Una Festa del Cioccolato

Chocolate rocks my world.

Thanks to the Italian Culture Club, a bus of AUR students was able to go to the EuroChoc Festival in Perugia. I have never seen so much chocolate in my life.

After taking the ChocoTrain into Perugia, we climbed the hill up to a picturesque town with a view that looked like it was torn from the pages of a fairytale. Despite the crisp air that had already turned the leaves to shades of amber and red, we spent the day eating, dancing, and walking, the smell of melted chocolate consuming us all the while.

Part of the festival was within a castle, the other portion lined the main street. The vats of hot chocolate were filled with flavors ranging from milk chocolate, to amaretto, to orange, to dark chocolate. The only description that seems even comparable is that given in the Polar Express. It was like melted candy bars, but still thin enough to constitute hot chocolate. The juxtaposition of its warmth with the bite of the air was enough to send shivers up my spine. A marching band danced up and down the street with a wake of followers intoxicated by the ubiquitous creamy delights.

The chocolate on display was transformed into countless mediums. There was chocolate shaped as gardening tools, books, pills (still not sure if it was a joke or real), fruits, etc. There were chocolate covered fruits, nuts, and candies. The chocolate had been shipped from Venezuala, Equador, Switzerland, Italy, and over 20 other nations.

So with bags in hand and chocolate in my stomach, I got back on the Chocotrain and returned to Rome.

Click the picture link below for more photos.