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You can see it from afar, the basilica of St. Alexander, on a wharf above the Hunte. Although a building made of wood, it is quite pretty and impressive! Luckily we'll be there soon.
It is the year of the Lord 988, the month of March, a month when there is hardly any frost. But every year I have the feeling that spring is getting colder and colder. It's not all that far from my residence in Bremen, but the roads are far less good than the old Roman roads I've seen in Italy. In addition, even for me, Bishop Adaldag of Bremen, what used to be just a pleasure is becoming more and more difficult with age. But an opportunity like this will not come often to me again. I used to deal with monarchs on a daily basis. I was Chancellor of the 0great Emperor Otto, the victor over the Hungarians, who had united the tribes of the East Frankish Empire into one mighty empire. But now he has been dead for a long time. And his son Otto II is no longer alive either - which would have been a real misfortune for the empire if his widow were not such an energetic and clever woman: Theophanu from the family of the Byzantine Dynasty! She reigns for her under age, eight-year-old son Otto, who was named after his father and grandfather.
Like their predecessors, Theophanu and young Otto are constantly on the move to oversee things in as many places in the empire as possible. In addition to that, the large imperial entourage cannot be adequately catered for in one place for long periods of time. So Theophanu moves from one palace and one royal court to the next. Luckily for me, the imperial clan owns this monastery and this village here, as they are related to the Widukind Dynasty, the founders of the Alexander Church.
Theophanu has come to meet me, coming from Minden and the Memleben monastery. I appreciate the honor very much, although I would have preferred to welcome the Imperial Highnesses within my own walls, especially since my modest home in Bremen is a bit more comfortable than the rather rustic-looking buildings that are arranged around the church. I am very pleased to see Theophanu again. But of course that's not the only reason I'm here. I urgently need to secure my policies in Hamburg, Denmark and East Frisia. And the Emperor will -I hope- be so gracious and seal the according relevant documents for me.
Ha! Smoke rises from one of the houses. I take that as a good sign! They obviously want to make an old man happy with a nice, warm stove.