Bologna by Bre

It doesn’t come as a surprise that fall in Bloomington is featured in the majority of the University’s pamphlets.

The rich colors of the trees, the crunchy leaves littering the pathways and the promise of tailgates each Saturday fill the months and might contribute to why many students chose to come to IU in the first place.

Missing my favorite season and the caramel-covered apples and hot cider that accompany it was a bit of a struggle, until my experience last weekend.

In the United States, October is known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Professional teams wear pink jerseys; weekends bring fundraising walks. Here, Europeans embrace the month as one of Chocolate Appreciation.

Last Saturday, as Hoosiers were waking up in Madison, Wis., to cheer on the football team to victory (yes, that was sarcasm), I had already arrived in the now-infamous town of Perugia, Italy.

A city once overtaken by international news networks covering the case of Amanda Knox, Perugia is now back to being a peaceful town in the hilly and beautiful Italian region of Umbria.

Boasting itself as the world’s largest chocolate festival, Eurochocolate is a two-week-long carnival of chocolate.

A merry-go-round with horses, elephants and the usual associated animals welcomed people to the event, confirming that I would have the time of my life.

While I can by no means mention every chocolate display, a few stand out in my memory. Both sides of the street were lined with vendors promoting various inventions made entirely of chocolate.

Functioning clocks, cell phones, utensils and picture frames made of chocolate surrounded me as I was immersed in a world of the celebrated food derived from seeds of the tropical cacao tree.

Purchasers of the festival’s Euro Card were able to participate in a scavenger hunt, in which they visited booths around the festival and received free gifts. As a Big Ten student, I was particularly taken by the chocolate liquor booth.

Free shots of various chocolate-flavored alcohol were offered. The slogan, “All of the fun with none of the burn,” was not only catchy but true.

Perhaps I’ll make millions of dollars from popularizing the sweet liquor back home. The festival didn’t stop with treats for humans.

Two stands were dedicated to safe chocolate products for man’s canine companions. Customers who were brave enough to handle a dog among the thousands of festival participants were given free samples to feed their dogs.

Large, rotating stands of multi-flavored chocolates crowded the streets.

Chocolate flavors featuring peanut butter, caramel and nuts were shaved off and weighed, allowing attendees to try a lot of chocolate without making a big investment.

While Bologna is still without trees and doesn’t feature tailgates of any sort, I’ve discovered my