Today was our first day in the new hotel, and I slept like a baby on the new beds. Today was a cultural day, with free time in the city of The Hague and eventually a visit to the Peace Palace. We started off by visiting Mauritshuis, where the Girl with the Pearl Earring is….
Tag: Plus3 The Netherands
Day 6: Nouryon and Rotterdam
Today, we woke up bright and early at 7 AM, and got breakfast for the final time at the Meininger hotel. We put on our fancy clothes and took private transportation for about an hour to Nouryon polymer specialties headquarters in Deventer. We were first given an introduction into the life saving safety rules and…
Innovating for a Sustainable Future: Lessons from Nouryon
During my visit to Nouryon, I learned about the innovative ways the company is addressing sustainability in the plastics and polymer industries. One of the most striking facts shared during the presentation was that only about 14.6% of global plastic waste is recycled. The majority either ends up in landfills or gets burned for energy,…
A Clogs-Knit Community: Exploring Zaanse Schans
As part of the fourth day of the trip in the Netherlands, our group explored the quaint village known as Zaanse Schans. While the village pretended to take place in the past, many of the lessons learned from the trip proved valuable to creating a sustainable future. Through the tours and visit to the local…
Walking Through Time: My Visit to the Anne Frank Museum
Visiting the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam was an unforgettable and emotional journey. Located in Amsterdam, this historic building was the secret annex where Anne Frank, her family, and four others hid during World War II. Walking through the narrow hallways and climbing the steep stairs, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of history…
Say Cheese and Step Back in Time: My Dutch Adventure at Henri Willig and the Zuiderzeemuseum
During my trip to Zaandijk Zaanse Schans, I visited the Henri Willig cheese manufacturer, where tradition meets modern values. The village, known for its iconic windmills and Dutch heritage, offered a perfect setting for learning about cheese-making. I also discovered why modern wind turbines have three blades: more blades would be expensive and less efficient,…
Blooming Ideas and Floating Dreams: Exploring Amsterdam’s Sustainable Wonders
Today, I had the incredible opportunity to visit Royal FloraHolland, the largest international floriculture marketplace in the world. Located in the Netherlands, this marketplace is a bustling hub where flowers from countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Israel, Colombia, Ecuador, Belgium, Italy, and the UK are bought, sold, and transported to their next destination. As someone…
Day 4: Wandering Through Windmills and History
Today our day began by visiting Henri Willig, a well-known Dutch cheese manufacturer. In order to get there, we took hour-long bus ride to the charming village of Zaandijk Zaanse Schans! During our bus rides we passed many wind turbines. Professor Kerzmann explained that wind turbines have 3 blades because it is the most cost…
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…
Day 4: Henri Willig Lives!
Today, we started off the day in the hotel lobby at 9:00 A, where we took our train to Zaanse Schans to see the beautiful “countryside”. As soon as we hopped off the train, the amazing view almost struck me down. The windmills were spinning in the distance and there were thousands of sailboats stationed…
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…
Day 3: FloraHolland and Floating Houses
Today, our day began bright and early at 6:00am when we met for breakfast. After a quick packed breakfast provided by the hotel, we took a bus over to Royal FloraHolland for a self-guided tour where we explored the center of global flower and plant trade in the Netherlands! We walked along a skybridge looking…
Day 3: Petal to the Metal
Bright and early this morning at 6:00 AM, we departed our hotel armed with cream and cucumber sandwiches made by the lovely hotel staff. The bus took us to the famous flower auction house, Royal FloraHolland! The auction claims to sell over 22 million flowers a day, spans the width of 243 football fields, and…
Lost in Tulips and Tradition: My First Day Exploring Amsterdam
Landing in Amsterdam after an eight-hour flight felt like stepping into a new world. The city’s charm hit me right from the start as I navigated the trains and metro, getting acquainted with the local public transport system. Our destination was Amstelstation, where we dropped off our bags at the hotel before diving into the…
Day 1: Arriving in Amsterdam
After what seemed to be a very long journey, we have finally arrived in the Netherlands! Despite the long hours of travel (and very little sleep), we had a full day with many fun activities. We started our day by familiarizing ourselves with the city of Amsterdam through a scavenger hunt that had a theme…
Day 2: There Is A (Choco) late To See!
Day 2 was amazing. We started off the day at about 8:00 AM, showered, and headed down to the lobby for breakfast. Breakfast consisted of tomatoes, boiled eggs, and yogurt, which were some newer choices for me! After breakfast, we took the metro to Nieuwmarkt, where we would walk to Cocoa and Spice, a local…
Day 1: Keukenhof-ving A Great Time
I would love to tell you where the day started off, but I am honestly not entirely sure. I will begin in Pittsburgh Airport at 8 AM US time on May 10th, where we waited for about five hours for our first flight to Boston, Massachusetts. The airplane was small and a little cramped, but…
From Local Leadership to Global Health: My Path to the Netherlands
Hello, my name is Emily Angelo, and I am a passionate and well-rounded individual with a strong background in academics, athletics, leadership, the arts, community service, and work experience. Throughout high school, I was an active member of the cross-country and track teams, where I developed perseverance, teamwork, and leadership skills, eventually becoming the captain…
Farewell Netherlands 😢
Our schedule for the last day was a busy one. We started with taking public transportation to Floating Farm, a company all about sustainability. Their mission is to have a standing farm during times of floods and other disasters. They also sell their goods regularly, for the cows produce 6,000 liters a month. I was…
Floating Farms and Final Farewells
Today was our last day in The Netherlands, and it was action-packed and a great conclusion to Plus3. We started off the day by visiting the Floating Farm, a small dairy and microgreen farm located on a floating platform in Rotterdam. The owners founded this farm in 2012 after seeing the devastation that Hurricane Sandy…