We all started our day by meeting at 8 to catch a train to Rotterdam. There was a bit of an issue that canceled our first train so we had to wait a bit longer to get in a slower train. I sat next to a group of Italian tourists and worked on my knitting so I had a lovely journey.

We arrived to Rotterdam and walked to our hostel for the night. We got an hour to walk around before we were going to head to the floating farm so we walked around to see if we could find some food. We found a subway and a little sidewalk restaurant nearby that had Indian and Asian food but I didn’t have enough time to order anything so I just had my banana and crackers from our packed breakfasts.

The floating farm was actually really cool. My friend’s family owns a dairy farm that I visited over spring break so it was interesting to compare the two. I was surprised by how it only took 7 months to build the structure as well. The structure has three layers that allows for a cow pasture and milk processing. Next to it, they have floating solar panels for electricity. It was also interesting to learn how this project is entirely privately funded by investors.

As far as sustainability, they try to have a circular model. They want to recycle their waste and have all of the products they take in be recycled from other local businesses as well. The solar panels were really cool to have on the water. Apparently, the water helps with cooling so they are able to produce much more electricity.

We got to taste test the products that they have been able to produce as well. I don’t like the texture of milk but I tried the cheese and it was very good. They set up a small shop for people to come and buy their products. However, I don’t how much profit they are working towards getting and are instead focusing on developing the concept of a floating farm.

The one thing I thought was interesting is how the system is not necessarily prepared for storms. The current farm is definitely very shielding in the harbor they set up in. However, if we want this to be more widely used in a future of rising sea levels, it would be incredibly vital for the structures to be able to survive bad storms.

After the floating farm we walked towards the harbor to wait for our boat cruise. We got the chance to walk around so we tried to find some food. We found Happy Italy which I heard someone describe it as the Panera of Europe. I ended up getting a panini with eggplant, tomato, cheese, and other things. This panini was also only 7 euros and it was incredibly good so I was very happy with this meal. We then walked back to catch our cruise.

I love me a good boat ride with wind and sun. I played some yacht rock and had the best time touring the harbor. It was incredible to see just how large the port of Rotterdam is. It is honestly incredible.

After our cruise we walked to the restaurant for the night. It was a place called Bazar and they had turkish food. It was probably one of the best meals of my life. Chicken and veal kebabs with a chickpea stew served over rice. On the side they had fries with fry sauce which today I learned was very similar to mayo but has more sugar and a different fat content. This meal could keep me going for probably two days; I cannot express just how much I enjoyed this food. We then walked back to the hostel for the night. See you tomorrow <3