Stories from travels in

Mary Murphy

A calm coastal bay at sunset, with small fishing boats anchored in the water and houses scattered along the wooded hillsides.

Molunat, Croatia

We’d dropped our friends off at the airport in Dubrovnik for their 8 am flight. It had just gone 6 am, and we weren’t flying

Panoramic view of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the historic Old Bridge spanning the Neretva River and mountains in the background.

Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Wrong bridge. Wrong river. But we went there anyway. We had thought, for some odd reason, that the bridge in Mostar was the one Ivo

A statue of St Anthony of Padua holding the Christ Child inside an empty church,

Humac, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Known in some circles as the place where the famous Humačka Tablet was found, I had never heard of Humac before reading up on the

Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina

In 1981, something happened in the village of Medjugorje that would change the shape of things to come. Dramatically. Our Lady appeared to six young

A sunlit historic stone street lined with traditional buildings, green-shuttered windows, and awnings, with a tall stone bell tower rising in the center under a clear blue sky. Tourists walk through the busy pedestrian street.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

For years I’ve been wondering what the hype was about. Put off by stories of massive crowds and an over-touristed old town, it’s taken me

Yacht harbour at sunset with rocks on the foreground and boats with masts in the background. Sunset giving off a pink hue to a dark blue sky

Slano, Croatia

Some 27 km northwest of Dubrovnik lies the village of Slano. Home to fewer than 600 locals, its population swells in the summer months. Boats

Yellow sign with black writing behind a railing on a red house. Sign reads: Sintra: a traffic jam in paradise. We are holding (?)s accountable for sustainable policies with measurable outcomes

Sintra, Portugal

A few years back, when staying in the lovely Ericeira, we popped over to Sintra to see Pena Palace. I don’t remember much of the

Old-fashioned yellow tram on a narrow cobblestone street at night

Lisbon, Portugal

I didn’t choose to go to Lisbon for my birthday this year; it chose me. Our good friend GP was flying in from the States

Sunset over the sea

Bibinje, Croatia

I’ve never understood friends who go back to the same place on holiday year after year. We have so little time, and the world is