Day 4: Our day was started bright and early as we headed, by train, to Zonnewijzerspad Zaanse Schans, a small historic area with windmills, houses, and gift shops. Here, we learned the importance of windmills and canals while trying lots of cheeses, meeting some feathered friends, and watching the production of wooden clogs. The industrial windmills serve many functions from grinding grain to cutting lumber; most importantly, during the Netherlands’ Golden Ages, these mills were known as spice mills. The mills are powered by wind energy. The blades and sails of the windmills capture airflow, spinning them around a rotor and into a generator. Here, the rotational kinetic energy is converted to electricity, which is stored for later. Thankfully, the Netherlands are known for their windy days. At Zonnewijzerspad Zaanse Schans, they also had man-made canals running throughout the farming land. These canals help naturally irrigate the surrounding land, transport water from different sources, and act as a drainage system, preventing floods. The canals also bring in more animals to the surrounding land and biodiversity, supporting healthier ecosystems.
After, we headed back to Centraal Station, where my group and I grabbed a bite to eat at a local ramen restaurant. The food was delicious and very filling for our next adventures. Once we ate, we spent some more time being tourists in Amsterdam. We split up into smaller groups and went to a museum gift shop, which took us roughly 20 minutes by tram to get to. We then went back on the tram to meet up with the whole big group, as we had reservations for the Anne Frank Huis. While we were not allowed to take pictures in this museum, the things I saw will forever be engraved in my mind. I was moved reading how Anne Frank had to pack a small bag leaving behind her favorite dresses to store the necessities. When I was younger, my sisters and I lived in our dresses, and Anne Frank deserved to have a childhood like that too. We also saw the original bookcase that hid the secret annex, the original staircase and wallpaper inside the secret annex, and pages from her diary. As well as, Jewish Identification cards, personal belongings to the families, and the lists Nazis used to find the Jewish people. Overall, this museum truly changed me, and I hope everyone has the privilege to visit this museum as well.
Following the museum, we met together as a group to debrief and discuss the importance of expanding our knowledge on the Holocaust, before, during and after it. We walked by a memorial for the LGBTQ+ Holocaust victims and the site where the Nazis dropped a bomb in Amsterdam. Our tour guide, Enno, said a quote that has since stuck with me: “People are not truly gone if you keep their spirit alive. Don’t forget these people and events as you are keeping them alive.”
We headed back on the Metro, had a brief break in the hotel, then went back on the Metro into Central Amsterdam where we meet up for the Alumni Dinner. Throughout this dinner, we were able to connect with Pitt alumni who now have careers in the Netherlands. This event allowed me to connect with my peers and colleagues, as well as, diving deeper into my future career path. After the event, my friend and I toured Amsterdam a little more, as it was our last night there. Overall, this day was a lot of fun, very informative, and a great way to end our time in Amsterdam.
