Picnic Season

It seems to be picnic season in Paris, despite the heat wave. I've had four picnic meals since Saturday, with the opportunity to dine outside again this evening and tomorrow evening, and Sunday afternoon. The French Picnic seems to have several advantages over the American Barbecue. The French do without all the fuss of the charcoal grill, which is prohibited in Paris anyway. The French Picnic is incredibly portable -- in Paris, the smallest patch of greenspace can attract picnicking. Also, if you're French, a meal of cheese, liver paté, bread and wine suits you just fine and doesn't require everyone to have forks. Even better if someone brings some fruit or a homemade gâteau to top it off. The most important thing is to enjoy each others company, and no one is stuck at the grill flipping burgers or tending to the hot dogs. Here's a picture of some friends at Thursday's picnic dinner on the lawn of the Maison Internationale of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris.