The 'Babbersmolen', Schiedam

The Babbers windmill was named after the Babbers polder, which it drained and maintained.  No idea who Babbers was.  The windmill was built in 1710, so now more than 300 years old, and it's very close to five essential sluice gates in the area, now working together as one.  It's also standing in one of the loveliest areas in Schiedam, a little pocket of almost rural beauty that I never expected to find on the outskirts of a bustling industrial city, especially one next to Rotterdam.  Parked my car about 1.5 km. away because I was not in the mood to analyze the labyrinth of streets in the direct neighbourhood but, with the weather as it was, I enjoyed the walk immensely.  This is windmill number 5 in Schiedam, so three more to go.  If I'm not mistaken, Schiedam used to have 11.  That'll be a nice future side-project -- researching where the three missing ones used to be.  Not now, not now.  In the meantime, there's an extra.

Gorgeous weather, with just enough heat, hardly anyone on the motorways, and by the time I settled down with the Burgundians, all essential housework -- laundry, ironing, vacuuming, the kitchen, and finishing up in my little room -- done, too, with some time to game in between.  AW enjoyed the garden the whole day and I spent some time with him there, as well, before I left.  We closed the Paralympics in fifth position behind such behemoths as China, the UK, and the US, our tennis player van de Zandschulp has landed in the last 8 in the US Open, and, mercy of mercies, Max Verstappen won his F1 race near The Hague, at our newly re-opened racing circuit in Zandvoort, where no one, and I mean no one, did any social distancing or wore a mask.  There's a lot of backbiting now on social media about that because the government allowed it but isn't allowing any other event.  Oh well... we had a nice day.  Very thankful.  Zo is dat.