Today was our final day in the Netherlands! We had a very slow start to the day and left around 10:00, giving us time to enjoy our last morning and eat a full breakfast. Then, we departed to The Hague, the political capital of the Netherlands. This was a really interesting city, because it almost…
Tag: Dylan Troup
Day 11: Sky Farm and Water Museum
We started our day with a walking tour focused on sustainable water practices in Rotterdam. Something we saw that stood out to me was that in one area that had mostly concrete, there were several basins that water would flow into. Then, it would be drained and stored in rain barrels, thus preventing flooding. Afterwards,…
Day 10: Let’s Seal the Delta Works!
Today, we woke up somewhat early to go visit the Deltapark Neeltje Jans. It was essentially like a museum and mini amusement park combined, and it educated us on the Deltaworks as well as the North Sea Flood of 1953. This storm had catastrophic effects on people living near coastal areas of the Netherlands. Over…
Day 9: Floating Farm and Good Food
During our first full day in Rotterdam, we visited Floating Farm, a self-sufficient dairy farm on the water in Rotterdam port. First we were given a presentation that gave an overview of the farm. They explained that the founders were in New York City during Hurricane Sandy, and experienced the food distribution issues. If a…
Day 8: Moseying in Münster
Today, we took an excursion to Münster, and spent pretty much the entire day there. To start, our guide Enno gave us a little walking tour and explained the history of the city and some of its buildings. He explained that during World War II, the city was heavily bombed, including the city center. As…
Day 7: Water We Doing in Enschede?
Today we went into the city of Enschede to learn about the city and also explore on our own. We began by taking a tour through various parts of the city that focused on the water management issues the city faces and their solution. He first gave an introduction to the history of Enschede and…
Wind Energy and Historic Elburg: Day 6
We began the day early with a lecture on wind energy. He began with the history of the Netherlands and their reliance on windmills, then moved onto the technical side of wind energy. An interesting topic he discussed was wind energy security: essentially, because fossil fuels are very important and there’s a lot of politics…
Water and Wildlife: Day 5
Today, we departed Amsterdam and arrived in Enschede. Specifically, we’re staying at the University of Twente. Immediately upon arriving, we took a tour of the university. It is very similar to many traditional American universities- it is very spread out, most of what you need is on campus, and there’s lots of recreation. Where it…
Day 4: Walking Through History: Windmills and War
Today, we went to the neighborhood of Zaans Schans to see the historic windmills. Walking into the town felt very magical- the combination of the beautiful buildings and vibrant greenery made it feel like something out of a fairytale. The town itself pays homage to traditional Dutch culture and history. This was evident but the…
Tiptoeing Through Tulips – Day 3
Today was full of tours and activities that highlighted the sustainability of the Netherlands. First, we went to De Tulperij, which was a beautiful tulip field that uses sustainable practices. While most of the tulips had been cut in order to preserve the nutrients of the bulb, there were still many tulips left for us…
Tiny Cars, Big Fun: Day 1 and 2
My first two days in the Netherlands have been very exciting and filled with experiences I’ve never had in the U.S. After a long journey from the states, we finally arrived in the Netherlands and a few hours later took a canal tour! Despite being exhausted, it was a very beautiful tour that gave an…
Next Stop: The Netherlands
Hello, I’m Dylan Troup and I’m a first-year environmental engineering student here at the University of Pittsburgh, and I’m originally from Morristown, New Jersey! I’m studying environmental engineering and plan to pursue a sustainability certificate. Here at Pitt, I’m part of the Frederick Honors College and a member of Epsilon Eta Delta, an environmental honors…