Today we took a private transfer to Delta Works! We specifically got to see the storm surge barrier (oosterscheldekering), but dams and dykes are also surrounding the Netherlands. The Oosterscheldekering consists of 62 steel gates that remain open until the water level is forecasted to be 3 meters above the Normal Amsterdam Level. The gates…
Tag: Plus3 The Netherlands
The Netherlands
Farm life to Marine life innovation
Today, we visited a floating farm! This included cows, micro greens, and cheese processors. This farm was put on the ocean to allow easy access to food products for places that had just gone through a natural disaster. This reduces carbon emissions from transportation while providing more safety to the surrounding areas. Although there is…
Wish I could spend Twente more days here!
Today we arrived in Enschede! We first started by taking a tour of the University of Twente. It was interesting to see the architecture of the housing, educational buildings, and statues. Compared to Pitt, these structures were more modern and similar-styled. I also noticed they have more water fountains outside because they have filtering systems…
Detour to the bicycle capital of Germany
Today, we visited Münster, Germany! Here, we got a short history tour and free time in the city. When looking into the sustainability of Munster, I found that 35-40% of travel is by bicycle. This is important as bikes require minimal resources to make. Using less resources results in less waste over time. This corresponds…
Our last day in Enschede: water management, markets, and festivals!
We first started by having a city tour of Enschede. We learned that they strive to prevent flooding by creating shallow dips in the ground that are covered with green space. These areas capture the water runoff because they sit at a lower elevation. The water can then be stored in the soil for the…
Day 12: Politics Seem Normal Here?
Today was our last day in the Netherlands, and we took a day trip to the Hague. The Hague is not the capital of the Netherlands (that title belongs to Amsterdam) but it does house the Dutch government, parliament, and royal family, and it serves as the global center for international law and justice. We…
Day 11: Farms and Cafes High in the Sky!
Today, we started the day off with breakfast, where I made the Dutch sprinkle bread that Enno had told us about yesterday as a treat. Then, we took the metro to the city center of Rotterdam, which was very rainy today. We did a waking tour of Rotterdam, and it was really interesting to see…
Day 10: Water Control AND Water Slides!
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…
Day 9: Cows Can Float?
Today, we woke up in Rotterdam for the first time. Our hotel room (including the bathroom) was decorated with prints of tarsiers with bright orange eyes, which were a little scary while showering. We hopped on the Rotterdam metro and made our way to our first stop of the day, a floating farm. We attended…
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 1: Traveling and Tours
Today, day one of our trip was very long. After a 20-hour travel day, we got to Amsterdam and hit the ground running. First was navigating the underground subway in order to get to the canal tour, where we got a good look at the city from a different perspective. Our tour guide talked a…
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…
Day 11 – The Hague: Our Last Day in The Netherlands
Today, our last full day in the Netherlands, we visited The Hague, the country’s political capital. After waking up and hopping on the metro, we had a long ride to the city. Once we got off our trip, our guide gave us a tour of the city, teaching us more about the Netherlands ‘ political…
The Future is Now at the Port of Rotterdam
We had such a fun day on 5/11! Today was our first full day in Rotterdam, so of course we had to start by seeing the seaport because it is the largest in Europe. We arrive and the first thing we go to see are the cows. That’s right, on the port of Rotterdam floats…
Day 8: Is This ‘Plus3: Germany?’
Today was our last day waking up in Enschede. We packed up and took our bus all the way across the border to Germany, where we visited Munster. The city was quiet, since it was a Sunday and many people were attending church, especially the older generations. Stores were mostly closed today, so after a…
Day 7: Pace Yourself!
Today, we went on a tour of Enschede led by a municipal civil engineer, and learned about the variety of sustainability features that Enschede uses to maintain its structure. In Enschede, one of the main environmental issues is the collection of rainwater and possibility of flooding with heavy rain. Therefore, engineers create natural and sustainable…
Day 6: Old Cities and New Windmills
Today, we started off the morning with a lecture from a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor at the University of Twente about the aerodynamics of windmill blades, and a general overview of how windmills work. We learned that one of the major downsides to wind energy is the potential noise of the windmills, and to…
A Bittersweet Sustainable Send Off
Today was a bittersweet day as it marked our last day in the Netherlands and the end of our program. We took a train ride from Rotterdam to visit the neighboring city, The Hague, the capital city of South Holland. While Amsterdam is the official capitol, The Hague is The Netherlands governmental and administrative capital….
Growing Up
Today we first visited DakAkker, a rooftop garden in downtown Rotterdam. This is one of the largest rooftop gardens in the Netherlands and an exemplary leader in sustainable agriculture innovation. Our tour guide gave us a history of the garden, and we were all able to go up and visit it. Something that stood out…
Delta Days
Today we visited the Delta Works, a series of water-management construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands. They are one of the world’s most famous flood-protection systems. The Delta Works center had a museum for visitors to learn about the history and significance of the projects, as well as a nice campus with some…