Gastronomy: the picnic still seduces and reinvents itself
It's a symbol of the French art of living. The picnic is still as popular as ever, and it's constantly reinventing itself. This convivial culinary experience is taking over new venues but remains a timeless success.
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Picnicking on the grass or by the water with a small salad or a slice of toast is a simple and inexpensive pleasure. "It's the fact of being outdoors, of being in the sun, and it's much cheaper than restaurants," says a Parisian woman.
A blended Franco-German family with five children treats themselves to a more expensive and unusual pleasure: a picnic in Paris on the Canal de l'Ourcq. "We're going boating and we're going to have a barbecue, a picnic with sausages," says mother Aurélie Bernos. The outing has a hint of adventure. First, you have to put on your life jacket and then climb onto the round boat with seats and a barbecue in the middle, not to mention the packed lunches. The family can enjoy a two-hour ride away from the crowds for 250 euros. And for once, the parents aren't the ones cooking. The picnic becomes a game. "We're in nature, we're together, we can eat with the whole family. It's perfect, isn't it?" enthuses father Daniel Becht. Everything takes on a different flavor aboard a boat. By the canal, everyone has come to enjoy the summer with an impromptu picnic.
The picnic follows the evolution of society. Highly codified in the 1950s, it became the symbol of a relaxed vacation with friends in the 1970s. Later, the picnic was used as a political argument. Today, the picnic inspires influencers. It has even become a service sold on social media to attract customers looking for originality.
In a park in Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), picnicking is a relaxed affair. With three barbecues provided by the city, giant, fragrant grills are organized. A generous picnic, just like the atmosphere. "It's fun because we can get together in large numbers. And it also allows us to meet other people and chat. And barbecues are friendly," says picnicker Alexis Lemaire. Sharing a picnic is a guaranteed moment of relaxation, a breath of fresh air, as if we were on vacation.
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