Welcome to the August edition of the newsletter, which starts with some good news. Just last night it was announced that several more countries are being added to the green list. Most importantly for us, France has now been moved into the Amber category, making it possible to travel without quarantine.
With regard to the 'bigger picture' it is very encouraging that infection rates are now coming down despite the easing of restrictions last month. Most things seem to be getting back to a cautious version of normal and this bodes well for European travel this year and next.
Regulars will know that we have erred on the side of caution throughout this pandemic, offering customers the opportunity to either cancel or delay their tours until they feel comfortable. We are the only escorted motorhome company offering a COVID Guarantee, which will carry on into 2022, giving you complete peace of mind for your booking.
We are now taking bookings for 2022, with the tour schedule now available on the website. Some tours are already full so we will be adding to the schedule once we have a clearer idea of what restrictions (if any) will be in place next year.
Also in this month's newsletter we have another great one-pot recipe and this month's motorhoming tips are all about driving licenses.
Provence and the Ardeche September 2021
Due to a degree of uncertainty over the last couple of months, we have not sold out on our Provence and Ardeche Tour, so there is still chance for you to get away this year! This is a 25-day tour taking in the most beautiful parts of both regions. Avoiding the over-commercialised coast, we concentrate instead on the historical cities, stunning mountains, rugged cliffs and gorges and amazing hilltop towns of both regions.
France is ready to welcome us back after a couple of seasons with no Brits. The campsites are open (and half empty) and all of the tourist attractions, restaurants, bars and cafes and welcoming double-jabbed British tourists.
Here are the highlights:
The cities and towns of Avignon, Sisteron, Aix en Provence, St Remy de Provence, Dignes les Bains, Orange, Montelimar, Valence, St Montan, Gordes, Chalons sur Saone, Dole and Strasbourg.
The vineyards, hilltop villages, plains and ridges of the Luberon National Park.
The rugged valleys, ridges and caves in the Ardeche including the Pont d’arc.
The monasteries including Thoronet, St Paul de Mausole, Notre Dame de Ganagobie and Senanque.
The mountain roads, villages, lakes and ravines of the Provence Haute Alps.
The rolling hills of the Jura and Alsace regions in 'border country' close to Switzerland and Germany.
If you would like to book, please act quickly as the tour leaves on 6th September. If you would like to have a chat about what is required for travel, please give us a ring and we can talk you through the options.
Norfolk Motorhome Show
We will be at the Norfolk Show starting this Friday and running until Sunday evening. Warner's (the show's organisers) have been absolutely great during the pandemic so we are pleased to be supporting the show.
The show is at the Norfolk Showground just outside Norwich with up to 4 nights camping, a full entertainment programme and a couple hundred stands to look at. At the very least you can come and see how much your motorhome has gone up in value during the pandemic.
We know that we will see lots of regulars down there and we are looking forward to some human contact and ice cream.
Coq au Van (the amusingly titled recipe feature)
Creamy lemon and spinach ravioli
Ingredients
ravioli 250g pack, (any kind will do)
frozen peas 100g
baby spinach 100g, chopped
vegetable stock 200ml, hot
soft cheese 4 tbsp
lemon 1, zested and juiced
parmesan (or veggie alternative) 50g, finely grated
Cooking Method:
STEP 1 Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put the ravioli in a baking dish and scatter over the peas and spinach. In a jug, whisk together the hot stock with the soft cheese, lemon zest and juice, and 1/2 the parmesan. Season well, pour over the ravioli, cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes.
STEP 2 Take off the foil, sprinkle with the remaining parmesan, then bake for a further 5 minutes before serving.
Motorhoming Tips
We often get asked whether you need a specific licence to drive a motorhome. Here is the current legislation:
If you passed your test before 1 January 1997 you will automatically have category C1 entitlement on your licence, allowing you to drive vehicles up to 7,500kg. Your driving licence will show the categories you are entitled to drive. If you have the older-style paper licence they are clearly listed on the front of your licence. On newer licences, they are given on the back of the photocard.
When you reach 70 you will need to renew your driving licence. If you use the standard renewal procedure your C1 entitlement will be suspended and you will no longer be able to drive motorhomes between 3,500kg and 7,500kg until you have passed a medical. To avoid this, you will need to fill in form D2 and ask your GP to fill in a medical report form D4.
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.
Comentarios