There are doubtless still Spanish people who believe the monument should be kept exactly as it is.

A Valencian said it should be reframed as a monument to the Republicans and other prisoners who were forced to help build it, and the ones who suffered under FrancoвЂ™s rule. A Catalan told me they should destroy the whole thing, that it was a national disgrace for the Spanish government to still be funding the upkeep of such a monument. They told me they hated Franco and preferred not to waste much time thinking about anything related to his legacy. The two Basques I asked said were it not for the fascist origins, the monument would be among SpainвЂ™s greatest marvels. I wanted to understand how Spanish people see the Valley today. If there was doubt before, now it was certain the Valley of the Fallen was a gigantic monument to FrancoвЂ™s own brand of fascism, which he dubbed вЂNational CatholicismвЂ™. He was buried at the Valley of the Fallen, the first person to be lain to rest there who had not died during the civil war. In reality, it was built with the labour of political prisoners вЂ“ enemies of the Franco regime вЂ“ and the monument saw many thousands more fighters from the winning NationalistsвЂ™ side commemorated than the defeated Republicans.ДЄny notions of bipartisanship were ultimately quashed for good when Franco died of complications related to old age at 82. It was built by General Francisco Franco, ostensibly as a monument to the dead on both sides of the Spanish Civil War. The first is the Valle de los Caidos, or вЂValley of the FallenвЂ™. This is the story of a voyage between resting places.

Now, Tom is back with another inspiring adventure article, this time about a week-long ride, from central Spain to the countryвЂ™s north-west coast, linking two places of rest. You might be familiar with the great adventure articles Tom Owen has written for us in the past stories of his bikepacking trips through Spain and England, and his exploration of brutalist war memorials in what was once Yugoslavia.

Sleeping dogs lyrics