I love adventures, and exploring the world – the people, culture, the outdoors and the science behind it. I study Earth Science and am very excited to be part of the city twinning project and to be twinned with both Grenoble, the capital of the Alps in France and Leon, in Nicaragua, the land of volcanoes. It has been a real privilege to represent Oxford and build friendships with our link organisations in two very different parts of the world.
Being part of the city twinning project gave me the chance to meet new people and see a different side of two of our twin cities. The experiences were very different. As an earth scientist it was fascinating to see the different landscapes. Nicaragua is the land of volcanoes and Leon is just a short bus ride from idyllic tropical Pacific beaches. Whereas Grenoble sits in the Alps surrounded by alpine pastures, ski resorts and of course some fantastic climbing. I love the outdoors, from climbing to caving to kayaking, both with friends and as an instructor and in terms of opportunities for outdoorsy adventures Grenoble really does have it all.
What both cities had in common was a really warm welcome. We had some typical tourist experiences, were welcomed by the mayor, ate some delicious local food, visited the universities and saw some of the development work that is being done in each city. It was especially good to see firsthand some of the fantastic work that is being done in Leon with support from the Oxford Leon Association Trust.