Sunset from Al Qastal

Spring is coming to Israel and the Palestinian Territories. A couple of days ago it was so hot in Tel Aviv that people had to fire up their air conditions. In Jerusalem temperatures are around 23°C (72°F) these days. Crazy if you consider that countries in Central Europe are still covered with thick layers of snow.
A mild breeze was blowing this afternoon when we went up to Al Qastal to see the sunset. It's the ruin of a castle that was built by the Crusaders and later served as a military base for the Arab Liberation Army. Today it's a popular tourist attraction located in the midst of a small national park in the township of Mevaseret Zion, about 8 km west from Jerusalem. The park was already closed when we finally got there but we found a small footpath that led through an abandoned olive grove up to the viewpoint, where we shot this picture for you ...

sunset from Al Qastal