...-=*§£&#                                          #&£§*=-...
....-=*§£&                                          &£§*=-....
.....-=*§£                                          £§*=-.....
......-=*§                                          §*=-......
.......-=*                                          *=-.......
........-=             ................             =-........
.........-             the alvar fields             -.........
..........             £££##########£££             ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... from   north   to   south,   thirty  odd ..........
.......... kilometers.  from  west  to  east,  four ..........
.......... thousand meters. from  topsoil to stone, ..........
.......... a foot or two.  no  roots can fester, no ..........
..........             dust can linger.             ..........
..........                                          ..........
.......... here  is  earth,  clay,  and sturdy  low ..........
.........- plants.  bushes  frame  the  strip.  the -.........
........-= earth  is bare in  patches as  large  as =-........
.......-=*                you and me.               *=-.......
......-=*§                                          §*=-......
.....-=*§£ cross  it to get  to the ocean, or don't £§*=-.....
....-=*§£&          to stay where you are.          &£§*=-....
...-=*§£&#                                          #&£§*=-...
..-=*§£&##                                          ##&£§*=-..
.-=*§£&###                                          ###&£§*=-.
..-=*§£&##                                          ##&£§*=-..
...-=*§£&#                                          #&£§*=-...
....-=*§£&                                          &£§*=-....