Windmill 't Nupke, Geldrop

Did my best to take advantage of some sun.  Just some, not much.  The idea was to drive to Aalst, a small village just past Eindhoven, but a traffic accident between Tilburg and Eindhoven slowed me down considerably so that there was no more time to 'get lost' looking for it, so I settled for Geldrop, the exit to which is right along the A67, the same motorway I use when I go to Germany via Venlo.

'Nupke' is from the local dialect, so the original word would have to be 'nupje' or 'nopje', in which case the only way I can translate it is 'the small delight'.  I think that is a rather cute name for a windmill.  Certainly, it is not small but it is not too large either.  There's an extra, if you want the bigger view.

Today is Son's 40th birthday!  Rani organized a surprise party and he really was surprised because he thought the COVID restrictions ruled out any party.  Rani fixed things, though, so that we all had to come within specific time slots.  Some family came in the late morning, followed by the Gang early in the afternoon till 16.00.  Our time slot was 16.00-19.00.  The thing was, the Gang had such a fab time they hung around way past their time and so we met them, too.  We actually know some of them and it was interesting to see how they all have young children now.  A logical thing but delightful, nonetheless.  Son's really good friend Bjorn is the one who has always gone with him on trips.  The two of them used to do that when they were still single, and they still do it, leaving the wives behind and hooting off together to explore some city or natural area.  The excuse is that they want to check out the area first before inviting the ladies 'next time'.  And there is often a 'next time', especially when they return and share their pictures.  The second time around, the children are duly parked with some parents or aunts.  With respect to travelling, Son is very much like me, and now he's raising his children the same way, passing on the travelling bug.

For the first time in more than 10 years, AW saw his daughter today.  I need to include that tidbit here because it's the kind of thing that needs to be put here, I think.  Not that it was a significant meeting, though, as nothing was exchanged.  We also saw her son, AW's first grandson, for the first time.  I saw AW's first granddaughter the moment we stepped in, but AW did not.  She went home earlier, and when AW's daughter returned, it was the son who came along.  This is what can happen when a vicious ex tells false tales.  We have learned not to mind, although I can remember a time when we fought with tooth and nail to see them.  It absolutely tired us out and we decided to leave it behind.  There is so much more to look forward to.  Rani later apologized that she couldn't keep the other group from staying and that we might have felt 'uncomfortable'.  We reassured her that it was a fab visit, and we meant it, too.  Son was as pleased as punch.

If you're wondering ... no, I did not take any shots at Son's place.  Somehow, one can feel it when an 'outside camera' might be intrusive.