Stories from travels in

Mary Murphy

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

Old sepia photo of an old town square behind a windowpane on a street

Karlovac, Croatia

One of the many reasons I like a road trip is that our time is our own. We can stop whenever and wherever we please.

Metal sculpture of a surfer catching a wave ... on a beach in Portugal

Vila Praia de Âncora, Portugal

On a day trip from Ponte de Lima, we headed towards the coast to check out some seaside towns. On our way, we stopped on

Ponte de Lima, Portugal

Himself has been raving about Portugal’s oldest chartered town ever since he came back from the Camino – and that wasn’t today or yesterday. So,

Semi-circular sign that reads Peaceful Puducherry - Give time a break

Puducherry, India

I’d confused Pontchartrain with Pondicherry. Easily done. One is in Louisiana, USA, and the other is in India. As I said, easily done. To confuse