The night Jodie giggled after drinking a glass of Rakia

I discovered the restaurant on one of my walks to work. Golden Apple is located just around the corner from our house, and it looked like an island of modern cuisine in a relatively dumpy neighborhood. The waiter spoke to me in English and apologized that they didn't have any menus in English. I promised him that I would be back with my wife for dinner.

It turned out to be our best meal in Bulgaria so far. But for Jodie, much of it may have been a blur, for we were served Rakia with our starter carrot salad.

Rakia is a popular fruit brandy in Bulgaria, and I guess you could call it the national beverage. Jodie's head was spinning after our first course.

We enjoyed a delicious steak dinner and the Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon just made our heads spin even further. Jodie ended up giggling, but I didn't feel anything until I stood up to go to the bathroom. The meal concluded with a shared piece of homemade cake and for Jodie, a strong cup of coffee.

It was a good thing that our house was just around the corner.

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