Arthur's Seat and a Fried Mars Bar!

When planning my weekend on Friday afternoon with a friend, we thought 10 am would be a completely feasible time to wake up and hike the extinct volcano that sits in the middle of Edinburgh. I wasn't pleased when my alarm went off, and I did hit the snooze button a few times, but I finally managed to drag myself out of bed and get outside.  Arthur's Seat is a 823 foot peak in the center of the city, about 30 minutes from my flat, in the middle of Holyrood Park. A friend and I made the trip up, and although it was a more intense workout than I would have liked on that Saturday morning, it was great to get outside. Who knew I'd become so outdoorsy after moving out of Maine and into a city?

Because I burned so many calories yesterday morning, naturally I had to replenish myself today with some traditional fried Scottish food. I had yet to try real fish and chips, so two friends and I talked with some locals, who directed us to The Clam Shell, a local fish and chips place on the Royal Mile (a popular tourist street). The portions were enormous, and the fish was ok, but it's safe to say that the Seafood Center in Arundel, ME beats the Clam Shell when it comes to fried haddock. The Clam Shell had piles of candy behind the counter that was to be fried, and everyone has told my friends and I that we have to try a fried Mars Bar, a "Scottish delicacy," so we decided to split one for dessert. Oh. My. God. It was quite possibly the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. It looked disgusting, but it was oozing with chocolate and caramel and so much deliciousness. Now that my arteries are sufficiently clogged, it might be time to try haggis soon...