Quite grey, don't you think? But still cute. I feel proud of the seagull I captured in the top corner.
Don't have to tell me twice!
Moi et mon nouvelle amie, Paloma. Elle est super gentille :)
It wasn't exactly beach weather (grey and windy), but that was just fine because the five of us were on a mission: the Salon du Chocolat.
Oh, yes. Yesssss.....
It's a grand chocolate expo where, for 4 Euro, you can enjoy considerable amounts of dégustation (tasting) and get the opportunity to buy all the chocolate you want. Now I have to say, the vendeurs were extremely friendly and fun to talk to, especially when you ask them questions...I'm incredibly curious, and hearing how somebody became a chocolatier is always a treat. Plus, on the interesting side, I appear to be reasonably good at fooling people into thinking I'm European...how bizarre, since I really don't actively try to do this, but I continually appreciate the sentiments! I've gotten Spanish, Italian, and Polish so far when it comes to specifics...I don't quite think I look like any of those, but considering I am a very uncommon mutt, I think I just look a little "unusual" and hard to place. I think it's the nose. =)
Okay. I got off track...where was I? Chocolate? Oh right, I was about to say how I got my money's worth of the tasting before actually buying anything. I came home with these:
No, not these...here are some nice verres du chocolat
No, not these solid blocks of chocolate either...though I did try my fair share, tee hee. Blanc au caramel, chocolate au riz, du lait, noir du cerises/orange/menthe, au poire, etc... I even tried one filled with a sweet substance made from olive oil!
No, not these either! (I'm so baaaaaad, I'm sorry. Please forgive me for tormenting you so.)
Okay, here we are. Finally!
I bought a chunk of nougat (not this one, this was prettier for picture purposes) which is absolutely divine...these in the photo are a bit more ornamental and more exotic in the flavors, like tiramisu, fruits, chocolate peanut, etc. Mine was traditional. Egg whites, sugar creme, almonds, honey (it was miel de lavande!!!), pistachios. Somewhere between soft and chewy, and to die for. But don't worry... I wouldn't leave without buying some chocolate as well.
No, I didn't actually buy this. Just kidding. Someday...
We have a winner! Bon bons, with cream on the inside...I bought mocha, rum, and hazelnut.
But the day was nice, spent in the company of some wonderful ladies. I'm glad I got to experience the artistry that is French chocolate. These chocolatiers take their work very seriously, as do the French with much of their native food. They are the ultimate chocolate snobs (and this as a total compliment), and anything less than the best is just not worth the time. Did that mean the chocolate was pretty pricey? Oh, sure, but this was a luxury I was willing to go for just this once. I tried so many things, but not taking some home would be a travesty. I even rekindled my love for caramel. There were vendeurs selling small jars of spreadable caramel in tons of varieties, which made me seriously want to die of joy.
After seeing these photos again and reliving my chocolate dreamland, it was SO worth it. One of my favorite elements of the day was, oddly enough, bonding with the fellow chocolate lovers there. It's the universal language of females across the globe, I'm convinced. (Okay, maybe this is an exaggeration, but I was in good company!)
Cheezin. Us and the chocolate. Good day. Until next time!
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