Welcome to the October edition of the newsletter in what has been a very busy month. We have had four tours out during September: Croatia & Slovenia, Provence & The Ardeche, Brittany, Normandy & The Atlantic Coast and Lake Garda & Venice (Lake Garda pictured above). We have full tour reports on the last two this month with the tour reports on the first two waiting until next month's newsletter.
We have an update on the NEC Motorhome Show in a couple of weeks time, with a full timetable for our speeches at the Inspiration Theatre (so that you know exactly when to avoid the Inspiration Theatre).
As usual, we have another great cut-out-and-keep recipe and this month's motorhoming tips are about the dreaded Adblue.
NEC Update
As regular readers will know we absolutely love the NEC Show. This year will be no exception as we get to see all the latest vans and accessories and get motivated by all of the travel options. As usual, we will be there in Hall 9 on Stand 9.34b. If you can't find us, look up and you will see our massive flag.
Also, even though the organisers saw our presentation last time, they have asked us back again. We will be doing two different presentation (although the same jokes will feature in both), one on The Loire & Burgundy (T, Th, Sa) and one on Lake Garda & Venice (W. Su). We have Friday off for good behaviour. The full details are:
Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Saturday | Sunday |
15:15 – 15:45 | 14:30 – 15:00 | 16:00 -16:30 | 16:00 -16:30 | 14:30 – 15:00 |
If that's not enough for you, the celebs this year are Hamza Yassin, Annabel Croft, Matt Baker and Kate Humble, all of whom I have heard of. The whole event is compered by Rowland Rivron. If you are of a certain vintage, you may remember his band "Raw Sex", which I am looking forward to asking him about. If you don't remember the band then I would not suggest googling it, unless you are alone.
If you would like to come and watch our presentations, then your support would be very much appreciated, especially on the two graveyard slots on Thursday and Saturday. If I see you in the audience, I will give you a shout out!
2025 Tour Update
Time for the usual sales pitch here...just a reminder that we are in full swing on the bookings for next year. Some tours are now full but we do still have availability for next year. We do get busy at the NEC, so if you know you want to book with us this year we would recommend doing it before the NEC to guarantee your space.
In the meantime, click the links for more information:
Tour Schedule: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/tours
Download the brochure: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/brochure
Brittany, Normandy & The Atlantic Coast Tour Review
Thanks for Sue and Colin for running the tour and for the following report...
The first tour out for the September season left Dover on a calm, pleasant day to head
across the channel and down into France. Our first drive was south towards our overnight stop, being Sunday, the roads were lorry free which was a good start for people driving their motorhomes abroad for the first time.
Day two took us on into Normandy to the lovely resort of Honfleur, bustling with boats, people and numerous restaurants. Moules, oysters and frites seemed to be the order of the day followed by delicious ice creams.
The few nights at Honfleur gave people the chance to get out in their motorhomes to explore some of the Normandy Landing Beaches. A particular highlight was The British Normandy Memorial overlooking Gold Beach. We were fortunate that some of the 1475 Standing Giants were still in position on the beach, a special exhibition which has been in place from April until August this year.
Next stop on the tour took us inland to the town of Fougeres with its impressive castle and gardens. The route to Fougeres gave opportunities to visit Bayeux, the town and the tapestry, or Mont St Michel with its amazing views from the Abbey at the top. Continuing on, we headed for the south coast of Brittany for a couple of nights “at the seaside” and a chance to visit the Standing Stones of Carnac – 1,200 huge stones erected over 5,000 years ago and spread over the fields around the town. These are best viewed from the tourist
train or bus which takes a route around the area although some guests preferred to cycle the route themselves.
Driving on from the coast of Brittany the tour headed down towards the Atlantic Coast near to La Rochelle. Our site for the next few nights was in a quiet port area renowned for its mussel and oyster fishing. There are restaurants and bars along the promenade where the freshly caught produce can be enjoyed – you can even buy them from vending machines!
The long promenade gave guests an opportunity to walk or cycle into the nearby town for a visit to the market. Visits to La Rochelle on the local bus were also a must do during the time we spent here.
All too soon it was time to start our journey northwards, away from the coast and back up towards the Loire valley. Here the scenery changed from the sweetcorn and sunflowers of the early part of the tour to a landscape of vines laden with grapes ready for picking. Our two-night stop in the region gave us chance to visit France’s tallest chateau, to admire the chandeliers and tapestries and also taste the local wine.
Next stop north was a site situated on the banks of the River Seine, here the sun really did
“get its hat on.” We knew we were heading into autumn though because after the clear
blue day time skies the temperatures dropped to a cool 6 degrees overnight. En route to
this site, guests stopped off at Le Mans – the town and the race track, the pilgrimage town
of Lisieux with its modern Basilica Sainte Theresa or just took a gentle meander through
picturesque French villages.
Our final non-driving day of the tour was a chance to relax and watch the cruise boats go by on the river, partake of delicious pastries from the local boulangerie or climb the hill to the ruins of Chateau Gaillard which dominates the town and overlooked the campsite. One or two people also took a drive out to visit the beautiful house and gardens of Claude Monet at Giverney, resplendent in the autumn colours.
Final stop was a campsite close to Calais ready for the ferry home, it was a time to relax and
reflect on what the last 18 days. There were some memorable moments for us all, not least
the amount of wildlife which was spotted during the trip – a family of beavers, an otter, a
red squirrel, Hoopoe birds, a Spoonbill to name just a few. Thank you to all our guests for
making it such a successful trip. Colin and Sue
The Brittanyh Tour is having a rest in 2025 but we are running two other tours to France next year. See the website for full details:
Grand Tour of France: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/2025-grand-tour-france
Burgundy & The Loire: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/loire-burgundy-2025
Lake Garda & Venice Tour Review
Our Lake Garda Tour is so popular that we often do it twice a year. It is also so popular with our tour leaders that Wendy and I very rarely get the chance to run it. This was remedied this year as we got to lead the tour, ably assisted by Gary & Eleanor (who will be running it in May next year).
All of our tours start in the UK and it was a sunny evening that greeted us all in the Kent the night before. After a quiet crossing, we had our first night on the continent together near Reims. Wendy treated the group to one of her famous cheese and wine evenings, which gave everyone the chance to get to know each other. I usually describe these as a chance to work out who you are going to avoid for the next two weeks.
The next day we headed south down parts of what the locals call the Motorway of the Sun into the heart of Burgundy (or Bourgogne as the French would say). Here we got the group together again for a wonderful evening overlooking the Saone River where we partook in some Boeuf Bourgignon (Beef Burginyon as the English would say) made for us by Matthieu, a local chef who also happens to run the campsite.
Normally this tour then heads for Chamonix and the Mont Blanc Tunnel. However, there was a petite problem this year in that the tunnel was closed. Complete closures of Mont Blanc are very rare and also quite controversial as the impact on the local communities is massive.
Our Plan B was to take the group to Annecy for a couple of nights and then onto the Frejus Tunnel, with an extra stay in the Asti region of Italy. All of this proved to be very popular with the group. Annecy itself is picture-postcard pretty. It is a small town sitting directly on the lake with an imposing castle, medieval streets and small canals lined with restaurants. There are various options for taking boats out and you can walk and cycle on the lakeside directly from our campsite gates.
Asti also proved popular with our terraced campsite overlooking the vineyards. There is also a really good pizzeria on site, which proved very popular with the group.
It was now time to head for Lake Garda, Italy's largest and (in my opinion) prettiest lake. First stop was south of the lake where we pitched up just a few metres from the shore close to Peschiera Del Garda, one of the areas most popular destinations. The town itself is an ancient port and still has the fortifications intact. As well as the attractions in the town you can jump on a train, bus or boat to lots of other interesting places.
Locally, Sirmione always proves popular with it massive sandstone castle jutting into the lake. You can catch the water taxi from Peschiera making for a great day out with a trip across the lake in addition to the town. Many guests opted for a lazy day with folks walking and cycling up the east side. On average it is about 100m between each lakeside cafe so some of us didn't get very far.
Further afield, guests ventured by train to Verona, Vicenza and Venice. I can't do justice to any of them here. Verona is best known for its intact amphitheatre and for Juliet's balcony and statue. The bronze statue has one very shiny part, which it is good luck to have a rub on. I will leave you to work out which bit that is. Venice or course is Venice and most guests took the opportunity to visit using the train network and then get on a gondola. 90 euros for half an hour if you were wondering.
It was time for a change of scene now was we headed for the northern-most part of the lake at Riva Del Garda. It is a wonderful, scenic drive up the right hand side of the lake with the mountains as a backdrop. Riva is a wonderful little town surrounded on three sides by mountains. It does feel like the end of the line (in a good way).
The town is less touristy than the southern towns with a lovely "corniche" running along the lake. There are lots of little cobbled streets, a few squares and dozens of shops and restaurants. The latest attraction is a glass lift that takes you up to the Bastione with great view across the lake. Quite a few guests took advantage of the bar/restaurant up top.
Riva also has a boat stop with links all the way across the lake and right to the bottom. Pick of the local stops are Limone and Malcesine, both of which are your quintessential Italian lakeside towns. Malcesine has the added attraction of the Monte Baldo cable car, which takes you up 1760m in less than 15 minutes for absolutely stunning views across to the Dolomites and for miles over the lake back up to Riva. There is a cracking restaurant up top and also plenty of way-marked walks if you are feeling energetic.
After eights days on Lake Garda, it was time to make the return journey back through the Asti region and into the Savoie in France. This time, rather than going through the Frejus Tunnel, the group ventured up and over the Mont Cenis Pass. This is a motorhomer's dream route. It is the old pass that used to be the only route across the Alps prior to the tunnel being built.
The driving is actually quite straightforward with a few switchbacks and hairpins so you have to take it easy. Once up top, you get superb views over the lakes, but being the mountains, the views can get snatched away quite quickly. For most people in the group, this was definitely the best driving day of the tour.
This was followed by another beautiful drive through the Savoie region of France with the Alps in the distance. Our destination was the medieval "wine town" of Beaune, which made for a great destination for everyone to go out for one last meal on the Continent.
Our Lake Garda & Venice Tour is running twice next year in May and again in September. The May tour is the original route through Mont Blanc and the September Tour follows the itinierary described above as Mont Blanc is closed again from September to December 2025.
More information: https://www.crossingsmotorhometours.com/lake-garda-venice-2025
Coq au Van (the amusingly titled recipe feature)
Beouf Bourgignon (obviously)
Ingredients
1.6kg braising steak, cut into large chunks
3 bay leaves
small bunch thyme
2 bottles cheap red wine
2 tbsp oil
3 large or 6 normal carrots, cut into large chunks
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
To serve
small knob butter
300g bacon lardons
500g pearl onions or small shallots, peeled
400g mushrooms, halved
chopped parsley
Method
STEP 1
Tip 1.6kg braising steak, cut into large chunks, into a large bowl with 3 bay leaves, a small bunch of thyme, 2 bottles of red wine and some pepper, then cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
STEP 2
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
STEP 3
Place a colander over another large bowl and strain the marinated meat, keeping the wine.
STEP 4
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan, then brown the meat in batches, transferring to a plate once browned. When all the meat is browned, pour a little wine into the now-empty frying pan and bubble to release any caramelised bits from the pan.
STEP 5
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole and fry 3 large or 6 normal carrots, cut into large chunks, and 2 roughly chopped onions until they start to colour. Stir in 3 tbsp plain flour for 1 min, then add 1 tbsp tomato purée.
STEP 6
Add the beef and any juices, the wine from the frying pan and the rest of the wine and herbs. Season and bring to a simmer. Give everything a good stir, then cover.
STEP 7
Transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hrs until the meat is really tender. Cool. Will freeze for up to 3 months.
STEP 8
To serve, defrost completely overnight in the fridge if frozen, then place on a low heat to warm through.
STEP 9
Meanwhile, heat a small knob of butter in a frying pan and add 300g bacon lardons and 500g peeled pearl onions or small shallots. Sizzle for about 10 mins until the bacon starts to crisp and the onions soften and colour.
STEP 10
Add 400g halved mushrooms and fry for another 5 mins, then stir everything into the stew and heat for 10 mins more. Serve scattered with chopped parsley.
Motorhoming Tips
If you are the owner of a newer motorhome then you will have come across the dreaded Adblue. This is an additive that reduces harmful emissions (so a good thing I suppose). Vehicles that use Adblue have a separate tank, which needs topping up from time to time. On average your van will use 5 litres of Adblue per 1000km (620 miles). The typical tank is 15-20 litres so you will run out after 3000-4000km (1800 - 2500 miles). Here's what I know about Adblue:
The price varies enormously from around £10 per 10 litres to £30 for 10 litres. It is supplied in big plastic bottles with a special nozzle. Best prices can be found at supermarkets, worst prices on the forecourt.
You can fill up from a petrol-style pump at petrol stations (the ones the lorry drivers use), but many places will not let you do it. I have been advised against this as it comes out at high pressure and can blow your pipe off!
When the Adblue light comes on you have between 1000 and 1500 miles to top up. If you leave it too long your van will not start. Just top up regularly rather than waiting for the light (says he).
Some vans have an annoying one-way flap on the Adblue tank that makes it difficult to fill using the standard nozzle supplied with the Adblue. One of our tour leaders gets round this with a "she-wee" but other methods are available.
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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