Day 2: Acropolis Tour and Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) Welcome Reception

 On Monday morning, we started with a brutal uphill climb to the Acropolis, led by an amazing tour guide. She was kind and so passionate about the ancient ruins and their history; she was the kind of person who makes you forget just how tired you are. We got deep into the mythology of Athens, the stories behind the monuments, and the history layered into every column. We were running behind schedule by the end, but nobody was complaining (except about the sun).

Summer school group pictured in front of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

In the afternoon, we headed to the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) for our welcome reception. There, we met various professors at the university and took campus tours. Engineers from AUA showed us their smart-farming setups in their greenhouses, using hydroponic techniques and heat pump systems. It was a great showcase of Greece's innovative agricultural sector.

An AUA PhD Student shows us one of their smart-farming greenhouses using a perlite substrate. 

We observed two very different sides of Greece in one day: one ancient, and one very much looking toward the future.

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