Day 10: Workday and Temple of Poseidon

Unfortunately, the Ministry of Energy and Environment canceled on us this morning, so we had to pivot.  

Honestly, though, the unexpected workday turned out to be exactly what we needed. We spent the morning pulling

together everything we'd collected over the past two weeks: field notes, focus group transcripts, interview data,

and actually reflecting on it. We also got into some of the journal literature that connects directly to what we found

in the field, which felt different now that we had real conversations and faces to attach to the research questions. 

We broke for lunch and enjoyed delicious gyros from a spot allegedly frequented by the former Prime Minister.

In the afternoon, we made the drive out to Cape Sounion to visit the Temple of Poseidon. After the Acropolis and

Delphi, we thought we knew what to expect, but this one had a completely different feeling. It sits right at the edge

of a cliff over the sea, more isolated than anything else we visited, and with fewer tourists. We were closer to the

actual structure than any other temple on the trip, which, after all the ropes and guided distances, made this cultural

experience feel very personal.

Dinner that night was at Taverna Klimateria, an iconic spot with live music and a packed, lively room, with

great send-off energy for our last evening in Greece.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Field Visits in Greece

Image
    Over the past two days, we embarked on a series of day trips from Tripoli to explore field sites and connect with local stakeholders.      On Thursday, we traveled to Megalopolis , pausing en route to visit the Archaeological Museum of Tegea, where we deepened our understanding of Greek history and culture. In Megalopolis, we met with stakeholders, collaborating with them on the closure of lignite coal mines and the region’s transition to natural gas. During our discussions, they outlined their vision for the area and the challenges they face. They also guided us on a driving tour of the now-decommissioned lignite mines. That afternoon, we continued south to Kalamata and enjoyed a relaxing visit to the coastal village of Kardamyli , where we spent time by the beach. On Friday, we took a day trip to Sparta to visit a local olive farm. The owners had convened a group of farmers for a roundtable discussion focused on agricultural challenges and the needs...
Read more

Last Week in Greece

Image
The last week of our trip, we spent primarily in the Western Macedonia region and Athens. In Western Macedonia, we conducted over a dozen interviews with various stakeholders in Kozani. We also had a field visit to the Ptolemaidea power plants and lignite mines. There, we were able to see the phase out of two major coal mines and their plan for the remaining shutdown of the plants.  We also visited with CERTH labs to learn about some of the energy and agriculture-related projects they are working on. These projects included: vertical farming, soil sampling, carbon capture, and much more.  We also visited a Geopark located in the Ptolemaida region to see some of the nearby wildlife and landscapes. This visit was some much-needed fresh air from cities and coal mines. We had a blast enjoying authentic mountain tea and going on a short hike.  After a short stay in Western Macedonia, we returned to Athens for a final set of interviews with stakeholders representing the Just Tr...
Read more

Week 6 – Greece, Day 4

Image
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 cou...
Read more