If you look at a map of  Ireland,  you’ll see several peninsulas on the southwest side.

The Kerry Peninsula is one. The next one North is the Dingle Peninsula. Now Beth and I started the Dingle Way.

The Dingle Way promises to be different from the Kerry Way. It’s less famous, a little shorter (111 miles) and might be a little easier.

But most important we will see the coastline every day and may even walk on the beach on some days.

The trail starts in Tralee, a working, multi cultural town, quite a contrast to tourist Killarney. In Tralee, we saw and heard Eastern Europeans, Middle Eastern and African Irish. This was reflected in the variety of restaurants and food stores.

This weekend, Tralee hosted the Rose of Tralee beauty pageant. Young women from all over the world with any Irish Heritage descended on Tralee to compete. They came from as far away as Darwin, Australia and Dubai. No ideas of who won, since we left on the hike before the winner was announced.

The first day on the Dingle Way however, is not for the lazy hiker-you really had to pick your feet. The trail is rocky, interspersed with muddy patches. It also is not for the daydreamer-you had to watch your step. First, we walked alongside a canal to Blennerville with a windmill.

Then we went cross country and ended with rock  hopping across a river. Here I am crossing the river, helped by a rope. We ended up in the small town of Camp, with a closed pub and an open gas station store. The ice cream in the store looked pretty good.