Today our day began by visiting Henri Willig, a well-known Dutch cheese manufacturer. In order to get there, we took hour-long bus ride to the charming village of Zaandijk Zaanse Schans! During our bus rides we passed many wind turbines. Professor Kerzmann explained that wind turbines have 3 blades because it is the most cost effective and material effective way to extract the kinetic energy from the wind. Wind turbines are sustainable because it is a way for us to generate energy without the use of burning fossil fuels like coal.
Once at the company, we learned all about the cheese making process and the history behind the company. The company uses a milk from cows, goats, and sheep that are raised under ethical and environmentally conscious conditions. We also got to try some of their cheeses! I tried a few different types of cheeses, including their Smoked Goat Cheese and their Pure Perfection. After our cheese tasting we walked around the beautiful village and grabbed lunch. My favorite part of the village was seeing the iconic Dutch windmills up close! These windmills are not only picture perfect, but they play a vital role in Dutch engineering history.
We then continued our day by visiting the Zuiderzeemuseum, a museum is devoted to preserving the cultural heritage and maritime history from the old Zuiderzee region. Here, we learned the history and culture of this community. The first part of the museum was a guided walking tour through the old village. One interesting detail our guide shared with us was about the roofing tiles- specially designed to channel rainwater into bins. This demonstrated and early form of water conservation and sustainable living. After the outdoor portion, we explored the indoor museum. This showcased historical artifacts, the community’s traditional clothing, and much more about the fishing community.
