BUSINESS LEADERSHIP SUMMER PROGRAM IN

GREECE

2002 HIGHLIGHTS:

    [Links with a (v) after them are video clips, while a (p) signifies a picture.  The video clips play with Media Player. If you cannot make your browser play them, download them and open them with Media Player.]

          The inaugural program took place during May 28 - June 13 2002.  The program had 10 student participants, and was accompanied by Drs. Fess Green and John Roufagalas.  What follows are descriptions, pictures and video from the group's activities. 

    One of the first activities in Athens was to find a good place for lunch. We ate at the "Taverna tou Psara" in Plaka (v).

    We also visited the University of Piraeus(v) where we had two lectures.

    The first visit was at the Bank of Greece(p) where we heard lectures(p) about Greece's joining the Euro and about the economic role of Greece among the other Balkan countries.

    We then took to the mountains.  We drove to Central Greece to start our leadership hike.  Here(v) the group has lunch at the village of Gardiki.

    The first night was spent at the Refuge of Grammeni Oxya(p).  The term "Oxya" means beech tree and we saw the southernmost beech forest of Europe.  The group took a first taste by hiking(p) about 7 kilometers (5 miles) to the top of mountain Oxya(p).  Here is the group doing an academic exercise(v) before dinner, and here(p) are our bunk beds

   Next morning we drove to the village of Artotina, where after buying supplies(p) for lunch, we started hiking in earnest. Note how many different ways are there to cross a stream(v)!!

    We(p) climbed slowly(p) and painfully the mountain of Vardoussia, and spent the night at the Refuge. Here are some of the views(v) on the way.

       Next day we headed for the summit.  It was a challenge, Vardoussia is 2497 meters (about 8200 feet) tall.
Here(v) is a view on the way up and here(v) is a view from the top. Here are pictures of the snow(p) and the crocuses(p) at the edge of the snow.

      An "easy" 4 hour hike, the day after, brought us to the village of Athanasios Diakos.  Here are pictures of the central plaza(p), the police car(p) and the local authorities(p)!

      On that afternoon we decided to walk to the small neighboring village of Mousounitsa.  On the way, we were attacked by ...  "Killer Sheep"(p)!!!

      The next leg of the hike was from the village of Stromi, to the village of Kaloskopi  on a trail on the sides of mountain Giona.  Here(v) are some highlights along the way.

      We spent the night in rooms at the village of Palaiohora and next morning we drove to the 51st kilometer of the local highway where we started on the trail on mount Parnassus to the village of Eptalofos(v).

    The morning after, we drove to the cottage(v) of the group's guide, and started on the final leg of the hike towards Delphi(v).

    Here are some highlights from the visit to the Delphi Archaeological site(v), and two pictures 1(p), 2(p) from the Delphi museum.

    On the way back to Athens we stopped at the Byzantine Monastery of Osios Loukas(p).

    Back in Athens, we visited the Coca Cola Bottling Company plant(v);  the Piraeus port(v) and its container part; and the Delta Ice Cream factory(v).

    And as food is an all significant part of the Greek experience, here(v) we eat in a traditional taverna, and the last night in Athens we had an "ancient" dinner(v) at "Archaion Geuseis" (which translates to the Ancient's Flavors).

Prepared by John Roufagalas (Oct. 4, 2002)