Stories from travels in

Mary Murphy

Rönök, Hungary: The iron curtain

I’m easily distracted. Especially if I don’t have a deadline. Driving to Graz, Austria, we watched the slow metamorphosis of the villages as we moved

in the foreground, a wooden sign on a post in white paint reads REMETE - hungarian for HERMITGAE. It sits in a field with a forest to the right and blue sky in the background

Nagykapornak, Hungary

Ah, the number of times we’ve driven through Nagykapornak on our way to and from the county seat of Zalaegerszeg. We’d spot the twin domes

Genoa, Italy

There’s an earthiness about the Italian city of Genoa (Genova) that appeals to me. Perhaps it’s because it’s a port city. Maybe it’s because of

Sunlight bathing an apartment building in bright yellow

Milan, Italy

For someone so attached to old stuff, I’m enjoying whatever detour it is that I’m on. I’m a huge fan of tradition and have, on

Multi-arched bridge spanning a wide river lit up at night

Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux. A colour. A wine. A French city. A city that wasn’t on my radar as I’m not a massive fan of red wine. We

Canal de Garonne, France

I ended up in a yacht race once, thinking I was going along to dribble my toes in the water as I lolled on deck

Padova (Padua), Italy

I grew up with St Anthony, the saint who, for a fee, can find just about anything you’ve lost. And you don’t have to be

Trieste, Italy

Trieste feels different. It’s very much an Italian city, and yet it feels different. Almost entirely surrounded by Slovenia, perhaps it’s had to absorb more

Art Biennale, Venice, Italy

There is such a thing as having too much … of a good thing. I’m a massive fan of the Biennale  – ‘a celebration of