Stories from travels in

Mary Murphy

James Joyce in Szombathely

Week 26. Half-way through the year. It’s hotter than Hades here in Budapest and I’m finding very little to be grateful for this week. The

Life and death on the Tisza

‘It’s started. They’re flowering. Catch the next train to Subotica and someone will meet you at the station.’ I’d been waiting for this particular phone

Sarajevo window box

No Bosnians in Bosnia

I met a woman once who had survived the concentration camps. I was in awe of her. She was old and frail, but feisty. It

Bonnets and Belgrade

I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I have a big head. It rarely bothers me except when I get the urge to

Johnny Valiant

Three hundred and seventy verses, 1480 lines, make for one hell of a long poem. But I read them all, cover to cover, the first

Back in the Balkans

Get the phone call – revise the route – hop on a train – and enjoy the best of Serbian hospitality. Just another Sunday in

Live ducklings and rosary beads

I’m a great fan of markets. I love sorting through other people’s junk in search of a piece of history or something that I can