Today we visited Enschede city center. First, we received a tour from a local municipal civil engineer. On this tour we learned about how the city has adapted to climate change through water management strategies. Enschede city center is located towards the bottom of a hill, so heavy water flow due to rainfall is common. As a result, the city has installed infrastructure to prevent flooding and extreme runoff. We got to take a look at these landmarks which include reservoirs where water can be directed as well as permeable pavement, both located in places that have been identified as flood zones. This is important now more than ever as sea levels rise and climate becomes generally more extreme.

After our tour we had the day to enjoy the city Centre. There was a large farmers and food market which was a fun opportunity to experience local food. One thing we tried was Kibbling, a fried fish with garlic sauce which is a common Dutch street food. It was also fun to see the fresh fruits and veggies from local farms. The strawberries were by far the freshest I have ever experienced! In the afternoon we got to celebrate a big annual Dutch college student tradition, The Batavieron race. This is the largest student relay race in the world in which teams of students relay run 175 kilometers over the course of 24 hours. The race involves hundreds of teams and thousands of participants. Since the finish line of the race happens to be at the University of Twente, we were able to participate in the Batavieron celebration that took place in the evening. Seeing the high level of energy and community surrounding this embellished the vibrant student life at Dutch universities.