For Black History Month – Southern Civil Rights Sites – Part 3

We take a break from travel stories because it’s Black History Month and because our racist president just couldn’t help himself when he decided to post yet another disgusting video that depicts the Obama’s as apes…par for the course for this White supremacist whose rise in national politics was fueled by birther lies he directed at candidate Obama…that were sustained far too long by our ignorant, bigoted fellow Americans.

I am obliged, in a time when White supremacists are either erasing or rewriting history, to remind MAGA that the real, actual, verifiable history MUST be known by everyone. Don’t fall for “They’re trying to cancel Our Heritage” nonsense. Trump’s dictum even has the word ‘TRUTH’ in its title. This WAS your heritage. You can repudiate it, like the country did when we outlawed doing things you thought were right. Or you can own it.
  

The Legacy Museum

Montogomery, Alabama (25 May 2024)

Last year, our Black History Month reports from the Great Sweaty Drive-away of 2024 included posts from Selma and Tuskegee, Alabama. These preserved sites are stark reminders of what citizens endured to have the right to vote or go to school or eat at a restaurant…during my lifetime. This is not ancient history. We watched it happen on television. As the tacky TV commercials say, “But wait, there’s more.”

Brian Stevenson is an amazing crusader for justice. His non-profit, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), is headquartered in Montgomery. The capital of Alabama was one of the major slavery centers in the South…before it became one of the focal points of the Civil Rights movement.

As a public interest lawyer, Stevenson has argued cases before the Supreme Court. His tireless efforts overturned wrongful convictions and reduced the harsh sentencing that was a trademark of the post-Civil War South when the accused was guilty of nothing ther than being Black. It often takes years but EJI has worked to release hundreds of innocent victims of that system…the one that the ‘Don’t Erase Our History” crowd would rather you not learn in school.
  

The Legacy Museum

Montogomery, Alabama (25 May 2024)

The Equal Justice Initiative has also developed three outstanding facilities that support the organization’s mission. The Legacy Museum displays the history of slavery and racism in America. Photography was not permitted in the Museum, but I can attest to the powerful message in the displays that include vocal recordings from cells very much like the actual slave markets that once existed in the streets of this neighborhood.
   

National Memorial for Peace and Justice,

Montgomery, Alabama (26 May 2024)

Opened the same day in 2018 as the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice is a short distance away. One must be prepared for an ugly truth as the site conveys its message in many ways. The format of the Memorial is based on the extensive research the EJI conducted to document the 4400 racial terror lynchings that occurred from after Reconstruction to well into the twentieth century (1877-1950). There is a suspended brown steel rectangle for each of the 805 U.S. counties where a lynching has been documented. Engraved on one side are the names of the victims and the dates of the murders.
   

Nkyinkyim [2018] by Kwame Akoto-Bamfo,

National Memorial for Peace and Justice,

Montgomery, Alabama (26 May 2024)

Before you get to the pavilion with the suspended ‘boxes’ (reminders of coffins), you confront a sculpture of six people. Three men and three women. One carrying an infant. They are all shackled and chained to each other. They all express the horror and fear that comes when a force you can’t control puts you in chains and ships you to the other side of the world. This one figure stands taller than the other five and, instead of anguish, appears more willful and defiant…a future runaway or revolutionary perhaps.

The layout is extensive…805 counties after all. In walking around all four sides of the installation, the rectangles go from the floor to well over everyone’s head. One is reminded that being ‘strung up’ was part of these events.
   

National Memorial for Peace and Justice,

Montgomery, Alabama (26 May 2024)

To one side of the Memorial, the same coffin-like rectangles are laid out for closer inspection. While some of the counties had but one victim, there were others (here in the foreground) where the practice was far too common.
   

Raise Up [2018] by Hank Willis Thomas,

National Memorial for Peace and Justice,

Montgomery, Alabama (26 May 2024)

The sculpture depicts the reality of Black men in the face of law enforcement. Beyond it is an array of placards with more detailed descriptions of specific murders. It becomes almost numbing after a while. But that’s our history, Mr. President.

Then there is the ‘snowflake’ excuse…we don’t want to upset our delicate sensibilities by dwelling on the ugly parts and shaming our poor fragile citizens. It’s not about shaming anyone. The lesson should be the that we recognized (eventually) the atrocities we committed were wrong…and tried to make it right. THAT is what made America great.

The final EJI property is a sculpture park that we visited before its official opening. That meant that photography was also prohibited. I did sneak a few shots but need to wait for the statute of limitations to clear me. I’ll post them next Black History Month.

Adriatic Cruise Chronicles – Lake Bled, Slovenia

The one day we ventured outside Ljubljana was to visit one of the most picturesque spots in the country. Our hotel was a short walk to the main train/bus station. We got a bus ticket to Lake Bled and after the 1.5 hr. ride (including a few stops), began a leisurely walk around the 6 km (3.7 mi) perimeter.

Lake Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

Lake Bled may be Slovenia’s most popular attraction and this perfect autumn Saturday brought out many people. The national rowing organization is headquartered here and multiple world championship events have been staged on this course. You can see one of the rowing lanes on the mirror-smooth lake here. Slovenia has placed several Olympic medalists in the sport.

St. Martin’s Church, Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

St. Martin’s Church is in the town of Bled and was completed in 1905. To the left of the altar is a fresco of the Last Supper.

The Last Supper by Slavko Pengov [1930]

St. Martins Church, Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

The painting was done in 1930. A sign of the times will note

that the artist chose to portray Judas as Vladimir Lenin.

Blejski Grad (Bled Castle), Lake Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

Bled Castle is another popular attraction. On this high promontory since the 11th century, it housed royalty and bishops for eight centuries. Imagine the effort it must have taken to move all the building materials to this location.

Pletna Ferry, Lake Bled, Slovenia (25 October 2025)

We saw no motorized craft on the lake. The traditional boat is a wooden ‘pletna,’ German for ‘flat-bottomed boat.’ They are used primarily to ferry people to Bled Island and the church there…20 Euros round trip.

Bled Island (25 October 2025)

Bled Island features a Gothic pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Originally, the site was occupied by an eighth-century Slavic pagan temple.

Bled Island (25 October 2025)

Today, it is a popular wedding venue and tourist destination. At the center of this shot is a 99-step stairway from the water’s edge to the church. Tradition has it that the groom must carry the bride up all the steps if they want to marry in the church.

The perfect day ended in a classic ‘record scratch’ moment. We were half a kilometer from completing the walk around the lake when we came to a major road work area that eliminated all walking in that direction. We were foot-sore and tired and lacked the energy to go back around. Fortunately, after failing to find taxi service, a kind hotel concierge told us that buses came this way AND the one that stopped for us returned our sad bodies all the way back to Ljubljana. Nice save.

On to Zagreb, Croatia next.

Adriatic Cruise Chronicle – Ljubljana, Slovenia

Having taken a memorable vacation with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) in 2024, we booked another small boat tour in late 2025. The sailing part would be on the Adriatic Sea, the body of water that separates the Italian peninsula from the Balkan peninsula. Before sailing the Dalmatian coast from Croatia to Greece, we booked an earlier flight to spend a few extra days in Slovenia.

With the exception of a day trip to Lake Bled, featured in the next post, we stayed and noodled around the charming, walkable capital city of Ljubljana.

Ljubljana, Slovenia, View from Castle Hill (24 October 2025)

Slovenia is a small central European nation. New Jersey is bigger. It was part of many empires and then Tito’s Yugoslavia before declaring its independence in 1991. Ljubljana (“Loo-blee-ana”) is a delightful city within sight of the Julian Alps.

Ljubljanica River (26 October 2025)

Our hotel was a few blocks from the Ljubljanica River which is the hub for shopping, eating and people watching. Restaurants line both sides of the river.

Castle Hill, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 October 2025)

This was a typical first day in Europe, meaning the day before was busy getting ready for an overnight flight that involved NO sleep, a second flight from Amsterdam after a four-hour layover and immediately hitting the streets after checking into our hotel. One needs to stay awake and active to quickly adjust to the new time zone.

Later in the day, we decided to walk up ‘Castle Hill’ to see the medieval fortress and view the city from above. This stunt certainly ensured that we would have no trouble getting to sleep that night. Only after we were most of the way up did we see a funicular that effortlessly glided folks to the top. We rode down, giving our legs a much-needed reprieve.

Castle Hill Funicular, Ljubljana, Slovenia (24 October 2025)

 

On the Dragon Bridge, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 October 2025)

Dragons are everywhere in this enchanting city. The Greek hero Jason is said to have killed a dragon when he passed through this area after stealing the golden fleece. The beast has since become the symbol of the city.

One of the river bridges is called the ‘Dragon Bridge’ because there are four of these big boys on each corner. Smaller versions decorate the streetlamps.

Dragon Magnets, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 October 2026)

The morning after the Lake Bled excursion was a Sunday and we wandered the less busy city streets.

Sunday Entertainments, Ljubljana, Slovenia (26 October 2025)

It wasn’t long before people filled the popular places. On one of the bridges, we paused to enjoy a lively band that played everything with a rocking beat.

Ljubljana is a charming, easy city. While I appreciate that I’ve seen the major historic European capitals like Rome, London and Paris, they are now too crowded with visitors. Getting almost anywhere is a hassle. The Slovenian capital was the perfect way to begin our Eastern Europe adventure.