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Leaving the pink hues and European flavor of the Costa del Sol, we ventured across the Strait of Gibraltar into the bustling port of Tangier. Simply put, Morocco is striking – its vibrant culture embraces travelers as soon as they step off the ferry.

We started the day by meeting our gracious host Youssef, a painter and graphic designer in Tangier (see some of his beautiful work in the slideshow above). Youssef advised that we plunge deeper into Morocco to experience the countryside and culture. We hired a driver, Abdul, to cart us around for two days. He was so much fun to spend time with. We took a road trip into the coastal town Assilah on Wednesday and the mountain town Chefchaouen on Thursday. Being in these two beautiful, relaxed towns was like walking into a Dalí painting! Whitewashed homes lined rocky Atlantic coastline and perched on the edges of towering cliffs in the Rif mountains. By far, the most rewarding experiences were found wandering through labyrinthine medinas, taking in the sights and smells of North Africa.

It's difficult to summarize the experience in words. Morocco is best described in sights and smells. It's a visceral place that beckons travelers to slow down and absorb daily life. Check out the slideshow for a taste of Morocco!

After spending most of Sunday entrenched in business discussions, the next day we decided to leave the hotel for a day trip to Ronda. Ronda is home to the oldest bullfighting ring in Spain, and despite our general opposition to the sport, we thought it was something we should see. Ronda has bullfights only one weekend of the year, in September, during the main town festival. The rest of the year tourists are welcome to tour it and even walk into the middle of the ring. After a brief tour of the town, our adventurous whims took over and we hiked down a very precarious, steep, rocky trail to get the best angle on the huge gorge that splits the town in two.





Here are some more photos from the day:









And finally, here is a little treat for all of you:

Sitting on the veranda watching the sun go down while discussing business strategy. Some of the things we've decided so far:

After a long day of travel yesterday, we woke up this morning on the coast of Southern Spain and the weather is gorgeous. We'll be in the Andalucia region for the next 10 days for our annual corporate retreat. We're looking forward to spending some undistracted time making plans for our businesses this year and enjoying a little bit of relaxation at the same time. We'll update more soon!

We set a new record for our studio last night! Over 70 photographers partied with LaCour and Couture Book. It was so much fun to connect with old friends and meet new ones. Thanks for coming by!

A special thanks to Dave Luebke and the Couture Book team for creating such an incredible vehicle for photographers to showcase their work!

And thanks to Will Godfrey for shooting so many photos.

Here's a photo recap...


With so many familiar faces, it was like a LaCour Business of Storytelling reunion! Past workshop students Regina Holder, Laura Stone, Kelly Lee Flora, Delaney Holliman and Darren Carter reconnected.

A ROCKSTAR made a cameo appearance...


The Rockstar charmed everyone by serving as bartender. Fellow NC photographer and über-rockstar Parker Pfister seemed to be really charmed by his buddy. Or, it could have been the G&T's they were mixing!



Jenny Tarpley checked out Couture Books firsthand with Dave Luebke's attentive help...



There was lots of laughter...



and lots of cameras...



Hayden Linke won our hearts with his adorable expressions



So did his Dad...



The party is best summed up by Mark's brother, Ken, with this expression...



Thanks everyone for coming to the party!