Longing for Chocolate!

Is it just me? Or is chocolate calling everyone at this time of year?

Just look at this amazing creation!

 And how awesome would it be to eat a bar of chocolate called 'Dragon's Breath'!!

I found them on Jade's Chocolates site and oh, how I envy this woman for so many reasons!!


It is the time of year when normally, I would be stirring away at big bowls full of melted chocolate - milk, white and my favourite, the dark, rich 60%+ cocoa variety - but this year, I don't have access to chocolate and I am missing it dreadfully.

I have been hanging around shops in Valladolid that sell chocolates, turning my nose up at inferior selections in the supermarkets and searching for websites to try and satisfy the urges I have. To no avail - it's like the itch that can't be reached!

But then I stumbled on Mindy's website and just reading the descriptions of different flavours and seeing her beautiful presentations sort of stopped me in my tracks. She is so good!

Whilst I can't compete right now (and probably never should!) - her work and her wonderful chocolates are a real inspiration and I can't wait to get started as soon as is physically possible.

In the meantime, we might just have to have a trip up the autovia a little way to La Trapa Monastery, which is where many years ago, the monks there began making chocolates. There is now a factory that carries on the tradition and just off the road, there is a little kiosk where you can stop and have a cup of hot chocolate as cars whizz by. It's like being in one of those fast/slow motions films, where everyone else is living at a  manic speed but you are slowly and deliciously sipping your chocolate in calm and peace. Yes, that's where we will go to appease the longing a little.