June Newsletter
- Bob and Wendy
- Jun 2
- 10 min read
Welcome to the June edition of the newsletter.
Our season is well under way with two tours already back and another two tours out this month. We have full tour reports on both our Three Country Starter Tour and our Lake Garda & Venice Tour in this edition.
It's that time of year again when the lovely people at the NEC Motorhome Show give us ten pairs of tickets to give away. As usual, this will be done using the orange woolly hat. Read on for full details.
As usual we have another “cut out and keep” recipe and this month’s motorhome tips are about seatbelts.
2026 Tours Website Update
All of the details for the 2026 tour schedule are now on the website. You can also download and/or view the full (fancy) 2026 brochure here:
If you were wondering, this year's cover image is the delightful Porto in Portugal. Fun fact: this is the first year ever where we have not featured a motorhome on the front cover!
Bookings for 2026 are now in full swing so please get in touch if you would like to travel with us next year.
Win free tickets to the NEC Show in October 2025
We will be speaking at the Inspiration Theatre again at the NEC Motorhome Show in October. This year's topic is Tuscany & Rome. As usual there will be a ton of useful information and a similar quantity of bad dad jokes.
In exchange for this service, the nice folks who organise the event offer us 10 pairs of free tickets to give away. As usual we will do this using a complex algorithm that would be the envy of every computer scientist at Google. This hack-free method employs my favourite woolly hat (in orange) into which your names will be placed on a slip of paper.
If you would like me to add you to the hat, please email me your name. It's that simple. Entries are limited to one per household and I am completely unbribable. The draw will be made in August with winners announced in the September edition. Winning tickets can be used once on any day.
Tour Report - The Three Country Taster Tour
Thanks for Sue and Colin for the following...
Wow! And what a tour this was – first tour out of the season, sunshine all the way and a different European Bank Holiday each week.
We left Dover on a bright April morning with the group heading through France and Belgium and into the Zeeland region of Holland. Some of the group stopped off en route to take
in the sights of Bruges and to sample the Belgian chocolates and waffles. Others drove straight to our first site on the shores of Veers Meer, one of the many waterways we would see on this trip.
Several of the group had never taken their motorhomes abroad before but they all coped admirably and there was a definite sense of relief at having reached the first stop safely.
Today was the first of the series of National Holidays – King’s Day in Holland is a National Day of Celebration with lots of partying and everyone wearing something orange.
Our next stop involved a short drive to the city of Delft, famous for its blue and white (and very expensive) pottery. The drive today allowed people to stop off at the UNESCO Kinderdijk windmills, a system of 19 windmills built in 1740. A lovely day for a gentle cruise down the dykes to view the windmills which are still lived in.
Our time spent in Delft gave plenty of time to visit the city, wander through the narrow streets, take a boat trip on the canals or enjoy a leisurely meal in the square.
From Delft we headed north to what was one of the highlights of the tour, our visit to the Keukenhof Gardens. These gardens, only open for eight weeks of the year, are planted out annually with 7 million bulbs and what a picture they were. Tulips, tulips and more tulips blooming alongside grape hyacinths, azaleas, amaryllis, daffodils and more. An amazing spectacle and also the hottest day so far with temperatures reaching the high 20’s.
Another amazing spectacle was enjoyed at our next stop – the world-famous Alkmaar Cheese Market. The dealers, all dressed in traditional outfits strike the deals with a tasting of the cheese and a handshake before the cheeses are weighed and taken off by the porters on a wooden sledge. Fun to watch. The river cruise in Alkmaar was also enjoyed by many of the guests – “mind your head” in several languages reminds you that many of the bridges that are encountered are very low!
Our journey across Holland continued on day 9 as we drove eastwards on the 30km Houtribdijk dam across the Markmeer Lake heading towards the Arnhem area. A slight detour from the route took many of the guests to visit the village of Giethoorn, a village with no roads in the centre only waterways. A delightful place to visit with a very interesting history.
Two National Holidays coincided with our time at Arnhem – the early May Bank Holiday was being celebrated in England with VE Day celebrations and in Holland it was Liberation Day, a five yearly celebration to mark the end of WW2 – flags were flying outside many of the houses.
Visits from our base in Arnhem included the Dutch Open Air Museum looking back at how life used to be. Visits to the Airborne Museum and other WW2 museums which people found very informative, as well as stops at various War Grave Cemetries and the Hoge Veluwe National Park.
The city of Maastritch and the pretty town of Valkenburg were the next part of our tour, the sun was still shining although there was a slightly chilly breeze and a few clouds around. It was during this stopover that we enjoyed a lovely group meal in a restaurant a short walk from our site and also had our own VE Day celebration on the 8th May - a visit to Colin’s Café for a bacon sandwich – everyone wore something red, white or blue. It was enjoyed by all and a good start to the day.
The scenery changed quite dramatically as we left Holland and headed towards Luxembourg, the route became hillier and took us through great expanses of forest. Our first day in Luxembourg coincided with the final public holiday of our trip – Europe Day which celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The guests took advantage of free public transport in Luxembourg and headed for the city where there were several special events taking place including the Majorettes of Luxembourg. A great day was had in this vibrant city on yet another glorious sunny day!
Leaving Luxembourg behind it was now time to start the journey across France towards Calais, but not without a chance for people to stop at castles, Champagne Houses, and nearby towns and villages to get a feel for the French way of life and also to experience the toll motorways. Many of the guests took the opportunity to visit the WW1 Museum at Vimy Ridge which they found very moving and thought provoking. One of the guests was able to trace the grave of his great grandfather.
Our final stop, close to Calais enabled the group to get together for a final meal in the site
restaurant, to share their trip highlights and to think about where next? Thank you for joining us on this trip, well done everyone and treasure the memories! Sue and Colin
Our Three-Country Taster Tour is taking a rest in 2026. If you are interested in trying a taster tour with us, we are running one to Brittany and Normandy in May 2026. Full details on our website here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/brittany-normandy-2026
Tour Report - Lake Garda & Venice
Thanks to Eleanor and Gary for the following...
The departure of our Lake Garda & Venice Tour coincided with all of the VE Day celebrations so it was quite a poignant start to the trip. One of our guests proudly flew a union jack and the tricolor all the way to Burgundy. In Chalon sur Saone the group were able to experience a number of parades, choirs singing and bands playing. It was all quite moving given the circumstances of 80 years ago.
Our first stop in Italy is in the Aosta Valley, just beyond the world-famous Mont Blanc Tunnel. Our campsite, close to the delightful town of Aosta has a wonderful restaurant with magnificent views of the surrounding Alps. Many of our guests enjoyed an impromptu group meal after a walk around the town.
The group now moved to the first of the main campsites for this tour, on the southern shores of Lake Garda, close to the delightful old fishing town of Peschiera del Garda. The reliance on fishing is long gone as the town is now a lively, yet relatively un-spoilt tourist destination. There is so much to do from this area, not least accessing the lake itself via various forms of boat transport. Some guests took to the "steamers" while others hired or chartered various other crafts!
One of the highlights in this area is the old town of Sirmione on the west of the lake. You can get there by bus, bike (or better still) boat. There is a delightful old walled town and an impressive castle that sits directly on the foreshore.
Our wonderful campsite is located directly on the southern shores of lake and they are so used to our groups now, that one of the avenues has been nicknamed "Crossings Street" for the duration of our stay. I think the photo shows it quite nicely - the lake itself is at the end of the row.
Peschiera is a lively place with a network of narrow streets lined with boutique shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. It has impressive ramparts dating from the middle ages, a number of small harbours, piers and "beaches" with access to the warm waters of the lake. They also have impressive markets that take over much of the town twice a week.
Another advantage to staying on this section of the lake are the rail links to nearby cities. In particular, it is only 40 minutes to Verona, perhaps best known as the setting for Romeo and Juliet. A little further afield is Venice, which needs no explanation really! All of the group took advantage of the chance to visit the latter. The Rialto Bridge shown below.
After a few days on the south of the lake, it was time for the crew to move to the north of the lake. This involved a sedate and pleasant drive all the way up the east side passing through some quaint towns and villages and enjoying the spectacular scenery as it start to get more hilly and mountainous.
Our destination is the town of Riva del Garda, right at the top of the lake just before you go into the Dolomite mountain range. Riva is a beautiful town, a little less touristy than the southern towns. It also has access to a number of other lakeside locations using the "steamer" boat service.
Riva has recently installed a glass elevator that takes you up the mountain-side to the Bastione (a castle ruin), which provides stunning views of the town and lake. There is also a restaurant and bar here, which makes for a pleasant evening meal watching the sun go down.
From Riva you an visit two very attractive lakeside towns - Limone (famous for growing lemons) and Malcesine (base of the Monte Baldo cable car). Many guests had a great day out visiting either or both of the towns and getting up to the top of Monte Baldo, some 2000m above the lake. The views from up there are breath-taking. To give some sense of scale you can just make out Riva at the top left hand side of the lake.
Some guests also ventured north of the lake into the foothills of the mountain to visit Cascata Varone, a spectacular waterfall that dives into a cave, dug out over years and years.
The time on the lake was now coming to an end and the group headed back into the Aosta Valley, through Mont Blanc and back up to Burgundy region in France, where we paused for a two-night stop over in the historic town of Beaune. The highlight is the Hotel de Dieu, an old hospital with a very distinctive shiny tiled roof. Beaune is also a great place to get a meal and drink the local vintage at the end of a great trip.
Our Lake Garda & Venice Tour is running again this September (reserve list available) and again in September 2026 (spaces available). Full details on our website: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/lake-garda-venice-2026
Sponsored abseil off Coventry Cathedral
Just a reminder that Wendy and I will be throwing ourselves off Coventry Cathedral on 19th July this year. We will be attached to a rope and it is for charity. If you would like to sponsor us, full details of the charity and what they do can be found here:
We will be putting up more details of the actual times etc in next month's edition and you are welcome to come and watch if you are anywhere near Coventry.
Thanks to those who have already generously donated. Please mention our names if you donate.
Coq au Van (the amusingly titled recipe feature)
One pot pasta Bolognese (inspired by our Italy Tour!)
Ingredients
1 medium onion, finely chopped
250g/9oz beef mince, any type
400g tin green lentils, drained
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
75g/2½oz cheddar, finely grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the onion and mince in a wide-based saucepan, deep frying pan or sauté pan and fry for 5 minutes over a medium-high heat, stirring and squishing the beef to break up the mince. (There is no need to add oil unless your mince is extra lean.)
Add the lentils, tomatoes and 700ml/1¼ pint water to the pan.
Stir in the pasta, crumble over the stock cube and add the tomato ketchup and mixed herbs. Season with lots of ground black pepper.
Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 18–20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir more towards the end of the cooking time so the pasta doesn’t stick. (You may need to remove the lid to allow the sauce to simmer uncovered if the liquid needs to reduce a little more at the end.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve just as it is with cheese sprinkled on top, or transfer to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with half the cheese and pop under a hot grill for 3–5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve the rest of the cheese separately or keep for another meal.
Motorhoming Tips
Prompted by a reader question, this month I am taking a look at the rules on seatbelts in motorhomes.
So in the front, the rules are very clear - you must wear one. The confusion comes in the rear seats. Many manufacturers now fit forward facing rear seats. Where a seatbelt is supplied, you must wear it. These are called "designated travelling seats".
There is an extra layer of confusion as some of the rear seats are sideways facing. In this case, there is not normally a seatbelt as it wouldn't do anything useful in the event of a crash (as the forces in play would be at 90 degrees to how you are sitting). It is not illegal to travel in these seats, but it is not advisable.
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