When the tyres hit the tarmac on a family holiday it is a moment of great excitement. The doors of the plane open and the warm air wafts through the cabin. Your holiday is now for real.
For most visitors, the new Francisco Sa Carneiro airport, a few miles north of Porto, is the most popular and convenient gateway to the Minho region
Bright, spacious, and modern, travellers move quickly through passport control, the luggage area and outside to meet the shuttle buses that take you a few hundred yards to pick up your hired car.
Like most things in the north of Portugal, taxis are relatively cheap but I would recommend hiring a car to make the most of the region. You are usually on the road less than an hour after touching down.
Quinta de Agriboa is a relaxing 40 minutes drive from the airport, through green and pleasant countryside, and lies a few kilometres off the main motorway that takes you north to Spain. The Spanish border is only 15 minutes from the villa and many visitors make day excursions to Vigo and Santiago de Compostela.
You receive directions to the villa by email a couple of weeks before you travel, easing the journey to your home for the next week or two or three.
As they drive down the tree-lined entrance to the Quinta, most visitors are surprised how small the house appears at first glance. But the layout of the villa is deceptive.
It is only when you walk round the house that you fully appreciate the skill with which it has been built into the natural contours of the land, blending the original building that dates back to the late 18th century with the new extension.
Our local agent, Sergio, greets visitors to Quinta de Agriboa and explains how everything in the house works – the electric gates at the entrance, the kitchen, the air conditioning, the television that receives most European channels and the LG compact stereo system that allows you to plug in your own music. This really is a home from home.
While the adults are familiarising themselves with the house and assigning the six bedooms, it usually takes the younger members of the family a few nano seconds to get into the swimming pool. 15 x 8 metres this, for many, becomes the focal point of the holiday.
If you are arriving too late to get to the supermarket, Sergio can arrange to have essential items – milk, tea coffee, wine and breakfast – in the villa so that you have no worries about the following morning.
The teenagers in our group usually insist that we arrive in time to pick up pizzas from John Matos. John is a local legend who spent 30 years in New York perfecting his pizza making skills. Our kids reckon this is the best pizza they have ever tasted.
John’s restaurant is about 15 minutes drive from the villa. He takes orders over the telephone and the pizzas are ready when you get to his place. He also stocks wine, beer and soft drinks.
We usually do the first big food shopping at the beginning of the holiday in one of the two large supermarkets in Ponte de Lima. Again, you will be amazed at the prices. They are remarkably good value.
As you get to know the area, you may want to use the local shops and markets. The meat and vegetables are all produced locally and the bakers make the most amazing cakes and breads. My own favourite is the nata, a Portuguese custard tart that I can eat at any time of the day.
Before he leaves, Sergio will give you a list of activities in the area. It is best to get him to make the bookings as he usually negotiates a group discount.
All that is for another day though. For now, kick off your shoes, relax with a glass of wine or beer on the terrace and listen to the last of the bird song and the warm, gentle breeze rustling the trees. Your Portuguese adventure is just beginning.