Dulcineasdiarycontinued: Saturday 10th September 2016 - Smooth FM Chocolate Festival and overnight @ Railway Square YHA

Because I have an early flight tomorrow I decided to overnight it at Railway Square YHA which is right next door to Central Railway Station.

Exterior of 4 and 8 person "Carriage Dorms" at Railway Square YHA.

The Railway Square YHA was fully booked and they ran out of swipe cards so I was issued with one of their "spare backup keys " a blue flexible watch without a face that contains a "chip" of some sort inside it - trendy aren't they wonder if they are waterproof? AND there is nothing wrong with being hands free and no more lost or forgotten swipe cards.

I can't remember why I decided to fly to Melbourne on Sunday morning instead of taking the overnight train to Melbourne on Saturday night arriving on Sunday morning. Maybe I needed a few good nights of catch up sleep as I have had a very hectic week and a few more to come.

Now that my Creative Coding course is complete I can now relax a little and catch up on my other 2 maths related courses which I am a little behind in.

Tomorrow my flight is at 8.45 am and I will be flying the budget airline Tiger direct Sydney to Melbourne but taking the overnight train back to Sydney Economy on Monday night. I forgot to take out travel insurance. I know something bad will happen to me now.

But first let's talk about where I went today.

The Annual Smooth FM Chocolate Festival (also refer my blog from last year about the same event on dulcineayee.simplesite.com) - what a perfect day it was today to attend although a short gust of wind did appear in the early to late afternoon. It is a 2 day event. This year was bigger then last year and is attracting more and more people. Held in the Cicular Quay West side and along the main core of The Rocks precinct, it extends all the way from First Fleet Park alongside the MCA and up along and beyond the overseas passenger terminal.
It is not all about chocolate though there were plenty of food trucks/stalls selling savoury dishes as well. I give this event a rating : 9/10

Mountains of Lindt chocolate balls everywhere!

I had 2 blocks of Lindt chocolate personalised from the Lindt Lounge - one for the owner and his wife of the company I worked for and the other for my work collegues - note the play on the word "Plenty" which is the name of the company I work for.

First stop of the Chocolate Festival First Fleet Park

No sign of any Tim Tams this year which gave out an unlimited free supply of different flavoured Tim Tam samples last year, this year the festival coincided with Adriano Zumbo's "Just Desserts" - a dessert and baking reality tv series featuring himself as host with co host Rachel Koo and of course Zumbo's assistant Gigi a pastry chef. Gigi was at the festival baking with Ally and talking to Smooth FM host Cameron Daddo (who was also a host at last year's chocolate festival) at the Callebaut Test Kitchen stage overlooking the Opera House in the background. It was Lindt Chocolates turn this year giving away umlimited free different flavoured samples at various locations at the festival.

Darrel Lea surprisingly had a beautiful "Willy Wonka" inspired chill out area this year complete with LED lit up trees, a set of oversized"golden gates",giant mushrooms, a bridge, a wishing well, oversized wooden barrels and other colourful displays with large cartwheels filled with free chocolate samples (almost empty by the time I arrived) and of course a stall selling various Darrel Lea chocolate products.

Giant Jars and Tubs of Nutella everywhere! Yes they are real!

The Chocolate festival was divided into 9 special "features"

1. Bilpin Cider Co. Garden Bar
Tallawoladah Place (photos above)

2. The Lindt Lounge
Tallawoladah Place (photos above)

3. Smooth Picnic Garden
Bligh & Barney Reserve (photo below)

4. The Chocolatiers' Quarters
Cargo Hall - overseas Passenge Terminal (photos below)

5. Callebaut Test Kitchen
Campbell's Cove (photos above)

6. Smooth Star's Stage
Atherden Street

7. #dessertstagram by Zumbo's Just Desserts On 7
First Fleet Park (photos below)