Day 9 - Friday, January 12

In Greek mythology Zeus controls the weather and this morning he surprised the LEAD 41 fellows with rain.  The itinerary initially had the class visiting a marble quarry outside of Athens, but it ended up being closed due to weather.  Dr. Hejny and the rest of LEAD 41 pivoted and found a local guide to escort us to the Site of Thorikos, in the southern region of Greece, where we visited the oldest known theater in Greece. 

After visiting the theater, fellows then proceeded to a national park dedicated to marble production and silver mining that dates back to ancient times.  The park has now been updated for hiking with several trails, one of them being handicap accessible.

Following the morning study tour of marble and silver mining, fellows then traveled back to the hotel where they met with United States Embassy representatives.  There they discussed agriculture, energy and commerce.  Greece has come a long way from the 2008 financial crisis where the country was nearly bankrupt.  Fast forward to 2023, Greece was awarded the top financial economy globally.  50% of the energy production is currently in the form of renewable energy with the goal to be at 80% by 2030.  Greece owns 25% of the world's cargo ships which is their main source of GDP.  The EU has invested over 600 million Euros into Greek agriculture over the past few years and has identified this as an area of investment for the future.  Although their scale of production is much smaller than what we have in Nebraska, Greeks make efficient use of the space they have and produce products that are well known around the world.

The fellows finished the day off with a walking tour of Athens and the Acropolis.  The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a highpoint above the city.  It is the location of several ancient buildings, the most famous being the Parthenon.  The group ended the day with traditional Greek food in a restaurant located at the base of the Acropolis.  There they were entertained with traditional Greek music and dance.  

*Today’s blog contributors are Brian Schwartz and Easton Eggers, in addition to your blog team of Kari Christenson, Jakob Burke and MiK Fox.

Photos

LEAD 41 fellows taking in the oldest theater in Greece. Note the umbrellas due to the rain!

The Archaeological Site of Thorikos, where the theater was located.

The class touring the remnants of the mining sites on a walking tour. They saw many places that were mined back in ancient times, and in more recent times, around the late 1800s through early 1900s.

Fellows stopped for a few local snacks on the way back to Athens for their meeting with the Embassy. This was an example of the chips that many said they enjoyed.

The class met with a few people from the US Embassy and heard the issues they face. Fellows also spoke with the panelists and asked many questions pertaining to natural resources and agriculture in Greece.

After a busy morning and afternoon, the fellows managed to squeeze in a walking tour to the Acropolis and learn more about the city of Athens

Genti, the class guide, explains the significance of the area the fellows were standing on. This area has a great view of the city of Athens and the Parthenon.

LEAD fellows Easton Eggers, Anna Shadbolt, Amanda Berg, Allissa Troyer and Kari Christenson pose with the Parthenon in the background from the rock adjacent.

Genit and Gazim, the guide and driver for the class’s time in Albania and Greece, pose with the class and the City of Athens in the background.

The Parthenon in all of its glory!

LEAD 41 fellows with the Parthenon in the background. It was still a haul up to the Parthenon from where they were standing!

A portion of the Greek send off meal the fellows were served for dinner.