FestiChoc 2012

Another sign that Spring is here and this is a sweet one: chocolate and lots of it! Yes, this weekend, my former Swiss home town of Versoix hosted the Festival du Chocolat. This year, the eighth annual Chocolate Festival, dubbed "FestiChoc" - a nice play on words since "choc" is pronounced "shock" in French - helped to jolt us into the proper mood for the season.  After all, Easter is just around the corner and serves - if any were needed - as just another excuse to stock up on chocolate.

The blue and white streamers of Versoix and the scarlet and yellow streamers of Geneva canton, with the eagle and the key symbols featured prominently, flanked the red and white colors of Switzerland as all fluttered above the festivities below.

To one side, small carnival rides were set up for the youngest visitors.

Booths enticed small ones to try their luck at winning a prize

and tempted older visitors to taste and imbibe.

Tables were scattered around plentifully so that visitors could eat and drink in relative comfort and not have to remain standing.

But the main action was inside the Big Tent where the chocolate exhibition was held.  More on that in my next post.