Ondarroa

Ortiz built their second fish factory in Ondarroa, Spain. They have five now. The first factory is no more but number two is still running strong, nearing its 100 year anniversary. It's the place where they tin much of the tuna we sell. It's five stories high, located on the little fishing town's main street. You park up the block and walk down to the factory at Calle de Iñaki Deuna, number 15, and the storefronts along the way go like this: cell phone shop, shoe store, café, fish factory, grammar school, bakery. These are pictures from across the canal. One of the buildings you're looking at is the factory, built shoulder to shoulder with apartment houses. If you're wondering what it's like waking up next to a fish factory I'll tell you that it's probably just fine—as long as it's this one. I spent the morning there, the smell is sweet and lovely, like the sea. In fact, the Ortiz family built themselves an apartment on the top floor of the factory. For much of the last century they lived there and raised a family above vaults of tuna.

Wall tiles from a fish restaurant in Ondarroa: