Wow, I can’t believe it is our second-to-last day here in the Netherlands! Time has definitely gone by quickly. Today, we set off at around 9 am to head over to DakAkker, a green roof in the middle of Rotterdam. Once we got there, we met our tour guide, Rob, who would show us some…
Tag: Plus3 The Netherlands
The Netherlands
Deltaworks – Changing the Tide
5/20/25 Today, we had the opportunity to tour the Deltaworks, an amazing feat in engineering. After the floods of 1953, the Dutch people decided to take preventive action and pit the Deltaworks plan into action. The structures consist of a mattress at the sea bed designed to prevent the pillars from shifting. Then, pillars were…
Searching for Sustainability: Day 11
Today, we had two tours of Rotterdam, one focused on the sustainability efforts made in communities around the city and one led by our guide Brian focused on exploring some highlights of Rotterdam that might otherwise go unnoticed. As I have spent more time in the Netherlands, I have really cherished being able to uncover…
05/21 – DakAkker & a Tour of Rotterdam
Today was a more low-key day–we first were guided through Rotterdam to see some of Rotterdam’s sustainability initiatives, including an elevated train station converted into a green space, a rooftop farm, and some of the smart water management infrastructure in the city. Then, our trip-long guide, Brian, took us on a tour of the city…
Sustainability in Rotterdam
Today was our second to last day in Rotterdam. It was a pretty light day which was nice because we had a lot of time to wander the city and relax after our activities were done. The first thing we did was take a little walking tour around some places that show sustainability in Rotterdam….
City Nature and Sites of Rotterdam: Day 11
With the second to last day of the trip, we had a couple of tours to get to know the city even better. We had many days to explore on our own, but it was great to see the city from a local and from a tour perspective. I was very excited about the beginning…
Tourist to Tour Guide: Rotterdam Edition (5/21)
Today we were Brian (our chaperone)’s guinea pigs, as he gave us our first ever (for him) tour of Rotterdam, the “Phoenix of Europe.” I don’t know if he was referring to Arizona or the bird, but I don’t think Brian has gone to Arizona so that narrows it down. We started off the tour…
Team Green!
We have finished day 11, the second to last day of our trip. Today, we were given a special tour by Rob of his community in Rotterdam which has sustainable infrastructure, including green roofs and water storage and management systems. At first, we looked at a school which had 3 water basins designed to catch…
Cubi-cool Houses: The Mark(thalle) of Perfection
Day 11 was short but sweet! Today started off with a laid-back 9:15am breakfast, for which I had some bread with vegan margarine and cherry jam. We all then walked over to DakAkker, which is a building with an entirely green roof. Our tour guide, Rob, walked us through the history of the creation of…
Green Roofs and Rotterdam (5/21)
Day 11 was a relaxed, tour-filled day. Our first stop after a quick breakfast was a short city tour focused on sustainable architecture and urban planning, ending with a visit to Dakakker, a rooftop farm. Our tour guide, Rob, lead us through multiple different water collection systems, like a park that was dug into the…
A Leafly View From DakAkker
It’s day 11, the penultimate day of our study abroad program! After a good night’s sleep and a meager breakfast, we made our way to the Schieblock building to meet our tour guide Rob. Rob is a member of Rotterdams Milieucentrum, an organization dedicated to the conservation of nature in the city of Rotterdam. After…
Protecting Against Nature’s Inevitabilities: Day 10
Today, we had the chance to explore the Neeltje Jans Delta Park, a sort of hybrid museum, aquarium, and delta works that highlights the importance of the construction of the Delta Works projects done in the Netherlands to protect against the flooding of the area due to high water levels. After a tour highlighting the…
Rotterdam: The Phoenix of Europe
Day 11 had a pretty chill agenda with back to back tours. Our first tour with a local, Rob, took us through some of the cities innovative designs and green spaces. Rob took us to a park with a 3 basins that collect rainwater and prevent flooding. The coolest part is that the largest of…
Day 9: Green Moments
Today we visited a very exciting place which was our very first school of the trip: TU Delft. After stepping off the train I was amazed by the vibrant energy and large amount of green spaces already visible with our short walk to the Green Village. At the Green Village I discovered a tremendous amount…
Finally Seeing Rotterdam: Day 11
Today was our second to last day in Rotterdam, and we finally got to see more of the city. On the previous days, we had activities that took us to other cities or locations, but I really enjoyed getting to see where we have been staying and to be able to orient myself a little…
Blown Away by the Deltaparks
As part of an early morning, our Plus3 group departed for Deltapark in Neeltje Jans on the tenth day of the Netherlands trip. Surprisingly, this park hosted a variety of attractions, from aquariums to water parks. While the weather made the water slides too chilly for me to ride on, I enjoyed diving into other…
Day 10: From Crisis to Control
Today, we had the opportunity to visit Delta Park, where the Delta Works project showcases its work and exhibits. The Delta Works project was a series of operated pillars connected in order to block the passing of water between the North Sea and the river in order to prevent flooding. This project started right after…
Day 8: A Sea of Change
Today began with a nice change of pace which was a late start that I thoroughly enjoyed. It allowed me to sleep in and treat myself to a breakfast of my choice outside of the hotel. At promptly 1:00 PM, we embarked on our journey to the Watersnood Museum, a powerful experience that deepened my…
Delta Works? I Sure Hope It Does
On day 10, we traveled south to the Delta Works! The Delta Works, which protect large parts of the Netherlands from the North Sea, are one of the world’s most impressive examples of engineering and flood defense. Our day started at the visitors center, where we watched a short movie and were given a guided…
From the Ashes
At 9:15, we started our day with a short walk to the Schielblock building, which is home to offices of different companies and a rooftop garden. Before we explored the garden, we visited some sites in the nearby area that showcased Rotterdam’s drainage systems. One of my favorite examples was a basketball court that serves…