The past Saturday, 28 August, I joined Mr. Kopp’s guided tour through the Camp King areal once more. With about 20 visitors in tow, we walked through Camp King through drizzling rain, sudden sun shine, and heavy showers.

A springlike moment near the Officers' Club Camp King

Nevertheless, it was a good tour and I was glad to see more people showing up (in May 2010, there were only five visitors). The next one is scheduled for May 2011.

Our group touring Camp King in August 2010

For more information on extra tours, contact Manfred Kopp at CampKingOberursel.

The other day I took a little detour through the forest on my way home and came by these abandoned walls. I had seen them many times in the past, but not knowing what they were, I stopped perceiving their existence, until now.

Shooting Range Oberursel

Since 1900, this areal, sitting close to the entrance of the Oberursel-Nord forest, has been in the hands of the local gun club. In the beginning, it was used for shooting practise by a vigilante group. After the war, that same group formed the gun club as it is today.

In its early days, the shooting range used to be 300 meters, which was getting very close to the local animal shelter (still there today). Today’s range only measures about 100 meters.

These walls had been built for protection; such as for missed targets as well as reducing noise. A long-time resident also mentioned that trenches had been built  below the walls during WW II. One German resident stated it still belonged to the local Schützenverein (shooting club), but it seems without any activity.

Joggers, dog walkers, and whole families pass by there all the time. There is no sign such as Betreten verboten! (Keep off), the area is not fenced in either.

Interestingly enough, right next to it, a local kindergarden has built an out-door play center, where groups are taken to once a week.

This is a curious mix of historical remnants and  modern day-care sitting side by side in the woods.

Back in May of this year, I had joined Manfred Kopp, our local historian and Camp King archivist, on a tour through Camp King. This tour is only given twice a year, in May and August.

The next guided tour is set for 28 August 2010 at 14:00.

Meeting place: In front of the EDEKA supermarket on Hohemarkstrasse (you can take the U3 and get off at the station Kupferhammerweg)

Tour fee: € 3

I had learned a lot from this tour and I plan on going again. Mr. Kopp is an infinite source of information and this tour is very recommendable to anyone interested in history and future political science.

For more information in German, visit CampKingOberursel

For more information about Camp King in English, visit my other website Pension Sprachschule.

On this rather hot Friday afternoon (currently 32°C/90F), my husband and I went downtown Oberursel to eat at this tiny eatery La Vita Italiana. Four cloth-covered tables grace the inside and two others on the side of the street. They also sell Italian bread and groceries.

La Vita Italiana, a.k.a. the first paninoteca (snackbar) In Oberursel, serves panini, pizza, pasta, oven dishes, salads, antipasti, desserts, and much more. Everything is made from fresh ingredients only, and therefore only available when ordered beforehand.

The prices are very reasonable and our antipasti was excellent. The little white pitcher held olive oil marinated with basil leaves, garlic, rosemary, and possibly other herbs. My husband and I both took whiffs from this wonderful olive oil to figure out its contents.

We had ordered zucchini, eggplant (the best vegetable to keep cool in hot weather), artichokes, and pepper/onion mix.

Generous portions of antipasti

I want to take my children there next time for some highly cherished pana cotta (cream pudding).

La Vita Italiana

Untere Hainstrasse 1b

61440 Oberursel

Tel: 06171 – 86 60 920

Hours of operation: Mon-Fri 10:00 – 19:00       Sat: 9:00 – 16:00

Come summer time weather, Germans are out and about, if the weather allows it. The country is full of Biergartens with people eating and drinking.

As my Heimat is Bavaria, this might explain my aversion to Apfelwein (a.k. as Eppelwoi and Äppelwoi). I try this wine every few years, but I still don’t care for it.

Äppelwoi (apple wine) in Hesse

The drink itself looks delicious on a hot summer evening. This is a 0.5 l glass (one pint), but many Germans will turn this into a Gespritzter (apple wine diluted with mineral water).

Bread dumplings with chanterelle

I had ordered this dish called Semmelknödel mit Pfifferlingen. It looked very fancy with this herbal decoration, but the food quality itself was average. The Gasthaus seems to get good reviews, though. Service was very good and quick.

If you are in the Frankfurt area, you might enjoy visiting this guesthouse Land Gasthaus Zur Sonne located in Oberursel/Stierstadt.

View onto Frankfurt

On a clear day, you can also make out the skyline while sitting outside drinking German style.