The drive from the Netherlands, across Germany to Czech Republic, we decided to break down over two days.  Our plan was to drive at least 6 hours each day  – then find a place to stop in between.

Kassel was where we landed, in between.  We found a room at the B&B Hotel Kassel.

Here is what we experienced:

1. A small town, that at first glance didn’t look like much.
2. Following incorrect directions to a recommended Italian restaurant from the receptionist at the hotel, we started our walk to find it….
3. We walked and walked, were redirected a few times by locals who did not speak English – to the centre of town to where we walked into the largest Christmas Market we’ve come across yet!!!
4. Overwhelmed – all we wanted was a place to eat…..
5. One local directed us (with directions that actually worked) to an Italian restaurant in another centre square (not the one originally recommended!)!
6. We found this restaurant: L’Osteria – And an interesting evening began…….

Our walk across the bridge that was to lead us to the Italian restaurant recommended by the hotel receptionist (that we never did find!!) but was the starting point of our adventure!!

No Italian restaurant in sight, we followed our noses and kept walking in the direction of the smell of food. We walked by an old church, interestingly lined with crows and a few other beautiful buildings…..

Then we stumbled into the largest Christmas Market we’ve seen yet! The pictures don’t do this justice….there was a full scale circus tent, a ferris wheel….the crowds were so great, so cramped…. we just wanted a place to sit and enjoy a good meal. That was when we asked another local, who this time gave us a good recommendation and directions….

L’Osteria:  We walked into and every empty table had a reservation sign on it.  We were given the last table available table that was practically on top of the next table for two.  So many little moments happened from there on in….it went from feeling like we were in a snobby, high-end restaurant to making a few people laugh!! The homemade pizzas are so big – they are bigger than the plates!!!  I managed a pizzeria years ago (Pizza Girls) – I made pizzas from scratch…….and I LOVED this job!!!!  I had fun watching these guys cook!!!

The restaurant and the GINORMOUS pizzas I tried to sneak pictures of:

The open kitchen – the pizza guys making pizzas:

Michael and I ordered pasta – I had carbonara, Michael had a sausage pasta….DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

Carbonara

Michael’s sausage pasta

Then came dessert – Tiramisu and espresso  – Michael still isn’t sold on espresso….

We tried to video, smell and taste of this DELICIOUS tiramisu:

We had an amazing night!!!!

S <3 M, xoxoxo