Rainiest day yet! We started the day off with our hostel breakfast, which was delicious. There was even a chocolate fountain! When we stepped outside, it was heavily pouring, and continued on our short walk to the tram station where we waited for our train. All of a sudden, I’m talking to Will and Franny about something on the sidewalk, and the train takes off with only half of us in it! Luckily, Frank waited up for us at the next station, and we reunited shortly on the next train available. Even though we were lucky to get on this train, we weren’t in the clear yet. As we were walking through Amsterdam Centraal station, Dasha our tour guide started booking it to our next train. We all were running on the platform, laughing and trying not to slip on the rain puddles. Finally, we got on our necessary train, and our adventure to Zaanse Schans officially began.

Zaanse Schans is a neighborhood in the town of Zaandam, just outside of Amsterdam. Despite the heavy rain and long walk, the site was beautiful. We walked through the clog museum, which showcased the history of clogs and their purposes; there were even a pair of wedding clogs. We got to watch a local make a pair of clogs out of pieces of woods that were freshly chopped. Who knew wooden clogs were so comfortable?!

Our next museum was their cheese museum, where a lady showed us the local way of making cheese and the ingredients used. To my delight, we were escorted to a room full of local cheese, and got to try the many kinds they had. Even though they were all amazing, my favorites (which I may or may not have taken home with me) were organic truffle and smoked goat cheese.

We then got to walk along the fields and see the famous windmills of Zaanse Schans; they were huge! There was a windmill that was using the wind to mechanically saw wood into pieces. It was really cool to see a real windmill in action.

Finally, our visit ended with a trip to their chocolate and biscuit factory / museum. We walked all through the exhibit, learning about the town’s culture and seeing how their famous chocolates and biscuits are made. With the little taste test I had, the biscuits were amazing!

Even though our day was full of rain, I loved getting to visit this small town and see all of its delights. Thank you Zaanse Schans!