Our first family holiday to Portugal was in June 1991. We booked to stay in an apartment at the Poente de Aldeia in Albufeira.

We had a very early start in the morning and arrived at the complex to find our apartment wasn't ready for us so had to sit around in the reception area for a very long time. Due to the early flight, Jo was very tired and very tetchy! Whether due to this or not, we were eventually given the key to a villa a few hundred metres away. This was the Snoopy Villa. It was great, with lots of room and a garden big enough for football games!

We had such a good time that over the years we returned to the Algarve many times, staying at different resorts such as Olhos d'Agua, Lagos, Alvor and our favourite, Carvoeiro, where we stayed in the villa "Casa Ramos". Here we had not only a garden but also our own pool, which saw many games of water volleyball!

In fact, this holiday was so popular that, after her transplant, Jo and Neale went back for a holiday on their own. This too was a great success!