Week 6 – Greece, Day 4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2025

Yassas (hello) from Greece! It's now our team's fourth day in the country. We fortunately had safe and smooth travels, having a quick layover in Toronto and no delays along the way. Landing in Athens, we spent our first day getting some rest, recovering from the jet lag, and enjoying delicious Greek food. The Central Athens Hotel had a truly breathtaking rooftop view of the Acropolis!

The next day, we got to work at the Agricultural University of Athens. Associates of the university gave us a brief tour of the campus, along with demonstrations of facilities and projects such as a vertical farm, drones, and a water desalination process. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to attend lectures by professors at the university, discussing topics relevant to our project such as smart energy technologies in agriculture and energy challenges across the urban-rural divide in European regions. In the evening, we had the chance to explore around the city and, of course, enjoy some more food (thank you Dr. Pappas for the recommendations!). 

On day 3, we had our last breakfast in Athens (for now) and then headed back over to the AUA. Following additional lectures, we had a quick look at the mineral exhibit of the on-campus Museum of Agriculture. From there, we began our journey to the city of Tripoli. Along the way, we stopped to see some archaeological sites and enjoyed lunch by the sea! And, possibly the best view of the trip so far: the ancient fortress of Acrocorinth. After checking in at our hotel in Tripoli, we closed out the long day with walking over to the ARK co-working space where we attended a meeting on entrepreneurship, followed by a street food dinner. 

Today, day 4, we returned to the ARK to begin our first round of interviews with officials in Tripoli, such as the vice mayor and the president of the chamber of commerce. It was a unique privilege to speak with these key figures, hearing their perspectives on the delignitzation process and how it has impacted the local area. We look forward to continuing our interviews later this evening as well as further exploring the Peloponnese region in the coming days!

Comments

  1. MariamJuly 7, 2025 at 11:00 AM

    **Comment:**

    What an incredible journey so far! It sounds like your team is making the most of every moment—from the stunning views of the Acropolis to the fascinating work at the Agricultural University of Athens. The blend of academic insights, cutting-edge projects (like the vertical farm and drones), and cultural experiences (hello, delicious Greek food!) makes this such a well-rounded trip.

    The visits to archaeological sites and the meeting with local officials in Tripoli must have added such rich, on-the-ground perspectives to your project. Acrocorinth sounds absolutely breathtaking—what a highlight! Great job 👏 Team

    Mariam

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