May Newsletter

Bob and Wendy
May 5
6 min read

Welcome to the slightly delayed May edition - the snooker final went to the final session yesterday and I was hooked so didn't get round to sending the newsletter.

This month we continue our "spotlight on..." series, which this time focuses on our Croatia & Slovenia Tour (Lake Bled pictured).

As usual we have another “cut out and keep” recipe and this month’s motorhome tips cover eSims.

2027 Tour Bookings

We are now in full swing taking bookings for 2027.

Full details of the 2027 Tour Schedule are on the website here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/tours

If you would like to book for 2027, please do so via our website here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/book-now

If you want a chat about any of the tours, or need a bit more information before you decide, then please contact us and we will be very happy to talk you through it.

Spotlight on...Croatia & Slovenia 2027

Our Croatia & Slovenia Tour has been a staple of our touring schedule for many years. Two beautiful countries sitting on the Adriatic Sea, where western Europe meets eastern Europe.

In no particular order I am going to pick out our own personal highlights of this very varied tour...

The Plitvice Lakes: not far from the Bosnian border in Croatia, nestled in scenic rolling hills you will find the Plitvice Lakes National Park. Spread over nearly 300 square kilometres, this UNESCO listed site contains 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls all leading into a limestone canyon. It is stunning. The lakes are turquoise and bright blue and are teeming with fish. You can walk over the lakes on boardwalks, round the lakes on footpaths, or take the land train and electric boats to access the site.

Our campsite is located just a few minutes away with easy access via a bus that picks up from the Reception.

Ljubljana: one of Europe's smallest capital cities, Ljubljana feels more like a town. It is a student city so nice and lively and they have some of the best ice cream outside of Italy (which is not that far away). Take a punt along the river or better still, take the funicular up to the 11th Century castle on the hill.

Our campsite is located just 3km from the city with easy access by bus, bike or on foot.

Krk Island: back into Croatia for the next one and the beautiful, unspoilt holiday island of Krk. Accessed via land bridge, this large island is one of several sitting on the Adriatic Coast and is a haven for sun seekers and beach lovers who prefer their resorts to be less developed. In fact, there is history on this island dating back to the 5th Century. You can expect warm, clear waters and a relaxed vibe with low-key restaurants and hotels lining the sea front.

Our campsite is located on the island with direct access to the beach and local town.

Pula: still in Croatia and still on the coast, Pula is an ancient Roman settlement that boasts one of the best (and complete) amphitheatres in Europe. Away from the remains, modern Pula is a popular tourist resort filled with restaurants, bars and cafes. There are some excellent boat trips to be had here that will take you out at sunset to watch the dolphins.

Our campsite is just up the coast with direct access to the sea and easy public transport into Pula.

The Postonja Cave: One of the Slovenia's most popular attractions is the 15 mile long cave at Postonja. The stalactites and stalagmites are breathtaking and look like a film set. You can access the caves by a mixture of walks and land train. This is one of several cave systems in this area and can also be combined with a visit to the dramatic Predjama Castle built into a cave entrance.

You can easily visit the caves and castle using your own motorhome (parking available) en route between Slovenia and Croatia.

Lake Bled: Lake Bled looks like a postcard. The lake itself nestles at the foot of the Julian Alps with a church sitting on a small island at its centre. You can walk or cycle the complete circumference of the lake on the lakeside path, visit the castle on the hill and take a boat across the island to visit the church.

Our campsite is on the lake.

The Vintnar Gorge: Just 4km from Lake Bled and easily accessible by bus/taxi is the stunning Vintnar Gorge. The more energetic can access the gorge with a walk or bike ride from the campsite. It is only a short gorge (at around 1.6km long) so relatively easy to walk from one end to the other to enjoy the deep escarpments and rushing waters.

The gorge is easily accessible from our campsite on Lake Bled.

Zagreb: the capital of Croatia is fascinating as it has not succumbed to the usual trappings of being a tourist city. Zagreb remains the working capital and as such you get quite an authentic experience rubbing shoulders with the locals at the large city market, or wandering its narrow cobbled streets. Visitors tends to head for the cathedral district where you can also see the distinctive tiled roof of St Mark's Church.

We run a bus from our campsite into Zagreb, a journey of around 30 mins. Alternatively, you can walk or cycle to the nearby train station.

The journey: It takes around 14 hours to drive from Calais to Slovenia, which we do across four days (so around four hours per day). Our route takes us down through France, Germany and Austria. One of highlights on the way are the Austrian Alps. Our campsite is located in the valleys with amazing views up and into the mountains. We also get the chance for a quick stop-off in the historic city of Strasbourg on the French/German border.

We currently have very limited availability on our 2027 tour. Full details are available on the website here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/croatia-slovenia-2027

If you would like to book, then please complete the online booking form here: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/book-now

If you would like to have an informal chat about the tour, please get in touch.

Coq au Van (the amusingly titled recipe feature)

Chicken, tomato & apricot traybake with golden crispy potatoes

Ingredients

600g Potatoes
2 tbsp Essential Vegetable Oil
8 clove/s garlic
4 x packs Chicken Thighs (skin on, bone in)
2 x 400g cans Chopped Tomatoes
1 tbsp Ras el Hanout
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
125g Dried Apricots
½ x 25g pack flat leaf parsley, chopped, to serve
Dressed green salad, to serve

Method

Peel and cube the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Toss in the vegetable oil with some seasoning, then tip onto a parchment-lined baking tray in a single layer. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6.
Smash, then peel the garlic cloves. Make 2 slanted gashes on the skin-side of each chicken thigh and salt well. Mix the chopped tomatoes with the ras el hanout and season to taste.
Bring the extra virgin olive oil to a medium high heat in an ovenproof pan. Brown the chicken, skin-side down, with the garlic cloves tossed in. Pour over the spiced tomatoes, mix in the apricots and place on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes, with the potatoes on a lower shelf.
Flip the chicken, scrape off and turn the potatoes on the paper to help them cook evenly, then roast for 15 minutes more. Repeat, with the oven temperature increased to 220ºC, gas mark 7 for a final 10 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked through with no pink meat and juices that run clear. Serve scattered with chopped parsley, the potatoes and a lightly dressed green salad.

Motorhoming Tips

Not sure whether I have covered these before here, but I am a recent convert to eSims.

An eSim is an electronic version of a Sim. The Sim is the small "card" that you put in your mobile phone that enables you to make calls, send texts and use data (emails/Internet etc). The sim is linked to your phone number.

Depending on your mobile phone contract you may be able to roam freely with your existing phone, which means that you do not pay any more than you would in the UK. Alternatively, you can buy a bolt-on, which will then allow you to use your phone abroad.

Another option is the eSim, which you can sort out online before you go. Rather than physically changing the sim to a local one, the eSim creates a virtual local phone number. For a fixed fee you get a certain amount of calls, texts and data whilst abroad using that number.

This may prove cheaper depending on your contract so might be worth checking out. There are loads of business offering this service including Holafly and Saily. If you do get one, make sure your phone is compatible before you sign up.

Keep in touch

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Instagram: CrossingsMotorhome

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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