Today, we rose early for an all-day trip to Deltaworks. We took a private bus to the area, and the Deltaworks facility kindly provided us with traditional Dutch pastries called Zeeuwse bolus. They were like cinnamon rolls but thinner, and with the sweet spice mix rubbed all over the bread, rather than just in the middle. They were delicious!
Next, we watched a video about the idea behind Deltarworks, as well as the technical aspects of the structures. Deltaworks is essentially a massive flood control structure consisting of five storm surges barriers, two sluice complexes, and six dams. We learned that the addition of the storm surge barriers heavily increased the current in the area, so mats were added to the sea floor to protect the surrounding sand from erosion and protect the surrounding ecosystem, as well as to give the storm surge barriers a stronger foundation. Using storm surge barriers instead of dams for some of the structures was also environmentally friendly because the storm surge barriers do not alter fish migration patterns and tidal exchanges, as they let water through almost all of the time.
After the video, we toured some of the visitor’s center and went outside to view one of the storm surge barriers itself. We enjoyed a typical Dutch lunch of bread, meats, and cheeses, and we got to try some traditional croquettes, which were like large bitterballen. With the ingredients at the table, we also made a snack that our tour guide suggested and that many Dutch children enjoy, made of buttered bread topped with sprinkles, sometimes called ‘fairy bread’ in the states. After lunch, we went on a boat tour of some of the Deltaworks features. I stood at the top and enjoyed the view for the majority of it, but it got so windy that I moved to the covered area of the boat near the end.
After the boat tour, we were given free time to explore the visitor’s center. There was a sea lion show that many people watched, and water slides that didn’t get the rider wet were also a big hit. In addition, we explored a whale museum and an aquarium.
