Porto to Weymouth via Gatwick

I checked out of the hotel at midday and then took the Metro out to the Airport, my plane was due to leave at 2.55pm, I went thru customs, went and sat down at the departure lounge by 2pm, about 10 minutes later, a new time was placed at the Departures Board – 4.40pm, great I thought, late on the way here, late on the way out, Ezyjet are smart, they don’t put any staff at the gates until the plane arrives, so nobody can hassle them about it, we finally took off around 5pm.

I we landed at Gatwick just on 7pm and got thru Customs fairly quickly, but then waited about 30-40 minutes to get my bag. Luckily I had already booked accommodation at the Gatwick Travelodge, I took a taxi around to there, also I had already paid for Dinner & Breakfast there, so I wasn’t going to starve (its not that I am going to fade away to a shadow).

In the morning I got a shuttle bus back to the Airport, to catch a train down to Weymouth on the Dorset Coast, I was catching up with Bob Harlow & Carolyne Kramer (who hadn’t been well & was in Hospital), I got a train back towards London but changed at Clapham Junction to get the Train to Weymouth, Bob met me at the train station. He took me around to the Guest house that I am staying at, its abour 200 metres away from Bobs place as the Crow flys but about 1km by road/walking.

After dropping my gear off, Bob took me on a short trip around Weymouth, we then went and saw Carolyne at the Hospital (in Dorchester 10kms away), she was great and chatting away, she is improving, but very slowly, they were due to fly back to Aus in 2 weeks, but because she had surgery, they have to delay their flights by 3 weeks. Afterwards we drove back to Weymough via some back roads, we stopped at the Piddle Brewrey (its in a town call Piddlestone or something like that) Bob bought a case of 10 beers (500ml bottles) for 20 pound, we saw the big chalk man carved into a side of hill that is over 500 years old.

We dropped the car at Bobs flat and then walked into town via the Pub, it was a Ship themed pub, there heaps of bells, model ships, pictures, oars, uniforms etc, we had a 1/2 pint, that was plenty for me. We then continued into town, we wandered up & down the foreshore, harbour, looked at heaps of boats, very impressive seaside town, we had dinner at one of the Franchised pubs Wetherstones, we had the 7 pound steak tuesday special which included a drink (of course a 1/2 pint beer), that was great value. The same pub you can get 99p large coffees and 1.89 pound breakfast anf it has free WiFi, what more do you want.

I can see why Bob & Carolyne decided to stay here in Weymouth.