Today I was able to sleep in since no events were scheduled for the morning. However, at around 1:00 PM, we left for the Watersnoodmuseum. This museum gave a history of the 1953 Flood Disaster that affected areas all around the Netherlands, and it informed about other floods and water related disasters that have happened around the world. One of the coolest things about the museum is that it is located inside of the four caissons (which are watertight structures used for construction) that were used to close the last breach after the 1953 flood. Each caisson houses a different part of the museum. The first part tells about the 1953 disaster and how it happened. An unnaturally high tide and a huge storm combined to cause huge floods across The Netherlands. The flood resulted in the Netherlands and the surrounding countries improving their coastal defences. One way they did this was through the creation of the Delta Works, a large system of dams and storm surge barriers. Another one of the most interesting parts of the museum was a large timeline they had on the wall of water related disasters throughout time in the Netherlands from the year 838 to the present day. I was shocked that there were so many historic moments that they could put on this wall dating all the way back to 838. It really shows that people have been committed to living in the Netherlands despite the difficulties that those living there face when it comes to controlling the water.

The museum went on to show many personal items that were given to the museum to tell the stories of many who lost their lives in the flood. The stories were devastating, and helped me realize how serious this disaster was. The museum moved on to telling about reconstruction and raising awareness for this flood and other floods that have happened and that will continue to happen in the future. It was a very cool museum, and I’m glad I got to learn more about the history of the Netherlands.

I ended the day by going to an Indonesian restaurant with some friends. We all got individual rice tables, which are a special type of Indonesian food that is common in the Netherlands. It had several types of meat, vegetables, egg, and rice. It was delicious and a great way to end the day.