Sun, sand and sea in the Algarve

Sometimes, the run-up to a holiday is so stressful, it feels like you need a holiday to recover. First, the friends we’re travelling with to Portugal were on the verge of having to cancel because of illness (our holidays together have so far been struck by sciatica, a vomiting virus, a hernia, morning sickness and snow in May…).

I then discovered I’d managed to book my ticket to Faro in the wrong name (Cathy not Catherine) for the first time ever – cue £100 to Monarch to change it. Throw in the usual mad pre-holiday juggle of work, planning, washing and baby-wrangling and I needed the week off.

Fortunately, I had Minnie to ‘help’ me pack this time…

And after a reasonably straightforward check-in – helped along by Minnie being able to burn off some energy in the soft play area at Gatwick, and us sailing through the family security lane – our flight even landed about 15 minutes early.

It’s the first plane journey we’ve taken since she’s been properly crawling and wanting to walk – and the difference was noticeable.

While before, she napped or sat happily to be entertained, we’re into toddler territory now. Too young to be amused for long, too old to snooze her way through.

Thankfully it’s only a couple of hours to the Algarve and I had a bumper copy of the Sunday Times Style magazine which she shredded happily rather than playing with any of her own books or toys.

Then sunshine, speedy security and baggage reclaim, a straightforward hire car pick-up and we were en route to our villa in Gale, just west of Albufeira.

Bliss…

Images copyright MummyTravels