Read on for part 2 of Blue Chip's roving reporter - Ewan Davy's  trip to Weymouth and Portland in Dorset.  Today he explores Portland Castle and goes further afield, taking in the nearby village of Cerne Abbas with its famous chalk "Cerne Giant".

Sunday was a sleep in day, and why not. Indulgence is what holiday's are all about, and when the beds are as comfortable as those 510, it's hard to muster the energy to actually get up, but I did manage it.

Over an invigorating coffee, I rather smugly watched junior triathletes run from the marina, past Ocean View and into the local pool, which is just a matter yards from the main entrance. Why people do it I'll never know, and on a Sunday? I guess that's impact of the Olympics. It may be a little mad, but you have to admire their pluck, especially the tiny ones. 

I thought that would be it, but no. Soon after they emerged once more and ran back past Portland Castle to the marina, one soggy footmark after another. Still it did remind me to visit the Castle that lies just below Ocean Views. So, two minutes later I was at the entrance of this beautiful English Heritage property ready for a bit of culture and history. The gardens are well worth a visit and the exterior architecture is really very impressive, as are the cannons.

With time pressing on, and an afternoon of activity ahead, I packed the car, waved goodbye to Ocean Views and headed off to the pretty village of Cerne Abbas, about twenty miles inland. It was something of pilgrimage as my grandfather used to look after the Cerne Giant in the late eighties.

After a pint in the New Inn and brunch, it was time to set out to climb the hill on which the Giant is carved. I'd scaled this as a kid, but not as an adult. Can't say it brought memories flooding back, but the view from the top was fabulous. Oddly, the one thing you can't see when you are there is the Giant itself; the camber of the hill is such that you can only see the odd line here and there. To admire the Cerne Giant, you actually have to clamber back down and park in the lay-by just at the top of the village. Well worth it.

With the day drawing in, it was time to return to Devon, but my memories of my weekend on Portland will linger, and I'll be sure to return again as I only managed to scratch the surface of this ‘Island' gem. Maybe next time I'll come back to watch Olympians cross the finishing line from Ocean Views' amazing grandstand vantage point. Now there's a thought.

 Find out more about staying in Weymouth and Portland