On the last two days of our hike (Days 7 & 8 on The Way), we enjoyed some shorter hiking days with 10 miles on Day 7 (some did hike over 16 miles on this day) and 6 miles on Day 8.  On both days, we did a lot of “Beach Hiking” and had to cross several streams that flowed from the hills down to the beach. It was fascinating to watch my fellow hikers decide how to cross each of these.  Some just went right through and did not mind that their hiking boots got wet.  Some took their boots off. Lizzy did this a few times.  And when…

Day 8 of our Ireland Trip kicked off the second half of our hike. On my last post I mentioned that Day 5 (today) on the Dingle Way should be much easier than Day 4 because it would be slightly shorter and much flatter. Day 5 of our hike started out pleasant and sunny. It would not end that way. Today we would be completing a 13.5 mile hike from Dunquin to Feohanagh. Along the way we enjoyed outstanding views of the wild Atlantic Ocean and a few secluded beaches. Early in the hike we stopped at the workshop of renowned Irish potter Louis Mulcahy at Clothar and had coffee…

After a great evening at the South Pole Inn Pub, the next morning we started out on the third day of our hike. As we left Annascaul for our 14-mile hike to Dingle, we headed west, along meandering country roads with views of the Iveragh Peninsula, the fourth of the five peninsulas in Southwest Ireland. By the time we reached Minard Castle, we were drenched, but very much enjoying the hike. Minard Castle, located in a small sandy cove, was built in the 16th century. The castle was partly destroyed by Cromwell’s men in 1650.  We then walked some scenic and quiet roads that took us inland through farmland. This…

Today is Tuesday, Day 5 of our trip and Day 2 of our hike. We started Day 1 of our hike yesterday in Tralee, the official start of The Dingle Way. As the capital of County Kerry in Ireland, Tralee is known for its International Rose Festival, which occurs every August. Years ago, our son Davis spent quite a bit of time in this town for a class he was taking in College. The Dingle Way is one of over 30 Irish long-distance walking trails located throughout Ireland. Situated in the south-west of Ireland, the walk completes a circuit of the Dingle Peninsula, starting and finishing in Tralee. The trail…

Elizabeth and I leave tomorrow, September 5th for a 112-mile hiking trip in Ireland. This will be my third trip to “The Emerald Isle”.  The first trip occurred 15 years ago when our youngest son Carter wanted to go to Ireland for his senior year spring break.  The second trip occurred 6 years ago when my friend Pete wanted to celebrate his 60th birthday with a cycling trip in Ireland.  On the first trip we drove throughout central and southwest Ireland. We started in Dublin, and then spent time in County Clare, before hugging the Irish Coast known as the “Wild Atlantic Way” all the way from the Cliffs of Moher to the “Ring…

To get to the small country of Montenegro, where we would spend a week hiking, we first flew into Stockholm for a 24-hour layover.  In Stockholm we participated in a Nordic food and drink tour.  One very memorable part of the tour was the Swedish licorice. Evidently the Swedes love their sour/bitter licorice. Most of our group spit it out immediately. Those of us who did not wished we had. But we loved Stockholm.  We then flew into Split, and had a driver take us south along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia to Dubrovnik, where we would meet our hiking group. Along the way, we stopped in the towns of…

On Sunday, June 25th, Pete and I took a train from beautiful San Sebastián to meet our Backroads Group at the Biarritz Train Station in France. This would begin the French Pyrenees part of our cycling trip. We would still be in Basque country, but we would now be in France.  After a short shuttle to a beautiful picnic spot, we cycled 16 miles along the rugged Atlantic Coast to the sunny Bay of Biscay and St-Jean-de-Luz.  After a swim in the Bay of Biscay and a stroll through town to take in a local festival (celebrating Saint John), I met up with our group for a dinner in our hotel (Grand Hôtel Thalasso…

After spending time in Pamplona, we headed to San Sebastián by bus. our first activity in town was to walk along Playa de la Concha, the largest and most prominent of San Sebastian’s three beaches. We then settled in for a refreshing “Tinto de Verano”, a mix of red wine and lemon-lime soda, and lunch at a restaurant on the promenade overlooking the beach. Later, I went swimming and even swam out to one of the floating docks, just as the protagonist did at the end of “The Sun Also Rises”. At the end of the day we had a private intro tour of San Sebastian that included lots of…

The second chapter of my 2023 Basque trip consists of walking the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James). For centuries Pilgrims have been taking this walk from various points in Europe to Santiago de Compastella, a town tucked away in Northwestern Spain, where St. James’s remains are thought to be buried. My good friend Pete Keane and I would spend three days walking the French Camino or the “French Way”, which starts in the small village of Saint Jean Pie-de-Port. Our destination – Pamplona.  Before starting our hike we met in the seaside village of Biarritz, France for a day. Biarritz is known as the “queen of beaches and the beach of kings” after Empress Eugenie…