"Euro Chocolate” is one of the largest chocolate festivals in Europe. The delectable celebration of all things chocolate takes place in Perugia, Umbria each year.
Euro Chocolate 2008 proved to be a great occasion to visit the beautiful, medieval city of Perugia for the first time.
The streets were packed with chocolate enthusiasts, learning about the origins of chocolate, watching artists carve out delectable sculptures with huge blocks of chocolate, participating in contests in the hope of winning chocolate and, of course, sampling some of the finest chocolates in the world.Two small geniuses, who couldn't have been more than 12 years old, skillfully played chess with giant chocolate chess peices.
I have been known to devour insane amounts of chocolate on occasion, but I really outdid myself this year. And after hours of walking the streets of Perugia eating chocolate, I still found room for dinner...
... A plate of regional cheeses ...
... A sample dish of bruschetta ...
... Tagliatelle al chingiale (that's noodles with wild boar sauce), and a bottle of locally-produced red wine to wash it all down with.
It was truly a great day. If you are staying in Rome or Florence and have access to a car, I highly recommend doing a day trip to Perugia (just 160km from Rome and 140km from Florence). Chocolate or no chocolate, Perugia is not to be missed!
