Happy day four! This morning started out with another traditional Dutch breakfast from the hotel, then off it was to the Zaandijk Zaanse Schans train stop.

We went to the Henri Willig cheese farm where we got an instructional demonstration on how the company makes all of its cheeses. I was very confused on how this company could have positive effects on the environment as meat products generally have more carbon emissions. Looking further into the company, I learned that Henri Willig reuses residual products and the company works to lower their water usage.

While exploring the windmill district, there were several of baby ducks, swans, and geese that were walking around the sidewalks. All of the babies were adorable, and I really loved them. After seeing the windmill district and getting some delicious pancakes, we headed over to Zuiderzee and its museum, which is located right by the water. Zuiderzee was hit with several floods, so many citizens would have to retreat. It was very cool seeing how the people lived in this beautiful community. I also found it interesting that the water was originally salt water, thus people could not drink it and would resort to conserving rain water, but now, the water is fresh water.

It was a beautiful area that had a lot of history. I was very amazed how our tour guide said that she grew up here, and her great-grandparents had moved there from Amsterdam years ago. It seemed like a community that is based on community work that thrives on the natural land. This land was so beautiful and watching the animals graze freely was so cute to watch. While eating lunch, I was befriended by a duck, even though I’m terrified of birds.

We then went to the museum. Although I forgot to photograph it, there were massive life-sized boats that replicated the ones were used years ago. We ended the day with another ferry ride back, and we got to see all of the boats in the harbor. Today felt like a day for exploring the Netherlands’ cultural and historic heritage. It was very eye-opening to see areas outside of Amsterdam because the farming and rural community is so much different from the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam.