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. …
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…
MY TRAVELS IN CHINA: SHANGHAI DAY 4 Dr. Arnold Plotnick of Manhattan Cat Specialists, loves to travel and loves cats. So off he went… East… way way East… to China. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will share the cultural and kitty cat highlights of Dr. Plotnick’s trip. (Continued from Day 3, pt 2) Our last full day in Shanghai begins in Pudong,…
My Travels in China: Shanghai Day 3 (part 2) Dr. Arnold Plotnick of Manhattan Cat Specialists, loves to travel and loves cats. So off he went… East… way way East… to China. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will share the cultural and kitty cat highlights of Dr. Plotnick’s trip. (Continued from Day 3, pt 1) The…
My Travels in China: Shanghai Day 3 (Part 1) Dr. Arnold Plotnick of Manhattan Cat Specialists, loves to travel and loves cats. So off he went… East… way way East… to China. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will share the cultural and kitty cat highlights of Dr. Plotnick’s trip. (Continued from Day 2) Lots of very…
My Travels in China: Shanghai Day 2 Dr. Arnold Plotnick of Manhattan Cat Specialists, loves to travel and loves cats. So off he went… East… way way East… to China. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will share the cultural and kitty cat highlights of Dr. Plotnick’s trip. (Continued from Day 1 part 2) After another weird…
My Travels in China: Shanghai Day 1 (part 2) Dr. Arnold Plotnick of Manhattan Cat Specialists, loves to travel and loves cats. So off he went… East… way way East… to China. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will share the cultural and kitty cat highlights of Dr. Plotnick’s trip. (Continued from Day 1 part 1) We…
As much as I tried to psychologically will away the rain, there was no getting around it. I had been following The Weather Channel’s 10-day forecast for weeks, and the weather was always sunny, until about the last week before the trip. It was still sunny for Beijing, but clouds were moving into Shanghai. The forecast said there was a…
My Travels in China: Beijing Day 6 Dr. Arnold Plotnick of Manhattan Cat Specialists, loves to travel and loves cats. So off he went… East… way way East… to China. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will share the cultural and kitty cat highlights of Dr. Plotnick’s trip. (Continued from Day 5) Today we leave for Shanghai. …
My Travels in China: Beijing Day 5 Dr. Arnold Plotnick of Manhattan Cat Specialists, loves to travel and loves cats. So off he went… East… way way East… to China. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will share the cultural and kitty cat highlights of Dr. Plotnick’s trip. (Continued from Day 4, Part 2) Today is our…