Tübingen Chocolate Festival

Every year during the first week of December, the quaint little town of Tübingen (about 35 minutes south of Stuttgart) transforms into a chocolate wonderland for Germany's largest chocolate festival, called ChocolART. We met our friends the Jollys at their house and all piled into their van for the drive down to Tübingen. We got there right as the festival stalls were opening. I don't think I've ever seen so much chocolate in one place in my life!

Chocolate nuts, bolts and other assorted chocotools.

We definitely took advantage of every sample we saw along the way and even had a chocolate liquor shot, complete with a chocolate covered cake cone shot glass!

Ellie got a chocolate covered strawberry and grape kabob, which I'm guessing was delicious as she devoured it in only a few minutes.

Ellie hung out in the BOB, which was fine at first, but as more and more people showed up, it got a little precarious maneuvering the stroller through the ever-growing crowds. Having had our fill of chocolate (is that really possible?) but needing more hearty fare we walked over to Neckarmüller, a local brewery and restaurant. It was packed, but we got there just in time as another group was leaving so we snagged their table.

Ellie just adores Lyla and Quinn.

Our lunch group!

Brian and I agreed that Neckarmüller had some of the best German food we've eaten since moving here. Ellie seemed to enjoy hers when she wasn't busy coloring. After lunch we walked up to Hohentübingen, the local castle, where the kids ran around exploring the grounds.

On a side note, I scored some real, live mistletoe to adorn one of our doorways for the Christmas season for only a couple Euro while we were walking around after the chocolate fest. I just love the Christmas season in Germany. We had such a blast that we already have this year's dates on the calendar!