Hello, new to the Paris forum and have a question about picnicking. Will be visiting Paris for a week in July (following a week in the Dordogne) and am very excited at the prospect of acquiring fabulous cheese, charcuterie, bread, wine and so on and picnicking in the local parks (hope this isn%26#39;t just some naive romantic notion). Anyway, assuming we%26#39;re good to go, doe anyone have any tips on the best equipment for transporting and serving the picnic?
Picnics at home usually mean throwing a cooler in the trunk of the car - I can%26#39;t see myself lugging a cooler around Paris however, even if it%26#39;s on wheels :). I%26#39;m thinking along the lines of one of those backpack type picnic kits - there are many from which to choose. Was hoping the experts might have some advice on the best kits with respect to: capacity (enough for 2 and 2 kids); keeping food cool; ease of carrying; room for wine (and keeping that cool too; and durability. Also don%26#39;t want to look like an idiot - but willing to sacrifice some pride for the right food/wine in the right setting.
Thanks
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The locals just throw it into a backpack. Or a basket, if feeling strong and particularly romantic. The key is to shopping just before going out for the meal.
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That%26#39;s how we did lunch every day. We found that we could keep fresh fruits and veggies (bought in a nearby market - there are quite a few in Paris) for 2-3 days in our hotel room by which time they had been consumed. We bought fresh bread and cheese every day, and always asked for the wine to be uncorked when we bought it, so we didn%26#39;t have to carry a corkscrew. I am now wiser, and would definitely carry a winesaver pump and cork along (but only if you can%26#39;t finish a bottle at one meal :-). We were oblivious to passersby (who seemed to ignore us as well) and sometimes just plunked down on a bench when a park wasn%26#39;t handy.
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We took along plastic cutlery and napkins plus plastic wine glasses, all from home. You can buy those things there if you wish. All were easily carried in a purse. The key is to buy ingredients for the picnic just before you are ready to eat as another poster has said. No carrying foodstuffs around all morning or all day. There will be plenty of places to buy great picnicking eats wherever you are in Paris. We packed our own corkscrew too, not sure you can get that into a carry-on now though.
oprah44
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IMEC, on our last trip to Paris, we used a really great travel picnic set that was one of the best purchases I made before we left:
www.enroutetravelware.com/trpikitfortw.html
I bought mine from REI but they don%26#39;t seem to have it anymore, so I googled it. It was a small lightweight set with good solid cutlery, cheese knife, cutting board, small plates, and most importantly two wine glasses and corkscrew. It%26#39;s the kind of set you could pop in your day bag and then just head to the market/bakery and wine store, then find a place for your picnic. Although I suppose one of these won%26#39;t really work for more than two of you unless you share - or get two of them.
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You can carry on a corkscrew *if* the little knife is broken off (or there isn%26#39;t one).
We use a nylon tote or cinch-sack to carry our stuff to the park. I save a few packs of the plastic cutlery/napkin, like you get from a take-out place. I pack a plastic tablecloth from the Dollar Store (so I don%26#39;t care if it gets messy and I just toss it). We spread that out and sit on it. I pack two 6-7%26quot; round plastic lids from a coffee can to use as %26#39;plates%26#39;. I also have a little %26#39;cheese spreader%26#39; in the kit. Yes, also an unbreakable wine glass, just one %26#39;cos hubby usually drinks a beer.
We buy small amounts of food/goodies, so we can consume it in a sitting. If I don%26#39;t want to carry a full bottle of wine, I also pack a flask and I%26#39;ll just pour some into that.
If we%26#39;re just grabbing a baguette sandwich, we don%26#39;t go to all that trouble. Just sit on a bench and enjoy it.
Note: technically, it is not legal to consume alcohol in public. just be discrete and nothing will be said. Also, be mindful of which grassy areas you can and cannot sit on.
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Is it illegal to have a knife? *If* I was having a picnic I%26#39;d generally carry a Swiss Army knife. Is that not a good idea?
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I think travelnutty was referring to removing the knife off of the corkscrew if you are bringing it in your carry on luggage.
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I bought a cute backpack that was a cooler at Target-this was the best $15 I%26#39;ve spent. It%26#39;s been on every trip we%26#39;ve taken for 2 years now. When I%26#39;m not using it as a cooler it%26#39;s a great cute backpack. A couple of these should serve your family well.
I brought ziplock baggies in varied sizes from home (with plans of picnics) as well as keeping napkins, plastic cups and silverware that we came across to use later.
We had a GREAT picnic under the Eiffel tower, touristy sure, great nonetheless. There were 100%26#39;s of young people enjoying the warm night, singing, eating, drinking, I felt like I was in a movie.
We also had many baguette sandwiches to go or prepared foods from the chacuterie to go and picnic%26#39;d in some form or fashion daily.
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Thanks everyone, some great ideas! I am sooo looking forward to this!
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Do not sit on the grass just anywhere. Benches are always ok, but it is forbidden to sit on the grass in many places. In Luxembourg Gardens there are many benches, chairs etc.. and there are a few strips of grass you MAY sit on, but there is many lovely grassy areas you may not sit on.. and you will be told very bluntly to get off !
Look for signs.
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