Today we made an informative adventure to the Zuiderzee Museum for our first full day in Rotterdam! The bus to the museum took about an hour and a half but was definitely worth the wait. Although the morning was very chilly, the site was beautiful. All along the coast local boats were lined up and we took a boat across the water to actually reach the museum. We were first met with several interactive water displays! The building next to the activities gave a run down of the history of the location. Brackish water remained in the port until 1932, where Zuiderzee was a booming and active route to trading ports across several counties and even continents. However flooding periodically devastated the area, causing the residents of the towns surrounding to live in worry. The decision to finally tame the Zuiderzee was taken in 1918 and it was turned into an inland sea. However this ran many fisherman and related jobs out of work, so to preserve the original culture of the area the Zuiderzee Museum was opened in 1948 to preserve the history.
We then moved into the actual preserved village that was keeping the memories of this culture alive. This reminded me of Colonial Williamsburg back in the States â houses almost seemed captured in time and workers were out and about reenacting scenes such as rope tying and net making. Some signs were displayed describing specific houses and what went on with different families â for example, one house I visited was a family who used their kitchen to peel shrimp. This job was often done by the women where they would usually catch up with eachother on the job. However the pay for them was very very low. Another sign explained how it was very common for multiple generations of families to live together under one roof. We also saw a beautifully decorated rainwater container in another house that would collect water from the roof gutters. The rest of the house was also filled with gorgeous plates and decorations
After grabbing a quick bite to eat at the local cafe I wandered around the houses some more. We saw some beautiful windmills next to the coast and learn more about why they were used in Zuiderzee. Rainwater also caused worry for the citizens living nearby, not just the waves. When rainwater combines with seepage water the land becomes inhabitable, meaning the water level must be regulated with a polder. A mill in a polder moved the water from a low to high level through a wheel or Archimedean screw. If the difference in level is too big more mills can be installed to create a windmill system.
The sun finally came out later and the day and the boat ride back was much warmer than the way there. We finished up our time at the museum and took the long bus ride home.
After returning and taking a quick break we ventured to Markethal, a massive building in the city with tons and tons of options to eat. The building was also so beautiful with tons of murals on the wall and a beautiful view outside. We found an Indian restaurant to eat at and I got some super delicious butter chicken and finished off the night with strawberry sorbet. It was so nice walking around the city and taking the culture in! I learned so much today about the cultural history of the Netherlands and it was so unique to see it recreated in person.
