ZIZO

It's been a few weeks since I took part in HELANA'S weekly photographic meme, but I am actually organised this week!...though, as it has turned out STILL late in posting!!

ZOOMING OUT

You may remember me mentioning a few weeks ago that our local Charity had opened a small hospice facility at a place called FONTILLES...it is high in the mountains about 10km from here and this is the  view down to the coast at DENIA

ZOOMING IN

What you DON'T see in the above photograph is the huge wall surrounding Fontilles:

The reason for the wall is that Fontilles was actually built as a Leper Colony and Research Facility for the disease. The wall was built as a reassurance to the local villages, as opposed to keeping the patients in. There are still about four ex-patients in the facility, who live in apartments onsite (they had nowhere to go when the facility was no longer needed for that purpose)

There is still a Research Dept there...researching Tropical and all sorts of other diseases.....and the hospitals are now used to serve the local community. There is a Dementia/Alzheimer's hospital and then the main hospital is used for people who need a temporary stay in hospital for postoperative periods, convalescence from illness, chronic conditions, rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery etc. but is also 'home' to many long-term patients, sent there by Social Services when there is no family support available or conditions are too chronic to be dealt with outwith a hospital.

I have become very attached to it during the short period of time we have been involved .....the level of care is exceptional, it is spotlessly clean (and nasty smell-free!) and there is just such an air of tranquility each time I visit.

I realise this has been quite long for a ZIZO, but thought some of you might find a little bit of local history interesting!

Wishing you all a happy and sunshine filled weekend!

Thanks for dropping by!

Take care of you

Alison xx

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