Today, we went on a tour of Enschede led by a municipal civil engineer, and learned about the variety of sustainability features that Enschede uses to maintain its structure. In Enschede, one of the main environmental issues is the collection of rainwater and possibility of flooding with heavy rain. Therefore, engineers create natural and sustainable water reservoirs at high flood-risk areas throughout the city of Enschede to minimize the issue. One reservoir that we saw had a variety of plants and flowers growing within it, so it didn’t detract from the beauty of the city at all, and arguably even added to it.

The reservoirs allow water to soak into the ground instead of just moving it from place to place, which I thought seemed very different from our water management style in the US. Our tour ended near a large farmers market, and we were given free reign of the city, so we explored the market in search for food. I ended up getting chicken loempias and sauce, and so did Sophia. I had heard that Indonesian food was particularly good in the Netherlands due to the Dutch colonization of the Indonesian archipelago until 1949 spanning a whopping 175 kilometers (about 109 miles), and this was absolutely true.

Amanda got some mini pancakes and kibbeling, a traditional Dutch fish dish, and Maddox got kibbeling and some amazing strawberries that she shared with the rest of us. I hadn’t realized how popular mini pancakes were as a treat before I came, but they appeared frequently at our breakfasts at the first hotel we stayed at, and they were commonly offered in markets, too. We also checked out some stores in the surrounding area, and realized that current fashion trends, at least for teenage girls, are pretty similar internationally. After our excursion, we headed back to the Twente campus by bus. However, due to a race taking place today, the bus route was cut short, so we got off a little early and walked to our hotel. The race taking place was incidentally the world’s largest relay race, spanning a whopping 175 kilometers, and finishing up in the University of Twente itself. Many people finishing the race were wearing extravagant or comical costumes, to much applause from students watching. We watched the race finish up around Twente’s track for a little bit, before going back to the hotel and relaxing. Later, we enjoyed the post-race festivities hosted by the university.