Gone walking (Abdij van Park)

A bleak day like you only get these dark, overcast days in Belgium. It didn't rain.
The intention today was to walk to the Abbey and from there to my son Michael's house which he renovates, a good intention.
Today I chose to go through the cemetary as I wanted to look at a grave. With the trees trimmed it looked quite dreary. Today there were not any special birds to be seen either.

What a sad grave.

Then my way goes over a cycle and pedestrian bridge over the railway lines.

Brugstraat or Bridge street, I wonder why?

Entrance to the gardens between two houses, but I wonder who the room above it belongs to. The curtain is closed on exactly the split between the houses.

The way I'm going to the Abbey today I have to cross another pedestrian bridge, all just to walk a bit further.

The Abbey from the bridge. Even though it's such a dark day, it's not cold and just look how green the grass already is. Again I'm wearing too much clothes. Everytime I start I feel a bit cold, but soon after leaving I realise the folley of too much clothing. Before leaving I weighed my backpack and it was not too heavy, about 3 kg with my binoculars and camera. No water or any drinks, I'm not going that far.

Everywhere the signs of spring can be seen, the first wild flowers. Mostly they are the small ones close to the ground. This year I especially enjoy to see spring coming. Never before it was such a great comfort to have a sunny day or see the new flowers or the young green leaves. The first leaves on the trees have such a tender green, making the world look so fresh.
Some type of witch hazel.

Then my battery of my camera died, not very clever of me to leave without loaded batteries.
Birding was good and I saw all the ducks and geese which is normally there, heard some of the birds like chaffinch singing already on the top of their lungs.
When I reached the part where they bred fish years ago and which is overgrown now, I saw a few birds fall into the shrubs. I could not make out which they were. I was sure it's not the birds I normally see around the Abbey. At first my mind went out to Common redpoll Carduelis flammea, but at home according to my book it was the Linnet Carduelis cannabina.
My walk was cut short by this bird, I was too curious to see what it was and returned home. Just before I left the Abbey I heard it singing and then saw the Black redstart Phoenicurus ochruros. That was a first for this season!