Spain has banned Francoist symbols. So why is the country still full of kitsch cafes glorifying the dictator? (opens in new tab)

These unsettling and unusual places tell a vivid story about the unique way that Spain deals with its past – or fails toUna Grande Libre reads the sign above the entrance to a bar-restaurant in Madrid’s Usera neighbourhood. This was Francisco Franco’s motto for Spain – one, great, free – and it is accompanied by a large portrait of the dictator superimposed on to the window.The exteriors of El Cangrejo in Ciudad Real and Casa Pepe in Despeñaperros are a little bit more subtle, but not much: d...