Stories from travels in

Mary Murphy

Kenmare, Co. Kerry, Ireland

Kenmare, with its iconic hotels, colourful facades, and thriving restaurant/bar scene, is a gem of a town in the southwest of Ireland. It’s giving nearby

Derrynane, Co. Kerry, Ireland

There’s no better beach in Ireland, he said, than the white sands of Derrynane. It was a wet day; that damp wet that is so

Yellow signpost with black letters spelling JERUZALEM above a circular sign with 40 written on white with a red circle. Standing at the edge of a village.

Jeruzalem, Slovenia

As the story goes, Crusaders, on their way to the Holy Land, stopped off in northeastern Slovenia, in a village on top of the highest

Ptuj, Slovenia

It was our second visit to Slovenia’s oldest town. The last time barely counted, as we were simply passing through. This time, we stayed a

Person wearing a kurent costume - horns, devil mask with glowing eyes, wool hair - like a sheep's fleece. Gruesome teeth barred - smoke in the background

Ptuj, Slovenia: Kurentovanje

Shrovetide carnivals like those in Rio de Janeiro, Venice, and New Orleans, need little by way of introduction. They’re well-famous, days-long festivities in the lead-up

Sobering up in Maribor, Slovenia

Maribor. Maribor. Maribor. The name was embedded in my brain long before I ever set foot in the city. I knew of it because of

Black and white photo of latticed iron gate behind which sits a wine cellar. Rows of niches on each side with layers of wine bottles stacked in each niche. Black mould hangs from the ceiling. Strips of fluorescent light cast a dull glow.

Tasting wine in Maribor, Slovenia

Standing at Kodžak, what residents call the National Liberation Monument in Maribor, I looked around. The castle was on my left and another building clothed