Valentine's Day Chocolate Extravaganza

Whoever puts the words "too much" and "chocolate" in the same sentence doesn't live in my world ....

Are you a chocolate-lover? Then you will want to celebrate Valentine's Day at the James Mulvey Inn! This year,from February 13-17, every room reservation will include the following:

• Upon check-in, afternoon refreshments consist of a decadent chocolate treat accompanied by a delicious dessert wine from Northern Vineyards, one of our fine local wineries.
• Upon entering your room, you will find fresh flowers, and a Valentine keepsake to commemorate your stay.
• Breakfast the next morning will be a chocolate feast you will long remember! We will begin with fresh chocolate-dipped fruit. Then sink your teeth into a tender, flaky chocolate pastry. Your main course is a light and fluffy white chocolate/raspberry buttermilk pancake, and all of this is topped off with chocolate mousse drizzled in dark chocolate sauce.

Room rates for this package are slightly higher than normal rates. Use the Check Availability Online link to the left for rates on specific dates/rooms, or call the innkeeper at 651-430-8008.

The Europeans believed that on February 14th the birds began to choose their mates. In fact Chaucer, in his "Parlement of Foules," wrote: "For this was Seynt Valentine's Day when every foul cometh ther to choose his mate."

Hail Bishop Valentine! whose day this is;
All the air is thy diocese,
And all the chirping choristers
And other birds are thy parishioners:
Thou marryest ever year
The lyric lark and the grave whispering dove;
The sparrow that neglects his life for love,
The household bird with the red stomarcher;
Celebrations
Thous mak'st the blackbird speed as soon,
As doth the goldfinch or the halcyon . . .
This day more cheerfully than ever shine,
This day which might inflame thyself, old Valentine!

The Christian tradition of drawing names on St. Valentine's Eve continued in England and other places. The tradition of birds choosing their mates on St. Valentine's Day led to the idea that boys and girls would do the same. Now when a youth drew a girl's name, he wore it on his sleeve, and attended and protected her during the following year. This made the girl his valentine and they exchanged love tokens throughout the year. Later this was changed to only men giving love tokens to females, usually without names but signed "with St. Valentine's Love."