Today we took the tram and train across the city to see Zaans Schans, an industrial part area of The Netherlands. We had the opportunity to try some incredible cheese which was very fun. We also learned about how the cheeses were made. We were told about how the farm is using a special breed of cows that produces less manure, thereby reducing their carbon footprint. It is small environmental details like these that make me admire this country so much. That, and the fact that the cheese was just so delicious.
We also saw the inside of a windmill, a firsthand look at how the Zaans Schans region became one of the first production capitals of the world. The engineering that allowed the windmills to power large mill saws was impressive. A simple crankshaft and some gears allowed the large logs to be cut and moved by the windmill, all at the same time. The machines used to make the traditional shoe of The Netherlands, the clog, were equally as impressive. These machines were also quite simple, using a mold of an already made clog to autonomously and quickly make a new clog without any computer technology. This trip has made me notice the importance that small innovations such as this can have.
My favorite part of the day was learning about the Zaans Schans region’s history in the museum we visited today. It explained how this region inspired innovation, leading to some of the worlds best paper products, the popularization of corn starch, and many other products that the entire world makes use of today. It was impressive how much of an impact one region could have on the rest of the world.
Finally, the word of the day today is bruidsklompen, which means bridal clogs. A bride would decorate her clogs with detailed patterns for her wedding. These shoes touched all aspects of Dutch life during their time of use, enabling them to stay dry in the rainy climate, cut nets open with the pointed toe, or dress up for special occasions. This wide reaching roll of the clogs displays how an object as simple as a shoe can be extremely important to a culture. I think that it is really neat that clogs can play this roll of representing a part of Dutch culture.
