Day 9: Tour of Athens Data Center

Today, we finally got inside a data center.

The Digital Realty data center visit was one of the most eye-opening parts of this trip. We were hesitant going in, and expected to walk away with more concerns than answers — but we were actually pleasantly surprised. The facility uses a closed-loop water-cooling system, which means it doesn't draw from and discharge local water sources the way open-loop systems do. For a research team that had just spent a week talking to farmers about aquifer depletion, that detail stood out to us. While it doesn't resolve all the resource questions we've been sitting with regarding energy and food, it's a meaningful step that we are glad to see Digital Realty take.

We also learned about the business model. Companies actually rent space within the facility rather than building their own infrastructure, which concentrates demand in one place, while potentially reducing the footprint of individual servers.

After the visit, we had some free time in Athens, which the group used wisely. We visited a local perfume shop, and then, the real highlight for most of us, a Greek pharmacy. We won’t deny that it became an obsession for us. Greek pharmacies offered unique products that made great souvenirs and gifts. Our recommendations are the Korres perfumes and La Roche Posay Cicaplast! 

Dinner was at an Italian restaurant, which felt like a small act of rebellion after a week of Greek food. Although we love all of the Greek food, it was nice to have a change of pace. And pizza is pizza (we got Cody to have something that wasn't just pepperoni, so a win is a win).

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