After taking the metro and running to catch the train in the rain, we finally made it out to Zaanse Schans. While it poured all day and the weather was not great, it did not take away from how beautiful this town was. Zaanse Schans is a neighborhood full of museums, shops and windmills that have been preserved for years. We first were able to see how wooden clogs are made today through a live demonstration and we also learned how they were made years ago. These clogs are still worn today for their durability and warmth. It was cool to be able to see how older Dutch culture was modernized and still used today. There was also a large gift shop at the end of every attraction with authentic items in order to create a profit to support those working in the community. 

We next ventured over to the cheese making demonstration where we learned about the process of making Dutch Gouda. It can be made from any type of animal milk, is pressed and dried on a wood shelf for a long period of time. It was very interesting to see how the process of making cheese has stayed the same in this culture over the years. We were then able to taste many different types of cheeses. There were so many unique flavors that I loved having the opportunity to try and once again, we were able to purchase cheese in the shop.

When walking to our next destination, we were able to see many beautiful aspects of nature such as sheep roaming around, ducks swimming around and lots of windmills. When we entered a windmill, we were able to see how the wind creates energy to power a saw that cuts wood. People are able to order specific sizes of cut wood and the wind was able to activate a pulley system that powered the saw and cut the wood. Being able to see how this natural energy source is still used in windmills and Dutch culture today was very interesting. 

We took a break for lunch where we were served Dutch pancakes, indulging in typical foods. The chocolate museum was our last stop where we heard about the history of chocolate and also got to play around with interactive elements. We were able to see the process of how their chocolate was made which was interesting to see how much goes into making a simple bar of chocolate. All of these stops in Zaanse Schans made me appreciate how much work goes into making products that seem to be simple, and how Dutch culture has been preserved over the years.