Chocolate, Chocolate - Everywhere!

It is now officially Spring.  The month of April has begun here in fine fettle, with sun, melodic birdsongs, the earth beginning to burgeon with green shoots and trees and flowers with colorful blossoms.  Easter and other Spring festivals are approaching.  What better moment for Versoix to celebrate its annual Festival du Chocolat (Chocolate Festival) for the seventh year!

There is a saying: "Life without chocolate is no life at all."  There is also a relevant corollary: "Life in Switzerland without chocolate is impossible."  Is it any wonder that anyone given a choice would choose to live in a country like this one where chocolate is practically a religion?

Having been a resident of Versoix until four years ago, I still feel quite proprietary about that little city.  After all, I was one of those living there when it reached the magic threshold population number of 10,000, thus officially qualifying as a small city rather than a village.  In recent years, the weather has not been at all kind to the Chocolate Festival and visitors have been greeted with rain, wind and cold.  This year was different: ALL the gods smiled broadly on the chocolatiers and those of us who came to enjoy the day with them. 

At the gare (train station) in Versoix - the best way to arrive is by train because automobile traffic can be nightmarish when there is such a well-attended activity - visitors had a choice.  They could either walk the couple blocks to the Place de la Salle Communale, where the main activities of the festival were taking place.

Or they could take the miniature train which ferried people back and forth between the gare and the main festival site free of charge.  I chose to take the mini-train (la navette) to the site and later walked back to the gare.

Most exhibitors were gathered together under an enormous tent.  They've grown wary of the weather - with good reason - over the years.  But today, the tent served most as protection from the hot sun.

The chocolate choices were literally dizzying.

Some designs were quite original.  The influence of the approaching Easter holidays was evident.

In others, a Swiss theme came through quite vividly - even somewhat alarmingly.

I must confess that I tasted quite a few of the free samples offered.  In the interests of full disclosure, I was not able to resist a purchase.  I'm having dinner with friends tomorrow evening and have been charged with bringing dessert.   I found some miniature simple but very rich chocolate cakes - stuffed chock-full of soft chocolate.  Fresh strawberries and blueberries with mint will be served with the cakes.  I believe that they'll be a real hit!  UPDATE:  they were a major hit!