It’s Christmas market season in Germany (Calw Christmas Market), but my favorite Christmas market isn’t really a Christmas market. It’s better! It’s a Chocolate Market! All the chocolate!

Last week, in the middle of the week, because everyone had a day off to honor President Bush, we drove down to Tübingen for the annual ChocolArt chocolate festival. It is a very popular festival and almost impossible to navigate on weekends. Definitely impossible for me & my crutches. It was a blessing to be able to go in the middle of the week, when most people needed to be at work.

It still wasn’t easy. The main market is at the top of a steep hill, the climb up almost did me in. Luckily I was rewarded at the top by a grinning Dave holding a warm, toasty, cup of glühwein. Dane had ordered some incredible potatoes & Kräutercreme (herbed sour cream) and the two treats melted my pain & exhaustion away. Almost immediately after my phone beeped… our friends were there & we  “raced” to meet up with them by the gorgeous old Stiftskirche Tübingen.

After again resting, we trekked down into the heart of the chocolate festival. Me trailing behind the rest. Luckily, they didn’t get far before again stopping to try a local goodie… chocolate wine.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t want chocolate wine. That did not sound good to me. At. All. I like my wine tasting like wine. But they got two glasses, and I do like to try all the things, and it was delicious! Oh my! I love chocolate wine! I love white chocolate wine with hints of vanilla. I love dark chocolate wine with hints of cherry. I love chocolate wine. I think I almost finished an entire glass all by myself. That’s how much I love chocolate wine.

After that the chocolate festival was even more enjoyable. We strolled the booths, admired the chocolatiers art, tried different chocolate drinks, foods, fruit & candies, and soaked up the amazingness that is a chocolate festival.

Chocolate festivals are a feast not just for the taste buds, but also for the eyes and nose. It’s a whole-body experience that results in complete happiness… with a little bit of exhaustion thrown in. I think we toured maybe a quarter of the market in the 3 hours we were there. By the time I got home, and tucked into bed, I was worn out for the next two days.

Still, if it hadn’t rained all weekend, I would’ve gone back in a heartbeat. I never did get to try the turkey taco covered in chocolate sauce. Tess kept that little gem all to herself while Dane distracted me with the incredible, playable, live-action chocolate screw.

 

The gang… Dave is holding my scarf for me. I got hot climbing the “mountain”.

Photo by Dane. I have no idea what is happening.

Chocolate Wine. White chocolate with vanilla & dark chocolate with cherry. So. Delicious.

Me & my chocolate wine = happy

Painting with chocolate. Dave hustled Dane past… fast!

I am a canon girl, otherwise… MINE!

Turkey taco with chocolate sauce. It was so good I didn’t get a bite 🙁

And… he’s playing with his food anyway. It really screws & unscrews!

They had chocolate covered oranges guys!

Finally it’s night & the lights come on. This. This is why I go.

Laura & buildings. Love.

I could stand here all day & be mesmerized.

The buildings are gorgeous to begin with, lit up like this? You need to come visit.

Tess’ shoes got in the Christmas spirit!

3 shots of different chocolate vodka. But I ate my cup on the 1st shot… so I got extra shots. Then the other guy was Dutch. I got another shot. Just what I needed after way too long on my ankle!

Tübingen at night. Even more beautiful than in the day… if that’s even possible.