Today, we took a train to Zaanse Schans, and learned about the old windmills there, which were vital to the early the Dutch economy. The windmills were used for a variety of tasks, including sawing lumber, grinding spices, and even controlling the water in the surrounding areas. The windmills could also be rotated to face toward the wind, in order to get the maximum amount of energy possible. It was incredible to see how sustainable practices and wind energy have been around for so long, since many of the windmills at Zaanse Schans dated back to the 1600s.

In the same location, we visited a cheese tasting in a Henri Willig store, and viewed the making of a traditional Dutch clog. I had never realized that clogs were shaped while wet, so it surprised me when the woodworker blew into the clog near the end of the process and it expelled a lot of water.

Next, we were given free time to explore Amsterdam, and some friends and I chose to go to the Rijksmuseum. Here, we explored for about an hour, which was enough time to look around one or two of the more modern floors. We saw paintings by Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and a variety of other Dutch artists. It was interesting to me how the paintings and sculptures were much more centered around ships, the navy, and the ocean compared to other American and European artworks I have encountered.

After this, we went to the Anne Frank house and took an audio tour of her hiding spot during the Holocaust. There were many photographs that I had never seen before, and it was incredible to see original pieces of furniture that had been in the annex when Anne and her family hid there. Lastly, we attended a dinner event with Pitt alumni and exchanged experiences about Pitt and the Netherlands. It was interesting to see how  the Pitt experience has both stayed the same and changed over the years.