THANKS, FRANK!:

Cities in the dust (C.B. LIDDELL, 8/29/07, The Japan Times)

The Fascist dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco wasn't everyone's cup of tea — but he did manage the unusual feat of transcending time.

Franco's restoration of the old aristocracy and the Catholic Church in Spain effectively turned the clock back, while his restrictive economic policies helped preserve Spain as a timeless land of beautifully aged buildings and clear brilliant skies.