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Well pick you up at your lodging in or near downtown Portland around 10 a.m.Well start with a visit to a Northwest Portland favorite public garden, where well talk about the complexities of introducing natural beauty into urban spaces (and what had to be destroyed to make all this possible). After spending some time in contemplation, well drive into the heart of Northwest Portland, where well visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden. Your guide will introduce you to the garden in its historical and cultural perspective, not just as the Suzhou style translates into the urban Pacific Northwest context, but also in the history of the immigrant groups of all races who once lived in this neighborhood: Chinese, Japanese, European and before all these, Native American. Well talk about the concepts of synesthesia and how the Mandarin poetry on the walls of the garden is meant to remind us to open up the barriers between our distinct senses and understand the garden in an entirely new way.Well have some time to experience the garden and tell stories about zen masters and how they approached the garden as center to meditative practices, then your guide will lead a short meditation, with a collaborative discussion of how meditation has worked into the lives of the participants. (Longstanding practice not required! The idea is to meet you where you are.)After this immersive experience well drive through Nob Hill and into Washington Park.Well visit the Portland Japanese Garden, long called the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan, and explore it while talking about history of Japanese gardens, styles of gardens, and the philosophy with which their designers approach the symbolism of trees, rocks and plants. Well talk about the zen (or Sand and Stone) gardens and how the care of the garden itself is a meditative practice. Well give our guests some time here to meditate on their own before continuing through the garden. Except for high season when the cafe has long wait times, well give tour guests a chance to experience tea
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