We said our goodbyes and I was going to be on my own from there to the finish.
Weymouth looked a lot better this morning and I was feeling a lot better too.
Walked along some well presented suburban roads around Belle Vue and through a tidy park to the impressive Nothe Fort.
I could have walked around the harbour but decided to take the little ferry across so I could savour the last ferry ride of the walk.
Weymouth Harbour from the little ferry
The town was very busy on this fine morning and was putting on its best face with bunting everywhere.
I went looking in vain for camping food supplies and had to duck into an iffy boozer when a sudden cloudburst struck.
Walking along the promenade half an hour later I was struck by another cloudburst but by the time I had got my rucksack off and waterproofs on it was too late.
I was wet but it had already stopped raining.
Bowleaze Cove had really milked the Jurassic tag.
Every building was Jurassic this or that and all the children's rides were Jurassic something or other.
The path away from Weymouth had been diverted a long way inland, since I had last walked there, and went through the site for the upcoming Osfest.
Weymouth Bay and the Isle of Portland
Managed to avoid the next cloudburst when I was in the Smugglers Inn at Osmington and then walked down to the beach that has unusual stones called Osmington Ooliths.
It was a lovely walk through the woods to Ringstead and then a long, steady climb up to the top of White Nothe where the views were amazing.
Looking over Bat's Hole and Lulworth Cove to St Aldhelm's Head
The map of this area looks like the contour lines were drawn by Spirograph (ask your parents), the way they sweep and swirl and sometimes merge together to form one thick brown line for the steep sections.
It started to get very busy near Durdle Door when I saw a sign for a campsite pointing inland and decided to stop and get a shower.
Stop sniggering
Scratchy Bottom was used as the location in the opening scene in the 1967 film Far From The Madding Crowd when Gabriel Oak's dog drives his sheep over the cliff.
I walked up Scratchy Bottom and although I could see the campsite I had to circle around several fields, lanes and a farm to get to the entrance.
Found a spot to put the tent up and had a rest despite the noisy neighbours.
Went to the clubhouse to get some phone power and listen to the live music; the couple on guitars doing covers had an uncanny knack of making every song sound the same.
What a coincidence; having previously heard the Devon snoring champ, the bloke in the next tent (I assume it was a bloke) was the Dorset snoring champion.
Lying awake I realised I only had about thirty miles left to finish the walk.
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