A conversation with my host in Barcelona made it clear that Franco has not yet ceased to be a polarizing figure in Spain, notwithstanding that he died over 40 years ago. Despite the liberal nature of the monarchy--in which the king remains head of state, but all the real power of government vests elsewhere--I learned that for some people, there remains a strong association between the present-day monarchy and Franco's dictatorship.
The placards on the tower in San Sebastián spoke only a little of the civil war, and seemed to consider Franco's summering in the city as a positive thing. I wondered if Franco's affection for San Sebastián is now built into the rivalry between Bilbao and San Sebastián on the soccer pitch, if, as with Barcelona against Real Madrid, there are strong political undercurrents underpinning the mutual antagonism.
I found myself thinking back to something my host sister told me all those years ago. She and I were talking, and she was sharing her perspective about the current (at that time) situation in Spain, how some things had moved forward and others hadn't. Freedom was great in its way, she said, but she noted that when it came to a sense of thriving, people tended to struggle a lot. She said this to me:
"A la gente no le gustaban Franco porque era dictador, pero las cosas estaban superbuenas mientras estaba vivo."
("The people didn't like Franco because he was a dictator, but things were super-good when he was alive.")