Finally, the post you've all been waiting for...

La Fiera del Cioccolato! A true Gillianasana-style holiday (emphasis on the holy...as in HOLY YUM!) Prepare to be bombarded with a fantastic array of some seriously drool-worthy pictures (many, as usual, courtesy of the lovely and talented Alaina :)

My roommates and I happily ventured to the Piazza della Santa Croce, where this long-anticipated event was taking place. I had yet to walk around this area of Florence and I actually really liked it; less touristy, cute little fruttivendolo (fruit & veg market). I like that it's a bit farther from our apartment too. I plan on wandering around there more, chocolate festival or not.

We finally rounded a corner and saw the tent:

No, I don't know what that church is in back of it. Hello, tent full of CHOCOLATE right there...that's a LOT closer to my idea of divinity!

Prepare to feast your eyes on pure, delicious chocolateyness...

Real cacao pods

Look at those roses! CRAZY detail!

I freakin loved this frog. In a top hat, playing a drum, made of chocolate. Randomly delicious.

This is where I bought my truffles...SO pretty!

These fruit spreads were ridiculous. It was like eating the fruit itself. I tried strawberry and pear :)

Ok, you see that tower? They shaved off pieces (what's inside the roll-up) of that tower - it was like chocolate-hazelnut-melt-in-your-mouth amazingness. Nutella ain't got NOTHIN on this stuff. They took the shavings and rolled them up into a thin rectangle of short-bread like stuff to create that amazing "chocolate kebab" you see in my very happy roomie's hands above.

This was what Alaina and I split. It was chocolate cake with dark ganache on top and then they poured liquid hot chocolate over the top. Basically: Heaven. On. A. Plate. We were happy girls!!!

Now OBVIOUSLY I was not leaving this tent without something. Here is what I brought home:

4 of the prettiest truffles I have EVER laid eyes on, an extra dark truffle (that big dark ball), a chocolate covered dried melon and two chocolate-dipped pears. It actually wasn't extravagantly expensive, but you all know me - if I spend money on anything, it's usually edible!

Dark truffle

Rose (I haven't had it yet, so NO idea what's in it...but who cares! LOOK how pretty!)

(Caffe filling, of course!)

The leaf is mint, the little square is green tea, and the swirly log is tiramisu. I haven't tried these yet - but don't worry, you'l hear about it when I do :)

And there you have it. La Fiera del Cioccolato in Firenze. Be jealous.

~Namaste~