July Newsletter
- Bob and Wendy
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Welcome to the July edition of the newsletter - phew what a scorcher (to quote the Sun newspaper).
It's been another busy month at Crossings with two more tours completed in June. Rebecca and Andy were out on the first ever France Grand Tour and we have a full tour report on that in this edition. Meanwhile, Gwyn & Debbie and Rob & Chrissie have just returned from the Alps. We will have a full roundup on that one next month.
Also this month we have ten pairs of tickets to give away for the NEC Motorhome Show in October, plus details of the charity abseil taking place in a couple of weeks time.
As usual we have another “cut out and keep” recipe (thought I better do a salad as it's summer) and this month’s motorhome tips are about yet another gadget (but I do actually use this one).
2025 Cancellation Space Available
Due to a cancellation, a space has become available on our Loire & Burgundy Tour in September this year. This is one of our shorter tours that is perfect for first-timers or the more experienced motorhomer. We spend time in two of France's prettiest and most un-spoilt regions famed for their history, food and wine. Full details of the tour can be found here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/loire-burgundy-2025
The space is available on a first-come first-served basis so if you are interested, please book online here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/book-now
Win free tickets to the NEC Show in October 2025
Regular readers will know the routine by now. If you would like the chance to win two free tickets for the NEC Motorhome Show in October (on any day), just send us your email address and you are in the draw. One entry per household. Winners to be drawn next month so this is your last chance to get your name in the hat.
The celebrity guests for the NEC have not been announced yet, but rest assured I will take the mickey out of them as soon as we know who they are.
Tour Report - France Grand Tour
This was the first ever outing for the France Grand Tour, ably led by Rebecca and Andy. The idea behind the tour was to offer a little taste of everything that France has to offer, from coast to coast (to coast) and everything in-between.
It's all wine-growing territory for the first few days with no shortage of white fizz in Champagne and hearty reds in Burgundy. The group were able to see the vines in full growing season with a chance to visit a few of the areas best known wine towns, including Reims, Chalons-sur Saone, and my personal favourite Beaune.
Although wine and food are typically the main attractions in Burgundy, it has a very high concentration of abbeys, due its strategic location during the Middle Ages. Perhaps the most striking of these is the one at Cluny, the seat of the largest monastic order in the west!
Time for a change of scene with a few nights in probably the best campsite in France (the location of which remains a closely guarded secret) in the heart of the Ardeche region. This area is known for being rugged and rocky with lots of cliffs, escarpments and dramatic valleys. One of the highlights of this area is jumping in a canoe and paddling down the Ardeche River, through the mini-rapids and then under the dramatic Pont d'Arc. The picture shows a few of our brave paddlers in action.
Moving further south, the next region is Provence. This is a large and wildly diverse section of France that encompasses many old cities and town, lots of Roman remains, mountains and ultimately - seaside. The pick of the cities is Avignon, famed for its unfinished bridge over the River Rhone and home to seven successive popes back in the day. A visit to the papal palace remains a highlight. Avignon also boasts a completely intact medieval wall that surrounds the city.
There are lots of Roman remains in this area including a particularly dramatic bridge - the Pont du Gard. Easily accessible by motorhome, the distinctive three-tier bridge spans the River Gardon. The bridge is actually an aqueduct, designed to provide a water supply to nearby Nimes. It's 2000 years old!
This tour does not stand still for long and it was time to get down to the coast. On the way, guests were able to drive through the unique landscape of the Camargue Wetlands. The stats are incredible: 350 square miles in size; home to 400 bird species; 60,000 flamingoes; 12,000 plant species. It is also home to the famous white horses and even has a population of bulls.
From the sublime to the south coast! The rich diversity of France is perhaps never more in focus than going from the wilds of the Camargue to the (slightly more) developed south coast. Heaving with families in the summer, the coast attracts a more sedate (older) crowd in the Spring with the chance to enjoy the flat beaches, warm seas and no shortage of local restaurants and bars.
This was our southern-most point close to the city of Narbonne. From here the group cut west via the dramatic hill-top medieval city of Carcassonne. The history goes back hundreds of years here with its double-walled fortifications and watchtowers. At its heart is the ancient citadel with the 12th Century Comtal Chateau.
The destination on this stretch was Toulouse, know as the "Pink City" due to the predominance of terracotta bricks used in many of its historic buildings. The city if ripe for a walking tour with many of its most prominent attractions all within a short distance of the imposing main square. There are also some beautiful stretches of the 150-mile Canal de Midi in this area.
I'm exhausted just writing this - but it was time for the tour to move on again and across the west coast. We had a couple of stops planned here. The first was into the vineyards around St Emilion, close to Bordeaux. Here the group were able to enjoy a visit into the local vineyard and also enjoy a full day in the bustling city. Parallels are often drawn between Paris and Bordeaux both sitting on large rivers and made up of grand buildings built around imposing squares. Its one advantage over Paris is that it is much less busy, making it a great place for a wander.
Tracking the Atlantic Coast, our next stop was by the seaside, just outside La Rochelle. Our campsite is located in one of the smaller and quieter towns away from the city itself, but providing easy access to the beach and wonderful corniche that stretches for several miles. Here, our guests were able to spend a relaxing few days on bikes and on foot, with some venturing into La Rochelle to enjoy the old port, marina and the arcaded streets of the old town.
The tour continued to head north now with the chance to visit the Loire Valley. Famed for its meandering river, vineyards and large concentration of chateaux (castles), we stayed close to the region capital of Tours. Here the group were able to pick up the Loire a Velo cycle path that runs for some 900 km. I don't think anyone did all of it, but there is a lovely stretch around Tours, that takes you directly to Villandry Chateau with its wonderful formal gardens.
It was nearly time for home with just one last stop-over close to Rouen where the group were able to get together for one last time before heading home. We would like to thank everyone who came out on the inaugural France Grand Tour and for making it a great success.
The France Grand Tour is having a rest next year, but if you would like to join us in France in 2026, we have a shorter Brittany & Normandy Tour running in May. Full details here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/brittany-normandy-2026
Sponsored abseil off Coventry Cathedral
Just a final reminder that Wendy and I will be abseiling off the top of Coventry Cathedral on 19th July from 12.30 onwards.
We are part of a team of nine people all representing the Coventry City Mission who do fantastic work in the local community.
If you want to come and watch, please let us know and we will furnish you with more details. There is an event taking place in the old cathedral at the same time, so you can make a day of it. If we get enough folks who want to come, we will also put a bit of something on at the Church Hall. Please let us know if you are coming so that we can make plans.
We should bear in mind that this is a much bigger deal for Wendy than it is for me as a) I have abseiled before and Wendy hasn't and b) Wendy is a bit shorter than me so it's going to seem much higher to her.
We would really like to thank everyone who has donated so far. If you would like to find out more about the work of the mission there is a link below along with a link to the Just Giving page, if you would like to sponsor us.
Coq au Van (the amusingly titled recipe feature)
Warm Chicken Salad
Ingredients
2 small chicken breasts, boned, skinned and cut in half
cooking oil spray
1 large orange or red pepper, deseeded and cut in to chunks
1 little gem lettuce, leaves separated
50g/1¾oz watercress, tough stalks removed
2 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into small chunks
⅓ cucumber, sliced
1 tsp thick balsamic vinegar
½ small lemon, juice only
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Season the chicken pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with oil and place over a high heat. Cook the chicken pieces for three minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Spray the pan with a little more oil and cook the pepper for three minutes on each side or until lightly charred and beginning to soften.
Arrange the lettuce leaves, watercress, tomatoes, cucumber and pepper on two plates.
Slice the chicken breasts and scatter on top of salad. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and squeeze the lemon juice over. Season with black pepper and serve.
Motorhoming Tips
I've got a new gadget for the van and it is one of these. It is a water filler cap. Basically it is a cap designed to fit onto your water inlet. It has a standard hose pipe fitting on the outside. This allows you to screw it in, attach the hose and then leave it to fill. You don't leave it on all the time, you just put it on when needed and then use your standard locking cap the rest of the time.
Available in all the usual places for about a tenner.
Keep in touch
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Please feel free to contact us at any time. When we are away, calls will bounce to our mobiles at no expense to yourself.
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