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fudge and haggis, quite the dynamic duo


Happy Sunday! Sunday has to be one of my favorite days of the week because it’s mostly about resting and getting ready for the new week ahead. I’ll be spending a lot of today relaxing at home (obviously) and working on my homemade pallet garden, as well as squeezing in some afternoon yoga. If you didn’t get a chance to read yesterday’s post - “oh i just can't wait to be kingggg” - you can do so by clicking here now! Otherwise, buckle up, get ready, and let’s begin!

After I spent many hours wandering around the National Museum of Scotland, I was ready for something to eat. My AirBnB host Becky had made a few recommendations to me of places in Edinburgh where I could grab a glass of scotch and try some haggis, so I meandered my way in the general direction of the restaurant she’d recommended, detouring very briefly at a fudge shop I’d discussed with my teammate Emily. Since I love all things chocolate-related and because I spent so much time growing up in Ocean City, NJ, I couldn’t resist stopping for some fudge chocolate goodness. And I am so glad I did. I ended up buying a lot of the dark chocolate sea salt fudge (with the intention of sharing with my teammates later obviously…..), and when I explained to the staff about my longterm love affair with OCNJ fudge, they gave me some of their spicy Chocolate Chili fudge on the house. I would stop by the fudge shop twice more before the trip ended (lol can you blame me?).

Having acquired enough fudge to last me the rest of my stay in Edinburgh (it didn’t), I found my way to Amber restaurant and whisky bar for some real, substantial food (though if you wanted to debate me on whether or not fudge could be considered food, I’d gladly take on that argument.. fudge is food). While at lunch, I had some tea, a couple glasses of scotch, and my first ever plate/taste of haggis. I expected it to be gross given its makeup since it’s ingredients are literally boiled in a sheep’s stomach, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t delicious. The taste that was the most overpowering of the haggis was actually that of the seasonings, which were earthy and peppery. I ended up eating nearly my entire plate I enjoyed it so much. Along with the haggis, I mentioned I had a couple of glasses of Scotch (because when in Scotland obviously). I enjoyed a glass of Old Pulteney 15 followed by a glass of the Old Pulteney 18 (per the waitress’ recommendation), and I was feeling a bit warm in my face by the time lunch concluded (also, one of those glasses ended up being on the house probably because the waitress and I were both so chatty we got each other's life stories). Truth be told, I actually preferred the Old Pulteney 15 to the 18, though they were both incredibly delightful.

After my late lunch, I proceeded to find my way back to the Scottish Storytelling Centre in order to see some improv shows during a festival featuring talents from all over Europe, the UK, and the US. But more on some of those experiences tomorrow!

Have you ever tried a new food you thought you’d hate but ended up really enjoying? I admit that it didn’t necessarily take me traveling to Scotland to experience the phenomenon; for instance, I recently did a taste test video in which I ended up loving Hibiscus flavored La Croix, so I’d love to hear your food-testing stories - no matter where they take place! If it’s interesting to you and brings a smile to your face, it’s absolutely something I want to hear about! So please subscribe in the e-mail submission box below and reach out, follow me on Instagram or Twitter, or reach out to me on the “contact” page. I’m so happy you're here and that I’ve been getting a lot of really great, fun-to-read stories, questions, and feedback from a community all over the country and the globe! The stories of other people’s travels that I’ve gotten to read recently bring me such smiles, and I am so grateful for all of it! Especially during this time of uncertainty and pandemic, it's important to surround yourself with good and find/do things that bring you joy; we're all in this together. I couldn’t do this without you! So THANK YOU! From the bottom of my heart, truly, thank you.

Sincerely,

Johny

P.S. - If you want to catch up from the beginning on this series of adventures, here's a cheat sheet to the posts (in order in which they were published):

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