and Um Quays ....

... possibly my favourite place so far. So lot's of pictures!

Travelling North

A gorgeous Winter day - unimagineable blue; grass, crops, flowers, little birds and animals forgetting it's meant to be cold. Good company and an excursion north to Um al Jimmal (mother of all camels), and then west across to Um Qays. The countryside is so verdant that it seems painted; hills and valleys rise and fall; little brown-faced sheep cry out among the herds; puppies frolic; flowers abound. The wild cyclamen is particularly lovely. There are also one or two early poppies. At Um Qays, women were picking dock, or rocket, while children picked flowers. And in the distance, the Sea of Galilee. It's easy to believe in miracles of all kinds on such a day, but the occupied hills of Golan, so close and carefully guarded, remind you of today's realities. Apparently this is a spot where many families come to look at where they used to live.
On the way home, hopelessly lost. There seems always to be a discrepancy between what the map says and what the road does.
Here I'll just put pictures of Um al Jimmal because they're a bit drab. The whole city's made of basalt, which has a sombre kind of atmosphere.

Winter

It's Winter, but you'd hardly know it. Just wanted to put in some pictures to show you the lovely landscape along the back road to Madaba. And a sunset for good measure!