Picnic d'automne

I cannot say the weather has been mild, these last days. It has not been mild, it has been scorching. Like summertime hot; up in the 30ºs hot, beachbum hot. I don't like this temp during Summer, let alone smack in the middle of October. It's, hot, it's humid, and by the end of the afternoon a blazing heat seems to come off from the tarmac, and it feels un-natural. It is not the kind of weather that would make me wanna go and enjoy a picnic in the woods. Because this kind of heat brings insects and I have a problem with them...

Rewind to a couple of weeks ago, when the temps were much lower, but the sun was still shining bright in the firmament. The air had a crispness to it that invited one to step outside into the wild, provided with tartan throws, hot tea, warm soups, and make for a day in the woods.

Although I usually partake of a picnic at these woods every Summer - my son's birthday providing the occasion for it - I do confess that I'm more sympathetic towards a Fall picnic, as the quantity of bees and other insectiles has diminished a lot in this season. Also, there's something so quintessentially British about a dallying in the woods at this time of year, and I'm pretty sure I must have been a Brit at some point in another life - of course, I must have been a viking and an irish princess as well, besides having been told I was once a scottish witch with five children of my own...

Style wise - and one should never have a picnic going on if it is not to be in style! - tartans in deep greens, reds, browns and camels speak the language of the wooden hills, and the leaves in the trees or scattered around us on the ground. Enamel ware is a must, because of its practicality and its vintage charm. Thermos of hot beverages and soups that can be sipped will ensure you're warm enough throughout the day, and some finger food, like pasties and pies make up the perfect snacks to enjoy along with the soups. A pumpkin cream sounds just about right, with a veggie pasty or a pork pie. As for dessert, fresh fruit would be my choice, some crisp apples that you can bite into and chew, as you relax lying down on a soft tartan throw, listening to the birds chirping away and soaking in those rays of golden Autumn sun...