Both tours include a
1st Class Swiss Travel Pass which covers all travel on trains, lake steamers, buses and discounts on most cable
systems during the planned excursions of the tour-most other tours provide a 2nd
class pass. Unlike many other tours, our tour price covers any additional travel costs during guided hikes not covered by the pass.
The price also includes any taxes, tips and gratuities at the hotels.
Another service that we provide is to meet our clients at the Zurich Airport at
the start of the tour which very few tour groups do. This is always a much
appreciated service as we then make a "day of it" right from your
arrival (see details below) instead of you making a confused and anxious journey
to the first village as most other tours ask their clients to do.
Yankee Travels also guarantees its price
- other tours make their
clients assume the risk of currency fluctuations and adjust the tour price
upwards shortly before the departure date.
Tour Rate Does Not Include
The tour price does not include airfare, lunches, any alcoholic drinks or other special beverages, passport fees, phone calls or other expenses of a personal nature. It also does not cover any travel expenses not included in the Swiss Travel Pass during your free
or travel days that you may personally choose to do that are not planned as part
of the group itinerary. (Since your 1st Class Swiss Pass covers all trains,
buses, lake steamers, trams in cities and most museum admissions any additional
costs would be unusual.) A note
on lunches: since you will be eating a large breakfast and an extensive dinner
your lunch costs will be minimal (perhaps consisting of bread, cheese and
fruit).
Tour Size
We limit the size of each tour to twenty. Since the group splits into two groups each day the actual hiking/walking group tends to be about ten in number.
Tour 2-
Three Cultures TourAs of NOW you can register for part of the tour-the cost would be based on how many nights you join us. Call 603-783-9131 to discuss this possibility.
Saas Fee (Zermatt) / Engadine Valley (St. Moritz) /Kandersteg
June 29-July 12, 2008
(14 days / 13 nights)$3695/person/do
Call 603-783-9131
Along with exciting hikes with breathtaking vistas and beautiful wildflowers this tour features our very finest accommodations, travel with a first class rail pass, specialty dinners, a voluntary evening of Swiss Folk Dancing, a tour of our historic and preserved village in the Engadine and other special features. We will spend time in three distinctly different cultural areas of Switzerland (the Valais, the Engadine and the Bernese Oberland (see itinerary)). This tour also includes two free days to explore these different cultural areas on your own along with a ride on the world famous Glacier Express in a 1st class Panorama Car. If you prefer only first class travel, accommodations, special cultural experiences and fine cuisine this tour is for you.
Saas Fee (5 nights) is, in our view, the most beautiful village in the Valais area of Switzerland. It is a car free village with arguably the most dramatic settings in all of the alps. The village is surrounded by thirteen peaks in excess of 12,000 feet and several glaciers plunge down the valleys toward the village. All of this is clearly visible from the town. The hiking here is an absolute delight. You can choose safe glacier hikes, panoramic hikes above the village or dramatic hikes above the valley and through passes into Italy. Our quaint hotel here has only 16 rooms and features carved wooden ceilings and an award winning chef (the owner). This is our favorite hotel in Switzerland as its physical charm is matched by the charm of the owners making for a wonderfully intimate cultural experience.
Our Hotel in Saas Fee and its Lovely LoungeOur special event this week is one hour of Swiss Folk Dancing instruction (purely voluntary); we may not leave as better dancers but we certainly leave with memories of joy and charm. We also enjoy two Swiss "specialty dinners" at our lovely hotel. On your free day this week you can easily visit Zermatt to see the Matterhorn. Your trip to our next village is one of the world's "Great Train Rides", the Glacier Express.
A glacier near St. Moritz
The Engadine Valley (4 nights) includes Zuoz (where we stay), St. Moritz and other smaller villages including the lovely Sils Maria. Zuoz is about a 15 minute train ride from St. Moritz and is described in every guide book as the "best preserved village in the Engadine"; you will easily use two rolls of film (or a memory card) to just take pictures of the doorways in the village. Our special event this week will be a one to two hour tour of this remarkably lovely town by local naturalists/cultural guides. This is the Romansch area of Switzerland with an architecture much different than the Valais (Saas Fee). There are many side valleys in this region which give us almost unlimited choices of trails leading to glorious panoramas and spectacular peaks. Our Swiss Travel Pass gives us access to the trails around Zuoz, Pontresina and St. Moritz including the Val Fex, Val Bernina, Val Rosegg and the Swiss National Park. We could spend weeks here without exhausting the list of great hikes. Our hotel here is a 4 star that is in the Romansch style of the village and includes loads of architectural charm and old world 1st class comforts but with all the modern amenities including an outdoor swimming pool. Their culinary skills are regionally recognized and admired. (See photos of the ENGADINE VALLEY OF SWITZERLAND )
Kandersteg (4 nights) is a lovely unspoiled town in the center of the Bernese Oberland. It is a town that is still a little "off the beaten path" for English speaking visitors to Switzerland although Mark Twain wrote very fondly of this village. This is a real hiker's village (our personal favorite) and the options for our hiking are almost limitless. We can choose among dramatic pass hikes, a hike across a glacier, a hike above a magnificent large alpine lake, or valleys with meadows so thick with wildflowers that it is difficult to see the grass. Our hotel here features rooms with a magnificent view of the mountains and waterfalls surrounding this lovely village. (See photos of the BERNESE OBERLAND of Switzerland.)
OUR ITINERARY
Day 1 - David and Jeanne meet you at the Zurich airport on June 29 to validate your Swiss Travel Pass and exchange currency. We use our 1st class travel pass to board our first train to the lovely town of Thun (stopping along the way for a tour of Bern if we have the time and energy). After doing a little sightseeing we will board a lake steamer for lunch (provided by Yankee Travels) as we enjoy a relaxing ride down the Thunersee. We then continue our picturesque journey to Saas Fee. Tonight we enjoy our first Swiss specialty, Fondue Chinoise. YOU SHOULD FLY ON (or before) THE NIGHT OF June 28 to arrive in Zurich on June 29.
Day 2 - The light hikers do an exciting part the famous panorama hike above Saas Fee. This will include a very close approach to a glacier and its outwash plain. You may choose to descend by a cable system or walk back to the village through a unique area covered with acres of alpenrosen. The rigorous hikers will do the complete panorama hike above Saas Fee enjoying constant but ever changing vistas.
Jeanne Finds the RareYellow Ladyslippers Wild Columbines HarebellsDay 3 - The light hikers enter the dramatic hidden valley filled with waterfalls and vistas of glaciers. The rigorous hikers trek to a high pass, which actually takes us into Italy for a short time as we gaze down from this high vista. This day will feature high alpine flowers as well as the spectacular vistas.
MatterhornDay 4 - FREE DAY. Use your Swiss Travel Pass to visit anywhere in Switzerland. We will have guidebooks and train schedules to help you decide where to go and how to get there. A popular trip from here is to visit Zermatt to see the famous Matterhorn. If you wish, you can also go on a self guided hike. After dinner this night, we may be able to arrange for an evening of Swiss folk dancing taught by local villagers.
Day 5 - The light hikers do a famous high walk from high in the valley to Saas Fee. A highlight of this walk, other than the fantastic views, is a visit to a mountain wood carver's hut to watch him at work. This is a long ridge walk with unsurpassed views which winds its way down to the valley through several lovely hamlets. The rigorous hikers do at least part of an exciting Hohenweg (high path) through a fabulous area of alpenrosen, several cascading waterfalls (under one of them via a tunnel) and enjoying airy but very dramatic vistas. We will be treated to a special dinner featuring raclette cheese.
Woodcarver at work near Saas Fee Our Patient Dancing Instructors in Saas Fee
Day 6 - We travel to the Engadine Valley by means of one of the world's great train rides, the Glacier Express. We reserve a special first class panorama car to make our journey even more delightful. The Glacier Express crosses 291 bridges and uses 91 tunnels on its way to St. Moritz. Zuoz, a quaint and quiet village, is a 15 minute train ride from St. Moritz. During our ride you may relax in 1st class comfort while sipping wine and enjoying some delicious Swiss cheeses and bread-watching the lovely Swiss countryside flow past you punctuated by the crossing of dramatic viaducts and the vistas of snow covered peaks. This is a classic journey few other companies offer as part of a hiking tour-we think this is a superb way to permit your muscles re-energize.
Exciting moment on the Glacier Express Typical Window Sill in Zuoz
Day 7 - Both the hikes begin in the lovely town of Sils Maria. From there both groups hike (higher and lower routes to choose from) above the beautiful Fextal, along a high ridge to a gorgeous high alpine lake (brave and hearty hikers go swimming). Both groups return along a ridge to a spectacular view of all the lakes of the upper Engadine Valley. This ridge is always covered by many species of lovely wildflowers-we even know where to find the elusive edleweiss in bloom.
Engadine Valley High Hike Above Zuoz (usually not this snowy)
Day 8 - Both groups travel by funicular to a high plateau. The light hikers do a lovely ridge walk with continually changing views of St. Moritz, the lakes of the Upper Engadine Valley, and the Rosegg and Morterasch Valleys as well. The rigorous hikers take a higher route past a high mountain hut, joining the walkers for a chair lift ride that takes us to the town of Pontresina.Day 9 - FREE DAY. Both groups enjoy an early morning tour by our Swiss naturalist/cultural guide of the lovely village of Zuoz. Zuoz is a beautifully preserved town resplendent with ancient dwellings, doorways and churches. Then most people choose to go over the highest pass traversed by another great train ride in Switzerland, the Bernina Express, which takes you through the Bernina Pass. The Bernina Pass is the highest point any point to point train traverses in all of Switzerland (see photos in the slide show of the ENGADINE VALLEY OF SWITZERLAND ).There are great walks in this area and a lunch in Poschiavo, a village with a distinctly Italian feeling, makes a wonderful destination. Other popular uses of the day are to enjoy all that St. Moritz has to offer including spas and unique shops or to attend an outdoor classical music concert followed by a relaxing lunch and some time around the pool at our 4 star hotel in Zuoz.
Day 10 - We travel to Kandersteg, this time passing by Davos and Klosters and doing part of the Golden Pass train journey as well.. Along the way we will stop in Luzern. Here you have a choice- enjoy a delightful afternoon in this charming city perhaps lunching along the lovely Lake Luzern or choose continue your train journey culminating with a lovely ride on a lake steamer on the Brienzerzee before arriving in Kandersteg.
Day 11 - We begin our hikes in Kandersteg, our favorite hiking village because of its grand views of lakes and mountains. The light hikers enjoy a lovely walk along streams and massive waterfalls in a valley to the west of Kandersteg. The rigorous hikers do a high hike to a remote meadow above Kandersteg with one of the finest and most dramatic views in all of Switzerland. We are very likely to see large wild animals in this area.
Steinbok (a species of wild goat we often see on our hikes) View of the Oeschinensee During Our HikesDay 12 - We visit one of Switzerland's largest alpine lakes. The light hikers walk up to and around the lake, returning on a trail above the lake for a beautiful panorama. The rigorous hikers take a higher route above the lake and up toward a pass above the valley for a panorama that will take their breath away at the foot of two glaciers. The rigorous hikers may instead choose to hike to a high alpine hut above the lake.
View above the Oeschinensee Alpine Primrose St. Bruno's Lilly
Day 13 - The light hikers do a gorgeous valley walk along streams and near glaciers with lovely views of this hidden valley. The rigorous hikers enter a different hidden side valley and hike over a dramatic high pass which includes a short hike over part of a glacier finishing in the same valley the light hikers have visited. These are among our favorite hikes in all of Switzerland and a wonderful way to end your tour. We always end our tour with an "awards night" and a celebratory dinner.
Day 14 - You take your last train ride to Zurich for your flight home. The earliest you could reach the Zurich airport would be about 8:50 AM.Tour Profile:
Two levels of Hikes Each DayDates:
June 29-July 12, 2008
13 nights/14 daysCost:
$3695/person/do
$150 Single Supplement
Guaranteed PriceTravel:
1st Class Swiss PassIncludes:
Room with Private Bath
Breakfast and Dinner
All Taxes and Gratuities
All Travel as per ItineraryCall 603-783-9131 or email us djhkswis@comcast.net
VIEW A "SLIDE SHOW" OF:
THE VALAIS REGION OF SWITZERLAND
(which includes Saas Fee and Zermatt)
VIEW A "SLIDE SHOW" OF:
ENGADINE VALLEY OF SWITZERLAND
(which includes Zuoz, St. Moritz, and Sils Maria)
Tour 1-
WILDFLOWER and WATERFALLS TOUR
Lenk/Wengen
June 21-29, 2008
(9 days / 8 nights)$2295/person/do
Call 603-783-9131
| The wildflowers are always one of the highlights of any summer trip in Switzerland - the meadows in the valleys carpeted with blooms and the alpine plants announcing their presence with splashes of color. During this tour, in early summer, the flowers are especially glorious. Few of the meadows have been cut for hay and the alpine flowers are blooming early, as soon as the snow recedes, to take advantage of the summer days. You will have a chance to see certain early-blooming species that are a rare treat along with a glorious array of dramatic waterfalls. (Tour #3 also focuses on taking you to locations with fabulous wildflowers; it is a longer tour and includes visits to 3 distinctly different areas of Switzerland. See below for details.) It is also worth noting that the major focus of both tours is the hiking-you will be simply visually stunned with the opportunity to see an incredible array of wildflowers on this tour as well as enjoying the hiking. |
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Lenk (4 nights) is a lovely unspoiled town in the center of the Bernese Oberland. It is a town that is still a little
"off the beaten path" for English speaking visitors to Switzerland.
This is a real
walker's village and is famous for its spectacular display of wildflowers and
roaring waterfalls. We can choose among dramatic pass hikes,
a hike above a magnificent large alpine lake, or valleys with meadows so thick with wildflowers that it is
almost impossible to capture it on film. Our
hotel here features buffet dinners and a fitness center with an indoor pool.
Wengen (4 nights) near Interlaken is a car-less village that can only be reached by cog railway. It is on one of the shoulders of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, arguably the most beautiful valley in all of Switzerland. The view from our hotel looks down the valley at many feathery waterfalls including one of the tallest in Switzerland. This is the setting for the most famous trio of magnificent peaks, the Eiger, Monch,
and Jungfrau. We will visit both sides of the valley for our hikes including the towns of Murren
and Gimmelwald. Our after dinner stroll usually includes a view of the alpen glow on the
Jungfrau. We also arrange for the group to visit a farm before one of our
hiking days to see the traditional making of Swiss farm cheese.
OUR ITINERARY
Day 1 - David and Jeanne meet you at the Zurich airport on the morning of June
21
to validate your Swiss Travel Pass and exchange currency. We board our first train to the lovely city of Bern, the capital of Switzerland and a
World Historic Site.
Jeanne and David lead a tour of the city visiting the picturesque farmer's
market, the beautiful minster (a three-aisled pillared basilica) and the famous
Zeitglockenturm (towering clock). We next visit the small village of Thun and enjoy a light lunch
(provided by Yankee Travels) during a
wonderful lake steamer ride while traveling down the Thunersee. We will
then complete our picturesque train journey to Lenk.
YOU SHOULD FLY ON (or before) THE NIGHT OF JUNE 20 to arrive in Zurich on June 21.
Lake
Steamer on the Thunersee
Castle on the Thunersee during our Lake Steamer Ride
Day 2 - Both groups ride a cable car to and/or from a gorgeous plateau hike that
includes an incredible variety of wildflowers and vistas of the valley
below. The rigorous hikers will hike up through the valley to a high
pass above Lenk while the light hikers take a gondola up to a plateau where
the same high pass can be more easily reached. These are hikes where last year
everyone saw 1,000's of blooming wild orchid plants! Most visitors to Lenk do not see these
but we know where to look.
Day 3 - The light hike goes to a glorious high meadow covered with another incredible
variety of wildflowers descending into a valley with a set of unbelievable falls
that emerge from the mountain side via an underground river. The rigorous hikers go
by the underground falls/river area on their way to a high alpine lake and another
spectacular series of waterfalls. Here they will see many alpine flower
species.
Day 4 - Both groups hike toward a gorgeous alpine lake (brave and hearty hikers go swimming), with flower varieties changing from meadow to alpine as we go higher. The rigorous hikers will continue their day by going higher to an alpine hut and returning by a glorious panoramic trail while the light hikers cam alternatively (instead of the visit to the alpine lake) go over a small ridge to a dramatic waterfall and can return to Lenk via a trail that takes them past a series of historic homes and farms.
Iffigsee near Lenk
Day 5 - We travel a short distance to Wengen, our second village. This is a great day to use your travel pass for a lake steamer ride on the lakes near the town of Interlaken. You may also consider visiting the Swiss National Open Air Museum in Ballenberg or renting a bicycle for a ride along one of the lakes.
Many of us will have lunch on a wonderful sun terrace of a grand hotel
overlooking a lake on one side and a fabulous waterfall on the other along with
doing a lake steamer ride on the Brienzersee. We will also have some time
in the town of Brienz which is famous for its wood carvings.
Day 6 - After we all take the cog train down to the beautiful Lauterbrunnen
Valley, the light hikers take the cable car to where they start a high level walk above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, gazing at the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger on the way to the small village of Murren. We lunch at a terrace overlooking the valley and return on a lower trail viewing the trio of peaks from a different perspective.
In the afternoon we visit a roaring waterfall that has eroded its course through
a mountain. The rigorous hikers will take a a cable car to the little
village from there they will walk into the lovely valley and climb up to a high hut, in the shadow of the Schilthorn. They will return on a higher trail with wonderful valley and mountain views to Murren.
Day 7 - Both groups will travel to the end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and take the cable car to a village featured in one of Rick Steeves' PBS travel shows. The
rigorous hikers will soon climb by a ridge trail into the very end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, with views of waterfalls and snow-covered peaks, and a lunch at a berg hotel famous for its fruit custard tarts. The
light hikers will go all the way into a hidden lovely and wild valley, picnicking in a meadow beneath the magnificent headwall, with waterfalls and wildflowers all around.
Butterfly
Orchid
Purple
Orchid
Day 8 - The light hikers go by cable car from Wengen to a high ridge where we enjoy a superb panorama of the Interlaken lakes, the Lauterbrunnen Valley and the magnificent trio: the Eiger, Monch
and Jungfrau. The rigorous hikers climb the ridge to where we often see the wild
goats species of Switzerland. We hike to the famous Kleine Scheidegg with the massive trio constantly in view. You may choose to spend your last afternoon visiting the Jungfraujoch
or hiking part of or all the way back to Wengen.
The group usually has lunch in a fabulous meadow with the famous trio of
mountains looming before us. We always end our tour with an "awards night"
and a celebratory dinner.
Day 9 - We board an early morning train back to Zurich for your flight home. Some of you will travel to Saas Fee to begin your next two weeks with Yankee Travels.
The earliest you can arrive at the Zurich airport is 9:16 AM.
Tour Profile:
Two Levels of Hikes Each Day
Dates:
June 21-29, 2008
8 nights/9 days
Cost:
$2295/person/do
$100 Single Supplement
Guaranteed Price
Travel:
1st Class Swiss Pass
Includes:
Room with Private Bath
Breakfast and Dinner
All Taxes and Gratuities
All Travel as per Itinerary
Call 603-783-9131 or email us djhkswis@comcast.net
VIEW A "SLIDE SHOW" OF:
SWITZERLAND WILDFLOWERS
VIEW A "SLIDE SHOW" OF:
BERNESE
OBERLAND
(which includes Lenk/Wengen/Kandersteg)
Lunch near the Eiger
See more WILDFLOWER pictures below
Oh yes! Call David or Jeanne at 603-783-9131 or email us at djhkswis@comcast.net for a list of former clients to contact. We also will be happy to answer any other questions you might have.
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