Hallo! Welcome to day 7 of my blogs: today we ventured to the Zuiderzeemuseum, which is north of Amsterdam and Rotterdam on the North Sea. We took a journey on a ferry boat over to the town, which is on a peninsula. It was similar to colonial Williamsburg, filled with actors demonstrating 19th century Dutch culture, old houses, and tiny shops and experiences. The outdoor museum opened in 1983 and includes 140 buildings. It includes replicas and actual parts of buildings that were once here, but closed in around 1912. There were many flood threats, so the government mandated the closure of the area. Before the reopening in 1983, a dike was built, allowing the construction of the museum plans dating back to WW2. There was still a few residents living there before the museum establishment, and the last resident moved out around 1980, his plaque was on a wall in one of the houses.
Walking through the outdoor museum was very cool, we got to see inside tiny houses with little doors. Many of the actors were just minding their own business, drinking tea or making food, which made me want to have a job there. The coolest part of the town was a little candy shop that tons of old candy for very cheap, I got a nouget, which was like a hard Milky Way. One very interesting fact I learned is that the Dutch slept sitting up in the past, because they thought the demons would go up their nose in their sleep. Therefore, the beds were usually in cupboards in the wall, were very short, and housed the entire family. One thing different than the states were the ducks that were roaming the town. I have never seen such beautiful ducks at home, with emerald and purple iridescent heads, and brown and white feathers. They were also much friendlier than any bird in the States and did not beg for food.
For lunch, I had the Dutch staple (vegan) bitterbollen, which is like fried mushroom soup. It was very tasty and I wish Sheetz had fried food like that. For dinner, we went to a large food hall in Rotterdam, similar to Reading Terminal Market in Philly. I had the best ramen I’ve ever had, and a very refreshing boba tea. There are way more options for vegetarians here than anywhere in the States.
