Our first impression of Fes was that it was a more laid-back city than Marrakech. The narrow streets were less congested, and the hawkers less aggressive, while our riad appeared to be run by young, hip college kids. After a good night’s rest, we spent our first day navigating sites along the major thoroughfare, including the Medersa Bou Inania, Nejjarine Museum, Medersa el-Attarine, and Karaouine University. The mosques were closed to non-Muslims, so we were only able to sneak peeks from outside the doors. We completed our city tour at the Chouwara Tanneries, where we were led through the heavy stench of processed cowhides to one of the shop’s rooftops for a view of the dyeing process. After spending much of the afternoon web-surfing back at the riad, we dined at Cafe Clock’s rooftop terrace on couscous and a camel burger, rinsed down with delicious warm almond milk. The next day, we awoke early to catch a train to the ancient capital of Meknes, where we hired a cab for a half-day tour of Volubilis and Moulay Idriss. While our early arrival allowed us to enjoy the intricate mosaics at Volubilis ahead of the tourist crowds, we got distracted by shady street kids at Moulay Idriss and lost our way to the panoramic viewing sites. After lunch at a sandwich shop, we watched a stray cat make its home at the Dar Jamai Museum, then shopped for sunglasses near El Hedim Square before returning to Fes. Tired of all the tagines, we followed signs to a Thai restaurant for dinner, where the owner/chef explained that he had opened the restaurant for the same reason. A 4-hour train took us to Casablanca the next day, where we snacked on fried seafood by the sea before the last guided tour of the Hassan II Mosque, the third largest in the world. Despite the cliche, we dined at Rick’s Cafe with a pianist playing As Time Goes By for our last meal in Morocco. We returned to Sacramento exhausted and jet-lagged, but felt it was well-worth our one last adventure before the baby arrives.

Our 4-day journey from Marrakech to Fes was arranged through Blue Men of Morocco, with a private driver who took us through the countryside to visit the myriad sights and towns near the edge of the Sahara Desert. We left the chaos of Marrakech through Tichka Pass on day one, and were immediately transported to more serene surroundings. We arrived for a late lunch at Ait Ben Haddou, where the approach to the massive Kasbah evoked imageries of ancient kingdoms, but not the compulsion to climb to the top. A 4-hour detour along rough, bumpy roads led us to Telouet, where the dilapidated ruins concealed some of the most impressive tile and stuccowork we’ve seen. Bypassing the Hollywood-city of Ouarzuarzate after the long drive, we found respite over dinner and a comfortable bed at the Jardin de la Skoura. We awoke early the next morning to back-track to Ozuarzate for a visit to Taourirt Kasbah and a guided tour of the movie sets at Atlas Film Studios, known for such films as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator, and Game of Thrones. In the afternoon, we continued through Dades Valley and Todra Gorge without a lunch break before disembarking at Haven La Chance in Merzouga. Our driver got a break on the third day, as we spent the morning touring Berber villages and scavenging for fossils, followed by a sunset camel ride into the dunes of Erg Chebbi in the Sahara Desert. The sky was too cloudy for a sunset photo, but we enjoyed the quiet evening with the Berber guide in our private bivouac, learning to play tribal drums and dining on chicken tagine under the stars. The next morning, we hiked up the dunes again to watch the sun rise before returning to our hotel on camelback. Our final day of driving was long and grueling, with brief stops to buy dates at the market in Rissani, take panoramic shots of Ziz Valley, chase Barbary apes in Alnif, and hunt for bathrooms in Ifrane before our late arrival in Fes. Heavy rains, hail, and lightning made for a thrilling drive into the city, but we were relieved when the road trip came to an end in Riad Idrissy.

With Morocco just a short hop from Paris, we decided that it would be our last adventure before Melody’s February due date. We arrived in Marrakech on Saturday, where we quickly became engulfed by the dizzying alleys of the medina. Our riad was a quiet sanctuary run by an Italian owner, and served as a home base from which to explore the bustling city. We were intimidated by the hawkers and street vendors on the first night, and settled for our first taste of tagine and couscous from the rooftop terrace at Chez Chagrouni. The next morning, we explored Dar Si Said, Musee Tiskiwin, Bahia Palace, and the Saadian Tombs. But as the afternoon tourist crowds swelled, making us focus more on stray cats than the architecture, we decided to turn in early. We returned to Djemaa El-Fnaa for dinner, hopping from one street stand to another consuming hearty harira, herbal snails, fried aubergine, lamb tagine, and our highlight – boiled sheep’s head. We watched an old man split the mandibles and tear off facial muscles onto our plate with the finesse of an ENT surgeon, then tore into the meat ourselves with a sprinkle of cumin and salt, washed down afterwards with fresh-squeezed OJ. We awoke the next morning for a Supratours bus ride to Essaouira. Here, we strolled along the cannon-lined ramparts as we watched waves crash against the fortressed walls of the city. We negotiated for an assortment of fresh grilled seafood for lunch, then spent the afternoon bartering for souvenirs, resting our feet briefly over mint tea and apple juice, then returned to Marrakech. We began Tuesday with a cooking class with Chef Rachida Sahnoune at the Riad Monceau, and enjoyed our self-made samosas and tagines for lunch. We decided to walk it off on the way to the Mederssa Ben Youssef, but got lost wandering through the maze of souks and arrived after the place had closed. Instead, we visited the Maison de la Photographie, then returned to crash at our riad. Glenn awoke at dusk to check out snake charmers back at the main square, then joined Melody for a soothing couples massage at Le Bains Bleu before ending another evening with more street food. After 3 days in the chaotic city, we were ready to journey ahead into the desert.

Between the flurry of grant applications, make-up clinics, add-on OR cases (lasting until 6am), and last-minute meetings with our contractors, we barely escaped the vortex to make our trip to Paris. We returned to the City of Lights 11 years after our first vacation there as a couple, this time for Retina Society’s annual meeting at the Intercontinental Le Grand. We departed Tuesday morning after the last of our daycare tours, and despite a tight connection between the two farthest terminal gates at ATL and Melody’s impaired mobility with her 20-week belly, we made our connection and arrived at the hotel just before our room was ready. After lunching on soup and pasta nearby, I registered at the meeting while Melody checked in and napped. Our late dinner at Le Chateaubriand revitalized our faith in the Parisian culinary scene with a rich blood pudding mousse, creamy-cuddly cod, and an egg-yolk dessert “surprise” that Melody begrudgingly had to forgo. On Thursday, I left the conference early to attempt lunch at lofty Guy Savoy, only to be sent away by Guy Savoy himself for having no reservations. Instead, we settled for panini trois fromage and pastries from Eric Kayser, then strolled along the Seine, through the Tuileries Garden, and straight to our hotel bed for siesta. We awoke for Daniel Rose’s nouveau French dinner menu at Spring, where highlights included warm oysters, crispy pork ears, and foie gras with trumpet mushrooms that sent us right back to bed in rapture. After Friday’s morning session, I sought out the famous onion soup at Au Pied du Cochon, where Julia Child regularly enjoyed hers, but was sadly disappointed by the salty, flavorless broth. With Melody’s GERD acting up, we spent another afternoon indoors before parting ways for my work-dinner at the Michelin-starred Le Celadon, while she stuffed herself at Alaine Ducasse’s Aux Lyonnais. We spent our last morning in Paris hunting for better onion soup, and found it at Brasserie Balzar, which also served up a killer fig tart and andouilles sausage. Our souvenir search ended with only an Eiffel tower ornament for the Christmas tree, but we felt relaxed and invigorated as we departed for Morocco.