Evening stroll: The Holy Family Chapel at Stella Maris in Haifa.

Winter is coming to an end, and the February days are already noticeably longer. On Sundays, I finish work at 6 p.m. When I went outside in December, I was plunged into darkness, but today at the same time I can observe a beautiful sunset over the sea. It's still a little light. On one of these days, I was lucky enough to finish my shift half an hour earlier. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I decided to visit one of the picturesque places in this area with a panoramic view and an endless horizon. I was only unlucky today in that the wind was blowing from the east, so there was not a single cloud in the sky, the air was slightly dusty and a kind of "haze" was visible on the horizon. You can't foresee everything.

This place is called Stella Maris, and the place at the bottom of the descent is The Holy Family Chapel. I did not find a complete history of this place on the Internet and why it is so called, but this is a literal translation.

This small chapel that was built in the 1960s is located about 300 meters west of the Stella Maris Church. The chapel was erected on the site of an unfinished windmill, and although it is usually closed. The observation platforms around it offer magnificent views of the Haifa coast.

After the recent rains, the ground dried out quickly enough, so the descent was safe, there was no risk of slipping on the slippery clay soil. The winter, although dry, has recently had heavy rains, so the hilly slopes of the mountain were covered with fresh greenery, nature was at the peak of its beauty.

I was not the only one descending to the edge of the mountain in order to admire the sunset and take pictures of the beautiful view. A few meters in front of me, some guy was walking, jumping over the stones, and at the very bottom I counted another five people. Some of them just stood and looked into the distance, immersed deep in their own thoughts. One couple stood on the very edge of a rocky ledge and photographed each other against the background of the city lights flickering in the distance.

In the distance, on the very seashore, is the National Institute of Oceanography, this area is called Tel Shikmona. They study climate change, marine ecosystems, the state of the water and develop methods for the rational use of marine resources. The Institute plays an important role in monitoring the environment and participates in international scientific projects. Thanks to the unusual design of the building, this Institute looks very unusual and original, and from afar it is perceived by many tourists and ignorant people as a local attraction.

In the distance, all the way to the horizon, many ships could be seen in the sea - cargo, fishing and other purposes. From a distance, they seemed tiny, like toys against the background of the endless sea.

I looked down. In the lilac light of the evening sky, coastal buildings, parking lots, railway tracks and a promenade with a walking alley near the sea itself were visible. The sea was calm, small waves rolled onto the rocky shore, the water glowed with cold shades of the evening.

Mediterranean sunsets are very fast. After sunset there is very little time left until complete darkness. As soon as the sun touches the horizon, the sky is still painted in warm shades for some time, but then it quickly darkens. 20-30 minutes after sunset it becomes quite dark ,
especially if the sky is cloudless. At this moment I realized that my walk was coming to an end.

I hope you enjoyed the photos and I was really able to share something beautiful with you.