Welcome to the February edition of the newsletter. The main news this month is that we now have our 2024 Tour Previews ready to go and we have sent you the link to these with your reminder email. These are only available to you as newsletter readers at this stage.
The photo (if you were wondering) is of the Chain Bridge in Budapest - one of our destinations for 2024.
With regard to this year, we have had a couple of cancellations during January so we have two spaces available on our 2023 tours. Grab them quick if you want them! See below for full details.
We also have some news on our exhibition diary with a new date added for this year. Don't forget it is the NEC Motorhome Show this month too.
In other news, we have been featured in an article in Practical Motorhome Magazine this month. A bit more on this later.
We have another great winter warmer recipe for you and this month's motorhoming tips are about gas bottles.
2023 Tours - one cancellation spots available
Due to a cancellation, a space has become available on:
Croatia & Slovenia - September 2023
This is available to book on a first-come first-served basis. If you would like to come then please book direct via our website.
We expect this space to get taken up quite quickly so do get in touch if you want it. Full details of both tours are on the website. If you need any further information, please feel free to contact us.
2024 Tour Previews - express an interest now
Attached to your email reminder you will find a PDF, which is our Previews Brochure for 2024. If you did not receive it or are having trouble opening it, please contact us and we will send you another copy.
Bookings for 2024 will open in the Spring and as you know, newsletter readers always get first dibs on our tours. At this stage of the of the year, it is possible to 'express an interest'. This simply means that when we do open the bookings, we will contact you first to see if you want to take up a space. There is no commitment to go on and book - it just gives you first refusal. You can express an interest in as many tours as you like. Just email us and tell us which tour or tours you are interested in and we add you to 'the spreadsheet'. We will then contact you by email in the Spring.
2024 will be our biggest year ever with more tours going to more places then ever before.
Exhibition dates added
We can confirm that we will be attending the Peterborough Motorhome Show in April. Usually we can't get to this show because we are on tour. However, our season is starting a little later this month giving us the chance to attend.
We did the show once before (during lockdown) and really enjoyed it, so we are really pleased to be able to get there again.
The show is called The National Motorhome and Campervan Show and takes place at East of England (Peterborough) Show Ground from 21st to 23rd April. Please come along and say hi if you are attending. Full show details here.
The Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show is on at the NEC this month from 21st to 26th. This is the second largest show of the year (after the October Show) and is a great way to start the motorhoming year. We will be on Stand 4110 in Hall 4 and look forward to seeing you there.
They have some famous people in attendance at the show too. Some of them we have heard of. This year it is Paul Merton off of the tele. Read a full show preview here.
Practical Motorhome Magazine Feature
Crossings have been featured in an article in this month's edition of Practical Motorhome. Entitled 'Top Tours for 2023' our bit is specifically about escorted tours and (although other tour companies are available) features heavily on Crossings.
If you want a digested version, it says that escorted tours are a great idea. The article also features some photos we sent in so you may even see yourself or your van in there if you came on tour with us last year!
Coq au Van (the amusingly titled recipe feature)
Apple Cider Chicken & Dumplings
Ingredients
The Stew
4 bone-in chicken thighs , skin removed
1 tablespoons butter
1 small red onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 cup of cider
Dumplings:
1 cup all-purpose flour
Half a tablespoon baking powder
Pinch salt
Half a tablespoon cold butter
1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
Half a cup 2% milk
Method
Preheat oven to 350°. Brown chicken in butter; remove and set aside. In the same pan, combine the onion, celery, parsley, salt and pepper; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with flour and mix well. Add broth and cider. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken.
Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes. Increase heat to 425°.
For dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Combine egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Drop batter into 12 mounds onto hot broth.
Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 10 minutes. Cover and bake until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean, about 10 minutes longer.
Motorhoming Tips
A really quick one this month prompted by our recent recce to France.
We have two Calor gas bottles. This is great - we would recommend it. However, we can never remember whether the spare one is empty or full, especially if you haven't been out in the van for a while.
On two occasions I have hooked up the spare to find it empty. I've only been motorhoming for 13 years and still make these schoolboy errors.
Our simple solution to this is to have a little laminated tag that I hook around the spare bottle. The tag says 'FULL' on it. I only put it round the bottle if it's full. That's it!
Keep in touch
Please feel free to contact us at any time. When we are away, calls will bounce to our mobiles at no expense to yourself.
