Oh, Kerry.

It's been over seven months now since Marty Szabo and I went hiking in Ireland. Last September we spent eight days hiking the Dingle Way in the Southwest part of the country, and early this year we (we, being all of us Breakfast Club hiking buddies) started discussing where to go next. We started with a long list of possibilities, including Spain, France, Italy, England, Scotland, and, well, Ireland again. It didn't take a lot of discussion between Marty and me for both of us to recognize that our first choice would be to go back to the Emerald Isle. The people we met were wonderful, the country beautiful, the hiking terrific, and Marty and I are still looking for the perfect pour. And this time, John Nelson is going with us. 

(I might change my name for the trip so that the three of us going could be Abraham, Martin and John.) 

We're leaving Sunday for Dublin (so John can bolt after posting the final grades for his architecture students), and on to Glenbeigh, to hike the Kerry Way. The Kerry Way circles the Iveragh peninsula in southwest Ireland, just south of the Dingle Peninsula and the Dingle Way. Once again, Deirdre O'Sulllivan at Tailor Made tours  (www.tailor-madetours.com) has organized the trip. Once again, we're doing eight days hiking with seven nights in B&B's, and evenings in villages soaking up the local color. We're not doing the entire loop of the Kerry Way, which would take a couple more days. We're going to start in Glenbeigh in the northern part of the peninsula, and end in Killarney.

After the hike, we've got a couple of stops in southern Ireland planned, then return to Dublin.  When we get back to Dublin, things get complicated. Wives. Pat and Donna are flying to Dublin to meet us. We were hoping Debi could come as well, but someone has to keep the home fires burning.

From Dublin, our itineraries separate. John comes home, Marty and Donna head to Lisbon, and Pat and I go to London. Then Marty, Donna, Pat, and I come back to Dublin for some more time in Ireland.

I told you it got complicated. You'll have to follow the blog to see what really happens.