Charels Bridge, Prague Photo by Andrew Ingersoll

Christine is one of our readers and a free lance writer for many periodicals in the Midwest. I thought you might enjoy her article on Bed Picnics –

Bed Picnics Rated G
By Christine Krzyszton

The nightly restaurant ritual while we’re traveling can become expensive, result in long waits due to summer crowds, and eventually verge on restaurant overload. You may just prefer a simple meal enjoyed quietly with that special someone, dining in with the family, or treating yourself to a solo supper. Whether you’re held up in a condo, hotel room, or you’re planning an evening at home, a “bed picnic” may be just the alternative to this nightly dining-out repetition.

It all begins when you make the decision to have your own bed picnic; yes, the fact that I have termed it a “bed picnic” indicates it will indeed take place on a bed. Select one evening of your trip (or your normal working week for that matter) and designate it as bed picnic night. You then set out for a day of exploring with a secondary objective of foraging for food items for your twilight picnic. Each city or region is its own bed picnic super market so spend your day searching and discovering the bountiful selection of edible delights you’ll look forward to indulging in this evening. You’ll find an endless array of choices: perhaps a bottle (or two) of wine from a local vineyard, locally produced cheeses, freshly grown fruits and vegetables from roadside markets, specialty meats and smoked fish, a fresh-baked loaf of artisan bread from a brick oven, pastries from a local bakery, and specialty olive oil, vinegars, and olives, just to name some of my favorites. You’ll surely find your own edible treasures.

Now it’s evening and time to reap the rewards of your food-foraging activities. Prepare the bed with a “tablecloth” of paper bags or purchase one of those inexpensive plastic red and white checkered cloths you’re sure to come across in your daily travels. It will wash off nicely and you can use it again and again; this isn’t your last bed picnic, you know! No rules here except that you enjoy the spread you’ve put together. There’s a certain satisfaction gained from the fact that you gathered the food during your travels and anticipated the upcoming picnic you’d be sharing with others. No lines, no expensive restaurant check, just pure fresh local food you and your family personally selected. Best of all, your bed picnic is one-of-a-kind; there will never be another one exactly like this one because of how it was created. You can visit another city and create another bed picnic but it will be totally different, equally as wonderful perhaps, but totally different dependant on the season and local specialties available.

So go out, forage and enjoy the best the area you’re visiting has to offer. Oh yes, and tomorrow night I know this little French restaurant you might be interested in.