The International Brigade Memorial at Benissa

On a cold January morning I jumped the tram at Alicante and headed north along the coast in search of the only memorial to the International Brigades that I know of on the Costa Blanca. After a change at Benidorm, a couple of hours of travelling with some fantastic views from the northern end of the bay of Alicante I pulled into Benissa and began the two km walk into the centre on town. The IB memorial is at the Northern end of the main drag through the town and as well as the superb bronze monument above there is also a beautifully kept square and gardens. I was intrigued as to why there was a an IB memorial so far behind the lines from where the Brigades saw action. Turns out the old TB hospital in the town was used as a miltary hospital with the Franciscan Friory close by used for convalescence. As a result, ten IB'ers from the Abraham Lincoln Brigade are buried in the cemetary some distance out on the edge of town. Although the day was bright, it was cold and I needed some tortilla, tinto and a drop of brandy to warm me up. With a march back to the station ahead of me I didn't have time to get out to the cemetery on this visit. That's a decent excuse to come back another time though.