Where and when can you picnic? – Emily

The Oxford English dictionary defines a picnic as “a pleasure outing including an informal outdoor meal” or “the meal itself”. However, I have tucked into a picnic indoors, sitting on the floor around the coffee table – having returned from “the pleasure outing” because of lashing rain! You can also have fun with a picnic in bed, can’t you? Therefore, I’d personally define a picnic as a meal eaten anywhere other than at the indoor dining table or from a tray in front of the TV!

So that leaves a lot of places to enjoy a picnic.

One that immediately springs to mind is on a journey. That journey could be on foot (ie while rambling, hiking etc.), by bicycle or motorbike, by car, or boat or plane.

While traveling by plane most of us want to eat something, if only to help prevent boredom. However, you don’t have to eat the pre-packaged food presented by the airline. With a little forward thinking, you can enjoy a homemade picnic – the envy of your fellow passengers!

You can also enjoy a picnic while camping (one long picnic!), fishing, or even playing a round of golf! A picnic basket is also an essential item to have on hand while watching sports or at an outdoor concert or play. The occasion will dictate whether the items you have in the hamper are of the gourmet picnic or snack variety.

Picnics needing much more planning and preparation are those to which you invite others – such as a wedding picnic alfresco birthday party, company picnic or other special event held outdoors.

Completely opposite from this is the impromptu meal enjoyed outside just because the weather is perfect for picnicking. If you are pre-prepared with picnic hamper, cooler and other items on a picnic list list you’ll be able to add some tasty nibbles and refreshment at a moment’s notice and set off for the nearest balcony or roof-top, beach, park or tree-shaded meadow, to relax in the sunshine with friends or family.

I suggest you take a break from the frenetic pace of life at least once every few weeks and transport yourself into the scene and mood of such a relaxing picnic setting. This will refresh your mind, body and spirit. Especially if you leave your mobile phone at home!

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 5th, 2010 at 9:03 pm and is filed under Picnic basket. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.