We started this beautiful day in Larnaca as we pulled up to the beautiful beaches of the Finikoudes Promenade. The water was bright blue as the other beach we were at the previous day, and although I could have spent the whole day at the beach, we had a site visit to go to. 

The site visit was at Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute and consisted of several presentations from various departments within the institute. Something that stuck out to me was their initiative to help the environment and increase sustainability, as they are government funded. Especially because climate change is such a prominent issue at the moment, hearing an organization working so hard to eliminate what causes this issue is very profound and gives me hope that we will be able to create change to a cleaner environment in the future. It was a little discouraging however to hear that most company’s are only at a stage in reducing their environmental impact that does the bare minimum to ensure they are doing what they can to help the planet and climate. Another interesting aspect of the presentation was talking about the robotics, and how they test their projects using simulations through c ++ and python. It was helpful to visualize how they did this by actually being able to see the prototype they use. It was a very informational presentation and fascinating to hear all they are doing to inform and research the ocean. 

After this very informative presentation, we had some free time for lunch, where we went to a very vibrant open air restaurant where we all got delicious meals. After the meal we all met up and began our walking tour. First off we went to the St. Lazarus church, which had beautiful architecture, as well as influence from the previous rulers of Cyprus displayed in flags and architecture. For example, one of the flags outside displayed the symbol of the byzantine empire. Inside, there were many religious’s murals and golden fixtures. Additionally, there was a basement that housed a tomb inside the cathedral. 
After this we arrived at Angeloktisti church, which housed a 6th century religious mosaic, which is the oldest religious mosaic we would have ever been able to see in our life. It was incredibly detailed and was made up of thousands of small pieces to create the image. It was interesting to see the differences and similarities between the two churches and just how old and historic the architecture and interior is. It is surreal to me how much history is housed in these buildings and how much has occurred within them. 

Finally, after departing from the church we arrived in Lefkara village. When I had imagined a village in Cyprus, this is just what I had pictured. The narrow cobblestone streets and greenery everywhere created a very picturesque scene. The people were also incredibly kind and helpful and were so open to talking to us and answering all of our questions. I felt very welcomed into the town and the community felt so close knit and happy. It was a wonderful experience with an incredible view and it was a great way to end our night. 

Although long, we had a nice and informative day, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings, especially the Wargaming visit.