I found it deeply symbolic that the first face-to-face COST PROGRAMMING event took place in Athens, Greece, a country where a handful of Geriatricians trained abroad are still struggling to put Geriatrics on the map of medical education, specialty training and healthcare services. It was a most exciting day for me as a COST member, to witness the eye-opening effect from the talks of expert Geriatricians from all over Europe, on our Greek colleagues. I am hopeful that COST events like this set the seed for small yet impactful practice changes with regards to physical exercise and other frailty reversal interventions in the community and the hospital. Even more grounds for optimism were laid at the closing session of the event: Twenty academic, professional, and community service leaders from all over the country had a moderated group discussion on the optimal way to introduce Geriatric services in Greece, followed by the valuable feedback from our colleagues that have already taken such steps in their respective countries. It was the very essence of European Collaboration on Science and Technology!