I am a total picnic fan! Why pay through the … nose for a fancy meal with a waiter hovering over you and an ambience, music and possibly company (as in other guests) that are not to your liking?

Come rain or shine, my wife and I (sometimes with friends) enjoy a picnic, even in the rain sitting in the car overlooking a beautiful pastoral scene, as we have done many times in Ireland. We prefer to use the money we could shell out for a restaurant meal on a gourmet spread from a local supermarket consisting of a bottle of wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Carmenere), bread, cheese (favourites being Emmenthal, Gruyere and Boursin), and olives, artichoke hearts, pickles and suchlike. Oh, and a good quality piece of chocolate for dessert to close the palette!

We have enjoyed our picnics all over the world (except in the United States as they get sticky even about a glass of wine in a park) in countries such as England, Ireland, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Mexico, Switzerland and even Norway. Nothing beats the fresh air and natural surroundings of creation to enjoy such fare. Yes, we love picnics and we like to turn as many of our friends on to them as possible!