During my journey to Moscow in 2019, I unexpectedly encountered Henri Matisse’s captivating Moroccan series at the renowned Pushkin Museum. The profound, exotic blue hues in his artwork fascinated me, and I couldn’t help but feel drawn to the place that had inspired him – Tangier. Interestingly, Tangier had piqued my curiosity for over a decade, and this encounter with Matisse’s work solidified my decision to embark on a trip to Morocco. The date was January 2020, a time before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.