June 22 – This morning we took the metro back into Frankfurt, a long train to Duisburg and a short train to Xanten. We were met at the station by Jim’s dear friend Boris and his daughter Sofia. We are here for just a few days so that Jim and Boris can catch up. Then we will start our Pieterpad hike.
Boris and his wife Anke treated us to a wonderful barbecue with grilled eggplant and mushrooms, shish kebab, and all kinds of meat – steak, chicken and sausage. Their son Louis (17 and a student) speaks excellent English, as does Boris and Sofia (23 and a pediatric nurse). Little Emily (6 and just completed kindergarten) was cute as a button.
Boris and JimXanten is is pretty little town with interesting shops…a pedestrian shopping street…stately buildings …historical buildings…an old church …kitschy house decorations …and wall art!Beautiful flowersWe had a wonderful time visiting with Boris and his family!
Sept 22 – We couldn’t be so near to Jim’s friend Boris without taking a short excursion to Germany so that the two old friends could catch up. Jim made it sound like it was just a short hop across the border, but it was actually four hours of train and bus connections to get us into Xanten (ZAN ten).
We got to our weird little hotel in the middle of an industrial park, and I started feeling odd. All the symptoms of a cold, but with a fever and chills added in. Now, we had our flu and RSV vaccines just before we left, but the updated Covid jabs were not yet available. Yes, I wore a mask at the airport and on the planes. No, I didn’t put on a mask once I got into town – no one here was wearing one, and I thought I had evaded whatever germs might be gunning for me. I was so wrong.
So, Jim had a grand time catching up with his friend, and I had a few days to contemplate the meaning of life.
Sept 24 – Today Jim and Boris visited Xanten’s biggest attraction – an archeological reconstruction of the Roman settlement of Colonia Ulpia Traiana.
Examining textiles What a well dressed Roman woreWhat the Hafen tempel partially looked likeAuthentic Roman sausage, anyone?Training future gladiators A good day for Jim and Boris
Sept 25– So, Xanten is the only place in Germany that starts with the letter X. Boris had no idea what the word meant, so I turned to my old friend Wikipedia, which informed us that Xanten is a corruption of the Latin Sanctum (holy) or perhaps Santen (saint), both referring to St. Viktor, an early Roman convert to Christianity who was executed in this town during the 4th century for refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods. There is a huge cathedral in town that bears his name.
St. Viktor CathedralIntricate wooden carvings Beautiful stained glass and organ pipesFunny looking Madonna and childSomebody’s bones
So that was our trip to Xanten. As Boris drove us back to Netherlands to begin our Pieterpad hike, Jim started to feel odd…
Taking Our Time 