Greensboro, N. Carolina

Greensboro looks like an ordinary sleepy American city, but it is anything but that.

For it played an unforgettable and critical role during the Civil Rights Movement, which led to the freedoms we enjoy today.

So naturally, when we visited the city for a recent wedding, we had to remind ourselves of its role, by taking in the Civil Rights Museum there.

Greensboro was the site of the first sit in. That was in 1960 at a Woolworths lunch counter.

It all took place in this building, which actually houses the museum today.

The reception area of the building today.

However, in 1960, Woolworths was a popular department store  and the only one that had a luncheonette inside. 

But only whites could eat there!

However, four courageous young men decided in 1960, that it was time for a change, so they visited the cafeteria, sat down and ordered coffee. 

But of course they were refused service and ordered to leave.

In short, they refused to leave, remained there all day and returned every day for months on end.

When other conscious, young people from both black and white colleges and high schools heard about it, they joined in, prepared to be arrested.

 As money is always the main driving force, and the thousands of defiant protesters who spilled into the streets affected all businesses in the city, Woolworth and many others were forced to close.

That movement forced the hands of the authorities in Greensboro, so the successful strategy of sit-ins spread like wild fire throughout the racist USA.

 Hence we can enter any business place today and be served!

The story of that successful strategy to force desegregation is well told at the Civil Rights Museum. 

That was how desegregation was forced on the majority whites to change policies in schools, medicine, voting etc, all the areas that we participate in equally today.

Some of whom excelled in sports after desegregation.

A Nigerian king donated his crown to the  museum.

A klansman costume.

Statue of a young Thurgod Marshall.

The actual lunch counter as it was in 1960.

To appreciate where we are coming from, everyone should visit that museum.

Interestingly, when we took the tour, the vast majority of visitors were white.

I hope that trend continues, as the history presented there is really graffic and stark!

My karate queen👏

 My granddaughter did a four hour test today to try to earn her black belt in karate.

Four hours! Wow, that's arduous.

The word on her group though is that they all need further preparation.

There she is. What a stance♥️!

In that case, it can't be on the students, It must be on their trainer.

She says she is done though. Not doing the test again.

Can't say I blame her. It's rigorous and if the trainer is substandard, why bother?

She now has the skill and can kick ass and defend herself in an emergency. That's certainly a lot better than I was at her age. For then, I had started judo and never even passed yellow belt😞.

Go Maddy go😊

Now that's royal!

The royal Gardens near Mihintale,  were an ancient royal park built in the 3rd century BC by King Tissa. 

The structures we see today,  date from the 8th-9th centuries AD. 

These gardens were a place of leisure and recreation for the Sri Lankan royals and even today they remain a marvel  because of their clear opulence and luxurious lifestyle even by modern standards.

This was a spa built like a waterfall. The water came down in channels, the royals stayed in the front and the water poured over them  

The water for the spa ran over granite rocks which warmed the water.

The big pond below was the swimming pool

Sri Lankan kids came to learn about how the royals lived centuries ago.

Kids sit by the pool area to learn a bit about archeology.

Closer picture of what was a kind of sauna.

The channel that brought the water from the lake above to the spa below

Lavish living is by no means a modern phenomenon!

Link

https://joan-myviews.blogspot.com/2025/05/i-love-mihninthale.html?m=1





 

Bari, italy

Bari is in southern Italy but it was as cold as northern Alaska, although the flowers were saying it's spring.

 

It got quite sunny later and warmed up a bit but because it's really a port city, that sea breeze kept coming up and freezing us.😡

Anyway I never saw any interesting sight-seeing tours for this area, so we just took a bus into town and window shopped.

Downtown is like most Italian cities, same kind of architecture, narrow cobble-stoned walkways, apartments upstairs behind huge wooden doors and of course, churches.

Behind these huge doors are lobbies to several apartments.

Sight of spring everywhere except in the temperature 

This is a garage in what looks like an apartment!

The streets were fairly crowded despite the weather.

Trying out Italian gelato aka ice cream cone

It's not the type of weather to be outside, so we went back to the ship did some yoga and rested till dinner time.

Michelle is our yoga instructor.

A struggling student

Sonja did yoga too but volunteered to be the photographer 😁, hence she is missing in the pics.