Today, we had more of a packed day, with activities from 9-5, but luckily we were able to wake up a little bit later than yesterday. We started out by taking a charter bus to visit the Albert Willig Cheese Manufacturer within a quaint little village. There, we learned about the cheesemaking process and how…
Category: Frederick Honors College
Cheezy Breezy Maritime Village
Day 4 sure was one of the days of all time! We started our day with a train to Zaanse Schans, which is home to the Henri Willig cheese farm. We were given a brief explanation on how Henri Willig cheese is made, and after we were able to try a variety of unique cheeses….
From Cheese to the Seas (5/14)
We began Day 4 with our long-awaited tour of the Henri Willig cheese manufacturer. If you have ever walked around Amsterdam, you have likely noticed Henri Willig stores on almost every block. It was fun to learn about the cheese-making process behind this iconic Dutch company and to sample some of their delicious flavors. Henri…
Milling Around Amsterdam
Following another traditional Dutch hotel breakfast, we went to the train station next to our hotel to travel to the windmill district. When we arrived, we were met with a completely different scene than central Amsterdam. There was a quaint village, with small canals running through swampy marshland. We met some friendly goats who were…
Ducks, Ducks and more Ducks
Our next adventure brought us to the windmill district of Zaanse Schans, a quaint, windmill-ridden town ridden with picturesque views of canals, ducks, sheep and Henri Willig’s historic cheese farm. We noted how the company, at least the historic plant we visited, used sustainable practices when producing their cheese, such as maintaining the natural environment…
I’m Free, Free Flowerin’: Exploration of Tulip Auctions and Rijksmuseum
With an early wake up, the entire Plus3 group headed towards the world’s largest flower auction at the Royal FloraHolland auction on the third day of the trip. Following the auction markets established in the Netherlands during the mid 1600s, this auction house sells flowers to buyers all across the globe. The auctioneering model follows…
Insert Cheesy Pun Here
I was very excited for this day of our trip, as we were going to visit a cheese manufacturer called Henri Willig, and I love cheese. After a breakfast at the hotel and a train ride to get there, we arrived at the home of the cheese manufacturer, the neighborhood of Zaanse Schans. Zaanse Schans…
I Didn’t Know Cheese Could Taste This Good: Amsterdam Day 4
Today, it initially seemed like we did not directly interact with a lot of sustainability-related visits, but there actually was some content relevant to the ideas we are investigating on this trip. Additionally, we further explored Dutch culture, and I enriched my understanding of how agriculture focused life in the Netherlands has both changed over…
Henri Willig and Zuiderzee
Today was our fourth day in the Netherlands, and we all enjoyed getting more sleep than yesterday. I had breakfast around 8:30, and I enjoyed some yogurt, mini pancakes, and sliced meat and cheese. We then boarded a train and went to Zaanse Schans, which took about 30 minutes. Upon arrival, we walked through the…
Sustainable Flowers & Floating Houses
Yesterday, we started bright and early at 6 AM, so that we could drive to the Floraholland, the largest flower distributor in the world and largest building in Europe. Through this experience, we saw their sustainable practices such as using electric carts and utilizing reusable flower pots. After the Floraholland, we bussed over to the…
Day 4: Hyundai and Hacky-Sack
Today, we woke up very early and left the hotel at 7 AM for our company visit at Hyundai. Since we left before the hotel breakfast began, we were given a boxed lunch by Jinny. The lunch was quite tasty, including fruit, a sandwich, and some mochi with red bean. After a long drive south,…
Beautiful Flowers and Buoyant Houses
The third day of this study abroad in the Netherlands began at the early time of around 6:00 AM. We had to get going this early in order to see the beginning of the day at the largest international marketplace for flowers in the world, Royal FloraHolland. Royal FloraHolland is an organized marketplace where flowers…
05/13 – Royal FloraHolland, Schoonschip, & the Rijksmuseum
Today, we had an early start to get to Royal FloraHolland’s facilities in Aalsmeer, near Schiphol airport. The warehouse was absolutely colossal–its floor area is larger than 243 soccer fields, something you can only really appreciate when you see it in person. Royal FloraHolland is a grower’s cooperative dedicated to floriculture, and it is the…
Tasty, Teeming, Tantalizing Tours Across Amsterdam
On my second day in the Netherlands, May 12th, the day started sweetly with a chance to taste local Dutch chocolates. While neighboring European countries hold more prestige for their cocoa-flavored desserts, the Netherlands imports the largest cacao bean in the world. To engage and understand how local chocolates can offer a sustainable future for…
Chocolate, Canals, and Quirky Facts: An Amsterdam Adventure
Our day in Amsterdam started with a buzz of excitement as we gathered for breakfast, eager for the adventures ahead. After fueling up, we met at 9:15 to catch the metro, ready to dive into the city’s unique blend of history, flavor, and culture. First on the agenda? A chocolate tasting at the charming Cacao…
Petals, Piers, and Paintings!
Hallo! Today, we hopped on a coach bus at the crack of dawn to head to Royal FloraHolland, one of the largest global marketplaces for flowers and plants! Royal FloraHolland has several locations, and the Aalsmeer location is home to the largest warehouse in Europe by floor space, rivaling the city-state of Monaco in size….
Flowers & Floating Houses (5/13)
Day 3 began bright and early with a 5:30 a.m. wake up for a 6:00 a.m. transport to Floraholland. Aside from being a little tired, I was extremely impressed by the size and organized chaos of the factory. Every worker seemed to know where they were going and what they were doing, despite there being…
From Tulip Empires to Floating Villages: Day 3 in Amsterdam
Today, the first thing we learned at 6:00 am was how different a European breakfast was, as the hotel loaded us up with a cucumber sandwich and paprika chips. It was a comical way to start such an early day, and definitely helped to wake us all up. The reason we got up so early…
Staying Afloat
Day 3 started off early with a 7AM visit to Royal FloraHolland. Royal FloraHolland is the world’s largest flower trading center, with around 22 million flowers auctioned each day. I was impressed by the scale and efficiency of the operation. Watching the fast-paced bidding process in real time was fascinating. What also stood out to…
Petals and Canals: Day 3 in Amsterdam
So far in my time in Amsterdam, I have begun to see a connecting ideal in many of the people and places we have had the chance to explore: A willingness to take the difficult steps to bring about change. Everyone wants change to occur, but the hardest part of this is actually starting to…