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.