Today we went to the Zuiderzee museum in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. We took a ferry across the bay to where the outdoor museum was, which shared the history, current affairs and future of the IJsselmeer area. IJsselmeer is what they called the inland lake that was removed from the Wadden Sea when the Zuiderzee was closed. The part outside the dike has since been part of the Wadden Sea. The museum preserved its historic buildings and the themes of water, crafts, and communities are central. There were cobblestone paths connecting the houses, and people dressed in traditional Dutch attire that were demonstrating activities that people would normally do in Zuiderzee in the 1900s. There was a man making rope, a carpenter, and a woman hanging up laundry. It was as if we took a step back in time to walk through this village.

We walked around through some of the houses and saw some traditional dutch artwork and decorations – including a lot of blue and white designs, which I have noticed is commonly used on souvenirs and pottery. We also saw a recreation of a rainwater container that collects water from the roof gutters, and is then used to cook and drink from. It was cool to see the recreations of houses that once stood there to get an idea of the past culture of the Netherlands.

One thing that was impossible to go without noticing was the amount of gnats swarming the museum. They were probably hundreds of them surrounding us at once and were so persistent. No matter where we turned there were always more gnats. They were getting really annoying but we persevered and went to grab a bite to eat a restaurant in the museum. I got a smoked salmon sandwich, which they actually smoked at the museum. They had a fish shop and smokery that they do themselves and sell. It was arguably the best smoked salmon I have ever had.

We then took the ferry back to the mainland and went back to the hotel where we caught up on some rest. For dinner we went to an indoor “foodcourt,” but it was a lot nicer than any food court I’ve been to in the states. It had food for every craving and was at an affordable price. I had dumplings and a slice of pizza, but other notable mentions were fresh cannolis, buttered chicken, and gelato. See you tomorrow Rotterdam!