Yesterday, IES took us to Zaanse Schans, the most happening place of the pre-industrial revolution. It used to include over 700 windmills, each with a separate job–all propelled by wind power (wood cutting, paper making, oil drilling, grain grinding, etc.)! I was really surprised to find that the U.S. Declaration of Independence was signed on paper made from a paper mill in Zaanse Schans. I was even more surprised to have never heard of the windmills’ existence. Walking through the town, I was swept away by the charming atmosphere and the potent smell of chocolate (there was a chocolate factory nearby). Even though the weather was cloudy and very cold, that made for good wind, and so we got to see a sawmill demonstration and really see the power that these windmills produced. Contrary to my previous beliefs, people did not live in the windmills, but only used them for commercial purposes.

After seeing the sawmill, we got to taste cheese made locally and I bought some amazing pesto cheese, which I later grated onto my dinner. Then we went to a clog making shop where we saw a five-minute demonstration of clog making. Instead of doing everything handmade, they showed us how they make clogs using two different WWII era machines from Germany and France (why not the Netherlands? I don’t know). It was interesting to see a different side of the Netherlands that was more rural and historical that Rotterdam or more city-like like Amsterdam. Even for its small geographical capacity, I’m finding out more than I ever knew I could about the Netherlands. For example, the Deltawerken, a dike system in the Netherlands, has helped the country regain most of their land lost during a 19^th century flood and can be seen from outer space! If only we had that technology with some of our natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and, more recently, Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and New York. The Netherlands has a lot more to offer the U.S. than just it’s political ideologies of toleration, which is normally the only thing the country seems to be noted for. To me, the Netherlands is full of surprises and history.

Location: Zaanse Schans, The Netherlands