Today was our last full day in Cyprus creating an emotional, yet full day. Today, we started our morning with a much later start than usual and visited the Bernard Ship Management Training Center (BSM), visited the Omodos Village, and finished with an alumni dinner. The day was packed for our last day, it was a good way to finish out our exciting trip.

BSM was a unique perspective on the ship management industry as it gave us a mock perspective of what the ships contain. Throughout the week, I wanted to be on one of the ships and this tour gave me a good understanding of what the boats themselves are like. In their facility, there were a lot of training centers for driving, safety, crisis management, and learning about the ships. The center also included a galley, dormitories, and every ship system that would be included on a normal ship. The most fascinating part was the driving simulator, where they require four people to command a ship. This includes a captain, a lookout, a helmsman, and the seafarer all playing crucial parts in the management of the craft. The simulation was fascinating, there was the ship steering wheel, all the electronics, and many TVs simulating the view of the ship. Overall, this was a unique perspective on what the life of crewmen would be. Although BSM is a smaller company, they are especially important to the shipping industry as it is empowering new workers in the declining workforce.

Next, we visited the Omodos Village which is known for its beautiful mosque and wine crafting. For lunch, we stopped at an incredible restaurant. The waiters brought bread, salad, mushroom risotto, tomato bake, and chicken. Each was vibrant with flavors, and all ranked extremely high on the eatery scale. After being stuffed, we moved to the mosque which was incredibly strict with pictures. I found the mosque to be beautiful still, but no pictures were allowed and quite honestly it was just like the other churches. After our tour, we took on the village where we sat and enjoyed a cup of Cypriot coffee. It was a good way to cap off our trip as we sat and soaked in the Cypriot culture that filled the streets.

To cap off our trip, we indulged with some University of Pittsburgh alumni. We talked endlessly about biological sciences and neurology. It was good to learn a little more about what opportunities exist and network with brilliant scientists. This was the best possible way to end the trip.