Heartbeats, life and death

No, I'm not really tackling BIG subjects but commenting on the things I see daily. But when you stop to think about it (really must stop this reflecting stuff) it sort of demonstrates that the myriad little things add up to big ones in the end.

Out for a walk - blue sky - take camera.

I've been thinking of turning the camera southwards for a while now. I've taken all the lovely things that I see as I take Darwin on his regular promenades - the views of the olive groves and the beautiful castle, La Mota, on the top of the hill looking down on Alcala la Real. La Mota is one of the things that really gives Alcala its heart. It dominates the town, giving a character to the place, creating an emotion whenever you get a glimpse of it - which is from so many corners, so many streets - it's impossible not to recognise its presence.

The heartbeat however, comes from another source. It's the large factory whose frontage runs along the main road out of the town centre towards Priego de Cordoba. It's 'backside' is along the road that Darwin and I take when the weather is too damp to enter the pine forest at the foot of La Mota. I usually only photograph the left hand side of this little road as the factory is not pretty.

Closer view of the hospital

At the end of this road, just round to the right, you can see the new hospital. This was meant to open as a fully functional accident and emergency hospital at the end of 2011 but due to 'la crisis' it remains closed to those who are injured, though some specialties do operate from this base - such a shame as 'Urgencias' or 'Urgencies' in the old hospital is such a miserable place that one could lose the necessary will...






The factory makes plastic - bags and wrapping for packaging; laminates and film for graphic arts - which is distributed throughout the world. In a world full of shrinking and closing, this factory made a whopping 25% increase in its production in the last financial year. It is the town's heartbeat. It provide jobs for a high proportion of workers in the town - somewhere between 2 and 5 thousand - and it closes down just twice in the year - on Christmas Day and on New Year's Day. This means there is a constant 'hum' from the works and large trucks entering and leaving more or less on the hour every hour.

This is what I don't look at too much as I walk down my little road - preferring to turn my sights northwards to look at La Mota.

This is how it looked this morning....














The factory is situated in one of the best sites in the town, with views behind it of La Mota and views in front reaching to the Sierra Nevada.
It was very sunny this morning so I had the idea that my sunglasses over the lens would help...not sure it has quite the effect I wanted but it is a bit different and you can see the Sierra in the distance.

To the far right of the new hospital is the cemetery. I have never been in as I'm always with Darwin when I walk there and I feel it's not appropriate to go in when I have him with me. It's a 'busy' cemetery in that there are lots of old people who live - and die - in Alcala la Real. Also, there's a constant stream of people taking flowers to their loved ones at most times of the day. Often when I'm taking Darwin for his 'second' walk of the day, we hear the bizarre sound of a 'DING DONG' (very loud) and an announcement that the cemetery will be closing in fifteen minutes - a bit like in Sainsbury's only less reverential and respectful in tone.

FR's father popped in for a look when they were here and he was most impressed. In fact, he said if there was a swimming pool, he'd move in straight away! I found this photo on the blog of someone local though it has not been update recently - but thanks and acknowledgement for this lovely photo.

As I wandered back thinking about these small but big things, a lady passed me on her way to the cemetery - it looked as though there was a funeral there today as many cars were arriving and I saw a few black coated people on my way. We greeted each other and as I walked where she had walked, I was totally enveloped in a delicious cloud of Chanel No.5.

It's so nice to know the little things in life still matter - don't you think.

Standing in a wonderful smell despite appearances.

The factory gives off very little smell at all - more a sense of heat. I have also read that there are plans to relocate it further out of the town and for the site to be developed for residential buildings. Hmmmm.... now there's a thought