Hallo! Welcome back to day 6 of my blog! It’s Friday the 10th and our last morning in Amsterdam at our hotel in Sloderdijk. I am sad to leave such a lively and beautiful place, but I am excited to see a new city: Rotterdam! 

We started our day on a journey to De Zaanse Schans which is a touristy quintessential Dutch town with shops, restaurants, farm animals, free-roaming ducks, and culture workshops that teach clog making, cheese making, and the history of windmills. There were around five grand old windmills around the town, as well as an impressive drawbridge that lead to the residential part of the town. It was very interesting to hear about Dutch culture surrounding clog making, where they had a large display of old clogs. The town itself was so touristy it almost felt like an outdoor mall or amusement park in America, with plenty of cute shops, and experiences. We ate lunch in a bakery across the bridge that was more catered for residents, and I had a traditional Dutch pastry called Su Borek, which tasted like noodles and cheese in between bread. We were farther out from the city, so the workers were not as comfortable with the English language as I noticed in Amsterdam, which was not a surprise. 

We visited the Henry Willig cheese company and learned how the Gouda cheese is made, then had the opportunity to explore the gift shop. The tour only lasted around 5 minutes, and we learned that the cheese is made from curds of sheep, goat, and cow milk. It can age for many years and can be kept in many conditions. The Concept to Consumer line is especially applicable in this company. The Dutch land is very flat and hard to grow plants on, so cows were very popular to graze because they only required grass. Therefore, cheese making became very popular due to the accessibility of cow milk. From the creation of Henry Willig in 1974 to today, they have created many new flavors to appeal to consumers, as well as offering plenty of free samples, international shipping, and tour experiences, which encouraged tourists to buy more. Additionally, Henry Willig strives to be more sustainable by promoting zero-waste. They use the leftover whey from the cheese-making process to produce beer and beer cheese, ensuring there is no waste. This company very much reminded me of an American business such as Hershey, due to its obvious tourism appeal. This is a very easy way to make money, so this business model makes sense for a place like De Vaanse Schans, similar to Hershey, PA. (I’m starting to wonder why I reference Hershey so much!?)

At around 3pm, we settled in Rotterdam and got some much-needed rest. The city is much different than Amsterdam, much more residential and metropolitan. There are tall buildings here, more cars, and less canals: more like an American city, but still more walkable and bikeable. A group of us went to McDonald’s near the hostel (I know, I know, it’s Netherlands, why are you there?!) The McDonald’s in Europe are much different, and a cultural experience to say the least. They had around 5 vegan options, compared to 0 options in America. I had vegan chicken nuggets, a vegan chicken snack wrap, a peanut M&M McFlurry (not in the USA), and paprika fries (a popular flavor here). All of it was quite delicious and cheap, so I am not mad about this choice. 

I plan to get plenty of rest tonight, in order to be recharged for a fun week in Rotterdam! Tomorrow we are visiting a flood museum. Until then, Doei!