I’ve always wanted to visit Tangier. The city is at the meeting point of two continents and two seas, and it defies comparison with any other city in Morocco. For the first half of the 20thcentury, Tangier was an international city, with its own laws and its own administration. It attracted a lot of writers, including Paul Bowles, the American…
After visiting the Royal Granaries in Meknes, we decided to skip the medina in Meknes. It was a tough decision, but we had hired our driver, Naji, just for the day, and we had to decide what to do: explore the souks and food stalls in the Meknes medina, or visit the American Fondouk, a veterinary hospital just outside the…
Fes’s location allows for some neat day trips. A popular destination from Fes is the city of Meknes and the Roman ruins of Volubilis. Mark and I have always enjoyed Greek and Roman ruins, and the ruins and Volubilis were said to be impressive. So much so that the site was a key location for Martin Scorsese’s film The Last…
Today our itinerary was simple. Just stroll through Fes with no sites in mind and no agenda to speak of. There’s 9600 streets and alleys. Plenty to explore. We made our way to Bab Boujeloud, but this time we veered right, onto the other main artery, Tala’a Sghira, to see what we’d find. The first stretch consists of another market. …
After last night’s foray into the hectic maze that is Fes, I was ready to tackle it head on. Take a look at this map Your best bet is to make your way to the main entry gate to the medina, Bab Boujeloud, which is depicted as an arch in the lower left corner. Lots of signs pointing to it,…
Day 5 – Goodbye Marrakech, Hello Fes. Today is a bittersweet day. We were sorry to say goodbye to fascinating Marrakech, but excited to check out Fes. We woke up early, took one last look at our beautiful riad from our balcony, and one last look at the lovely balcony outside our door. We bid Sara and her brother adieu. …
Day trip! Our destination: the beautiful coastal fishing town of Essaouira Essaouira has an interesting history. Today, it’s a favorite destination for the picturesque fishing harbor, the twisting little alleyways, and the sand, sea and surf. It used to be a hippie hangout for surfers and expat artists, and though the city now hosts a broader range of visitors, you…
I started my Saturday in Morocco with our riad’s lavish rooftop terrace breakfast, only this time I was joined by the resident cat. Soon afterward, we were joined by the neighborhood tomcat, who hopped onto the terrace from a nearby rooftop, and made himself at home in the covered seating area on the terrace. Yesterday we explored sites in the…
Woke up feeling refreshed and ready to explore the city. After a great breakfast of eggs and a huge assortment of breads, pastries and jams (these folks are into carbs), we got ready to hit the town. But first, I had to play with the riad kitty. I knew the place had a resident cat, so I brought him a…
It was that time of the year again: Memorial Day. I like Memorial Day because not only does it signify the start of summer (my favorite season), it also means that I get to go on vacation! My cat hospital is open seven days a week, and I can’t have our other veterinarian, Dr. Sheheri, work 11 days straight while I’m gone. …
In May of 2012, I took a trip to China. While in Beijing, I made plans to visit the Great Wall, of course. A few weeks before my trip, I sent an e-mail to my tour guide, Vivie, telling her that I was a cat veterinarian and that I like to encounter kitties in whatever country I’m visiting, if possible.…
I recently had the pleasure to take a trip to my favorite international city, Amsterdam. I first visited this wonderful city in 1998. Although I have traveled to most European countries, I hadn’t had a chance to return to Amsterdam until 2011. At that time, I was fortunate to discover the Poezenboot, a cat shelter/sanctuary permanently docked in the Singel…
Would you know a cat emergency if you saw one? I discussed feline first aid for cats and kittens (what to do in a cat emergency), but now I want to point out signs that should cause the pet owner to say, “This is a cat emergency! I need to get my cat to the veterinarian immediately.” It’s amazing the…
Although most of us cat lovers will tell you that it’s a cat’s personality that matters most, many of us will admit that we find ourselves drawn to a cat’s particular coat color. At my cat hospital, my technician Hiromi is drawn to orange boys. I tend to go for the torties. My technician Gina favors black cats. A close…
As a cat veterinarian for over 20 years, I’ve noticed a few common themes to some of the questions and comments I get in the examination room. Cat owners are amazing people. They love their babies. They want to protect their babies. They want to know what the heck is up with their babies?! It is an ongoing struggle trying…