It was another really beautiful day today! The sun was shining, and although the wind made it a bit chilly, it was a great benefit for the amount of power that the windmills could generate! Today, we traveled down to Zeeland from Rotterdam to visit the Watersnoodmuseum and Delta Works. Our day began with traveling to the museum, which is located inside of the four caissons that were used to close the last remaining breach after the Flood of 1953. This museum brought us through the full history of the flood, including the emotional, environmental, and economical impacts that resulted from it. We walked through several different rooms filled with the personal possessions of people who experienced the flood, and we had the opportunity to read some of their stories. I wasn’t familiar with this occurrence before traveling to The Netherlands, but it is definitely an important part of its history.
Something that I was surprised by was the abundance of information that the museum had. In one exhibit, there was a timeline of previous floods in the Netherlands dating back to the year 838! The water level has always been a challenge for the Netherlands, but in recent years this challenge has worsened as climate change becomes a stronger force. The Watersnoodmuseum’s motto is, “to remember, to learn and to look ahead”. Around the museum, there were several signs reiterating the phrase, “The water is still rising”. These two phrases are representative of this ever-present conflict that the Netherlands faces, and it reminds the population of the importance of continuing the improvements on the storm surge barrier in an attempt to avoid future tragedies. Additionally, it’s important to recognize the sheer force and power of Mother Nature. It’s a complicated and unpredictable battle to face, which is why staying educated as individuals can help the population to remain safe in the event that another flood should occur as these floods continue to increase in severity and frequency.
Following the museum tour where we were introduced to the history behind the caissons and the storm surge barrier, we visited Delta Works, where the actual barrier is located. Here, we learned about the inner workings of how the barrier was created, and how it functions. This was an incredibly interesting structure to observe. There are many different sections and gates of the barrier. When the tide is high, the gates will close and when the tide is low, the gates will reopen. We also got to take a boat tour that brought us closer to the barrier, and to the surrounding water areas, helping us to fully understand and visualize the structure.
After our visit to Delta Works, we made our way back to Amsterdam! We rested for a few hours, then went out to an Italian restaurant for dinner, which was delicious! I’m definitely enjoying getting to explore and try different foods and restaurants around Amsterdam. Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to spending some euros at the largest vintage market in Europe!