festivals – The Adventures of Elle Coco

Happy 101st Birthday Zozobra! Old Man Gloom, and the Fire Spirit of Santa Fe

[NOTE: This is a re-share of a 2007 post on Zozobra.

Many readers will be well aware of Burning Man, its location, the challenging terrain, and all that it stands for. But how many of you know much about its inspiration and origin? Read on to discover one of those lesser-known festivals directly credited with it’s inspiration.]

New Mexico really is a one-of-a-kind state. There aren’t any other states where you get quite such a potent mix of Mexican, Native American, Afro American and Old World American culture, all in one stunning state. Zozobra is one of those fine examples of historical and cultural superstition mixed in with the American avant-garde arts scene. Think Burning Man, just on a much smaller scale.

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BIG Chocolate, small Island

On such a tiny island many great things happen in the world of chocolate. After an enlightening and revitalising start to the The Grenada Chocolate Festival, with cocoa meditation, cocoa beauty product making and an intense ‘hash’ through the jungle for the first official day, followed by a truly inspirational day two up at Zabuco Estate with Aaron from Tri Island chocolate, it was now time to get down to the business of cocoa. From the macro companies to the micro, past to present it was now time to discover the other influential cocoa growers of the Grenadian (and Caribbean) chocolate scene.

The guided chocolate tasting at Belmont Estate with Dr Sukha

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The Future of Grenadian Cocoa

Grenada is known as the Spice Isle of the Caribbean and is famous for its heady blend of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg that wafts around the island pretty much year round – you think it’s a myth until you are actually there, and it wraps you up in a fuzzy blanket of aroma as soon as you step off the plane – or was that the bug spray they doused us in before we left the aircraft? Anyway, what is still relatively unknown to many is that Grenada is also in the world’s top 10 countries for producing Fine Flavour Cacao – quite a feat given how small it is – see map below! It is also home to a very interesting man with very exciting plans for his ancestral cocoa farm!

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A Northern Ireland Chocolate Quest

When you’re asked by the Academy of Chocolate to attend and speak at the Finnebrougue Fine Food Fair in Killyleagh Castle, Northern Ireland, courtesy of Food NI 2016 – the obvious answer to this request is ‘yes’.

The trip was all planned out by Food NI, and after an exhilaratingly turbulent 55 minute flight from Gatwick, I touched down in Belfast City Airport, greeted at the airport by Sharon Machala of Food NI – my chauffeur for the next 28 hours (this was very much a flying visit).

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City Sights by Day and Night

After a chocolate-fueled adventurous morning it was now time to explore what Reykjavik had to offer. But first a quick pit stop in Bajarni Fel sports bar to warm up wit ha glass of Viking beer while I waited for the rest of the crew.

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Chocolate, Laughter and Haggis

Friday had arrived at last, and armed with a comprehensive list of acts and shows to see, with a light sprinkling of pubs, restaurants and chocolate shops in need of visiting, I crammed onto an Edinburgh bound train from London Waterloo with what seemed like half of London’s sweaty, tired commuters kicking off the August Bank Holiday early!

London Waterloo crowds - why do we do this to ourselves? — London Waterloo crowds – why do we do this to ourselves?

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Koln Karneval

It’s cold, very cold, and I’m on the 5am train to Heathrow airport heading for Cologne Bonn, Germany. This all sounds perfectly normal for a Friday morning, aside from the fact I’m in a traditional German dirndl, dressed as a pirate with a fake parrot strapped to my shoulder. I’m going to Koln Karneval, to celebrate yet another traditional German festival, like a true native. Continue reading “Koln Karneval”

Scandals in Sandals

After a couple of days we had begun to really settle in and relax in this bubble of opportunity, having spent another full day exploring the different beaches and malls of Dubai, we were ready for Armani Club and dressed to the nines. First tho, was dinner at Tomo as we were in the mood for sushi!

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Die Oktoberfest am Wiesen

Do you want to partake in one of the worlds best drinking festivals, in true style? You’d better meet some Germans then, these Fraulines and Junges sure know how to party!

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Below the Radar

Somehow a whole year’s managed to fly by and it’s festival season again, already? How? That was fast, but this year’s a goodun with SGP on the list again, along with a whole list of other festivals, great and small.

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