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.

We flew back to NYC last weekend to attend a wedding and catch up with friends. Despite the convenience of a direct flight via JetBlue, red eye flights are never as restful as we’d like. So after dim sum for breakfast with my parents, we returned home and fell quickly asleep. Our afternoon drive to Flushing was delayed by traffic, costing us a visit to the New World Mall food court, although we had a good time reminiscing with a med school friend and college professor. The Chinese banquet-style dinner at the Sheraton was so-so, and the dance floor was flooded with kids, prompting us to leave early. We awoke on Sunday for breakfast with my college buddies on the Upper East Side, followed by lunch with John Tam at the 2nd Ave Deli. Here, the “traditional mixed platter” of kishke, cholent, and stuffed cabbage was pricey and less of a deal than the tongue sandwich and matzo ball soup combo, which we washed down with some chocolate soda. The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed a pleasant stroll through Central Park before returning to my hood to meet my elementary school friend Wei who had just bought a house and opened a French pre-school. It’s been a long time since my last visit home, and I wished I had more time to spend with family before our flight back Monday. With cabinet painting in progress, we resorted to mostly eating out this weekend. In preparation for our trip, we went to Cafe Morocco for some lamb tagine and moussaka on Friday. Since it was Farm-to-Fork week, we used our Paragary gift card for the prix fixe menu at Hock Farm on Saturday. On Sunday, we awoke to greasy garlic fries and wings at Broderick, then walked over to the Sac Convention Center for the Sacramento Reptile Show. Though we were admittedly clueless about herpetology, we enjoyed the variety of colorful chameleons, overweight frogs, albino snakes, fuzzy tarantulas, and creepy millipedes. Melody even had her first experience petting an alligator and monitor lizard. We stopped by Home Depot on the way home for some paint samples, as the reality of our ongoing renovations hit us again.

We had little planned for Labor Day this year, as our cabinet maker was eager to spend most of the long weekend installing the new cabinets in our kitchen. With the house in disarray from all the construction, we escaped to Rancho Cordova for grocery shopping and Korean food at KP supermarket, stopping by the Sears Outlet for a refurbished dishwasher. On Sunday, we ventured to Old Sac to partake in Gold Rush Days. There were hoards of visitors on horse-drawn carriages, costumed actors and street performers, and streets covered with dirt to recreate the Old West. Apparently, the event had been canceled last year due to the drought, but was brought back on a smaller scale this year to help local small businesses. We perused the eclectic shops in this touristy part of town, and ended with dinner at the FireHouse followed by dessert at the new Rick’s Dessert Diner. This weekend, our division gathering at my colleague’s house in Arden Arcade reminded us how fertile our 4 fellows have been, and the chaos that could beseige us in coming years. Back home, delays in the new window and countertops have slowed the progress in our home renovations. We did continue our selling spree on Craigslist, but ended up dropping the proceeds on nightstands from Overstock and a shiny toaster oven from Breville. So despite a string of late-night surgeries and countless hours assembling the nightstands, we were at least rewarded with roasted broccoli and soft-baked cookies from the fancy new toaster.

Our remodeling project commenced last week starting with the demolition phase, as contractors came and tore out much of our kitchen and master bathroom. To prepare for the job, we moved all our kitchenware, small appliances, food, and TV to the guest bedroom, turning it into a make-shift bomb shelter. For food, we stockpiled on ready-to-eat cha lua, frozen dumplings, hot dogs, and canned goods. Melody was also craving hot pot, which covered a few meals using a single pot. With the old fixtures quickly filling up our garage, we’ve also begun selling on Craigslist (even the kitchen sink!) to make room for the new stuff. The small influx of cash has been nice in light of the recent downturn in the stock markets. Meanwhile, we’ve also begun looking for lighting fixtures and finishing touches. This weekend, we drove to Roseville to check out rugs at Macy’s, kitchenware at Crate & Barrel, and light sconces from Lamps Plus. We also drove to Vacaville, and were glad to dig out a pendant from the Restoration Hardware outlet, which saved us almost $300. I was also excited to finally find a large canvas print of Brooklyn Bridge which I had been eyeing from Ross, but ultimately took three trips back and forth from home to prove that it could only fit in a rental truck, and neither of our sedans. With the renovations in full swing, I look forward to some reprieve this Labor Day weekend.

With many recent expenditures, we’ve decided to put an embargo on eating out. This meant more time relaxing at home and a glut of TV watching. Season 5 of Game of Thrones was another engaging thrill ride, although the finale proved once again that no one is safe. To lighten things up, we decided to shift over to watching sitcoms, including Netflix’s incredible Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which reminded us of Tina Fey humor and New York quirkiness, as well as CBS’ Big Bang Theory. Already in its 8th season, the show brilliantly touches on a spectrum of neuroses and eccentricities that are so pervasive and characteristically ingrained in the science and nerd-geek community. And while Melody was keeping step with new seasons of SYTYCD and ABDC, I began working on the new vacation album. The mindless task and dual-screen displays allowed me to clear out part of our movie queue, though none were very memorable. We did score a free screening of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation from our BMW dealership which was surprisingly decent and entertaining. But perhaps our greatest excitement this summer is the arrival of a new beginning, which we hope is the start of a new adventure for us. We made the official announcement to our parents this weekend, and already my mom has added us to her Costco membership. Our life is about to change, and after many years, we feel finally ready.

With news of raging wildfires and triple digit weather, we decided to stay cool indoors these past weeks. I kept myself occupied with some small grant submissions and photo editing, while Melody was babysitting our niece’s betta fish and cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Sadly, our year-old refrigerator was also feeling the heat exhaustion, as the top-shelf butter turned into mush. While awaiting the GE repair man to arrive, we smuggled blocks of dry ice from lab to keep our big pot of bun rieu from turning sour, although the irregular chill zone turned our rice to ice. We were relieved to find that it was just a broken fan that was easily replaced, and I used my morning off to meet our contractors to plan out our renovations. This also meant cutting out a few big deposit checks, which along with ordering the bathtub, appliances, and fixtures, made a sizable dent in our bank account. Meanwhile, the release of the new Windows 10, touted as “the last version of Windows,” also kept us busy as we upgraded both our desktops and SP3’s. While the clean interface and renewed start menu were welcomed features, my favorite update was the ability to delete without a confirmation dialog. I also discovered new Gmail features including new keyboard shortcuts, auto-advance after reading, and a plugin called Boomerang which returns emails to my inbox after a specified time or if I got no response. It’s amazing how much productivity could be enhanced with just a few small changes.

A smooth train ride took us from Vienna to Prague in just over 4 hours. From the metro, we wandered until we found our hidden Airbnb apartment where our host greeted us with maps and dining recommendations. We immediately headed to one of her nearby suggestions to sample Czech cuisine before exploring the Little Quarter. We browsed Baby Jesus’ wardrobe at the Church of Our Lady Victorious, the graffiti on Lennon Wall, and followed the music to a lively French market in Kampa. Not yet hungry, we made our way across the tourist-packed Charles Bridge to the even more crowded Old Town Square, where a Jazz Festival was in progress. We joined the hoards to watch the Astronomical Clock in action, then stopped by a local grocery store before collapsing back at the apartment. Having skipped dinner, I awoke at 4am to a more tranquil and beautiful city. After catching glimpse of a woman posing nude on the Charles Bridge, I returned to join Melody in planning the week over homemade breakfast with fried eggs and cheese. We decided to ascend along picturesque Nerudova Street to Prague Castle, where we surveyed the delicate stained glass at St. Vitus Cathedral, the defenestration window at the Old Royal Palace, relics at St. George’s Basilica, and Kafka’s house along Golden Lane. As the summer swelter set in, we relaxed with a bowl of pea soup at a local cafe, then pushed ahead to Strahov Monastery and the Miniature Museum. Next, we continued to Petrin Hill, where we passed by owls near the Observation Tower, got lost in the Mirror Maze, and descended the funicular to New Town for ramen and Old Town for trdelnik pastries on the way to our afternoon nap. Determined not to skip dinner again, we awoke despite overwhelming exhaustion for a late dinner of goulasch and veal. Unfortunately, this made us miss our next morning’s train to Kutna Hora, forcing us to rearrange our plans. Instead, we went to Jewish Town, where we learned about golem lore at Maisel Synagogue, Holocaust victims at the Old Jewish Cemetery, and Rabbi Low at the Old-New Synagogue. The Museum of Decorative Arts was under renovation, so we satisfied our Asian noodle crave before boarding the afternoon train to Kutna Hora. The ancient silver mining town was far from the train station, and the local bus did not stop near the sites. This resulted in exhaustive hikes back and forth between St. Barbara’s Cathedral, Sedlec Ossuary, and the Czech Museum of Silver. Nevertheless, we were awed by the eerie formations of human skulls and enjoyed donning miner’s gear to explore the silver mine tunnels. Despite showing up late and way under-dressed, we got to enjoy La Degustations’ tasting menu with juice pairings that helped revitalize us. We slept in on Friday, waking up to pork knuckles for lunch before touring the impressive Art Nouveau interior of the Municipal House. A short train ride took us to Karlstejn, where we got palacinky to power our walk up to the castle for our tour and ascent to heaven. Back in Prague, we joined locals at Lokal for sausage, fried cheese, and goulash, which kept our bellies full for an Alice-themed black light show. On our last morning, we awoke early again to watch the sunrise over Charles Bridge. From St. Nicholas Church, we returned to Old Town again to bargain for Bohemian crystals, then snagged some pizza and brats on the way to the train station. Back in Vienna, we camped out at our hotel, briefly braving the heat for some schnitzel and unsuccessfully finding dessert near the Leopold Museum. Thankfully, our brother-in-law picked us up after the long flight home, as we felt like we could use another vacation after this … vacation. There was simply too much to see and too many people around in Prague. Our next trip will definitely need to be toned down a notch.