Picnic 2005

This morning I ate my healthy cereal for breakfast and went for my normal 50 minute exercise walk. It was all downhill from there.

We got to the Picnic around 11.30am and there was a long queue to get in. We went through the annual process of collecting our name badges, picking out a t-shirt each for the girls (with Picnic 2005 on the front), have a glass of something (usually it's champagne, this year it was like a punch and they were offering it to the kids. I was so disappointed...that glass of champers is such a good start), and having our family photo taken by the Picnic photographer. It's the same routine every year. And then you are In.

We saw Christine, Stefano and Alessandro who joined us for a while (they were off on holiday so couldn't stay long). Then we saw Nina, Darren and Emma and Nina's sister from Melbourne. We all hung out eating and later taking the kids on rides. Lily saw Sophie, the seven year old from next door so they hung out together (after we stood in line for ages so the girls could have their fill of lollies/candy/bonbons (Australian/American/French translation). Sophie later went her own way when she saw her friends from school. And towards the end of the day we caught up with Robyn and Michael, an Australian couple who live in the same town as us here, who are both from Melbourne, Michael works for the same company as my Michael and Robyn has red hair. Yes, our doppelgangers. We like them.

And we ate. First off it was delicious seafood - prawns/shrimp/crevettes (Australian/American/French) skewers, all different fish, salad. Then Indian, then African, then Asian. All the different stalls set up with authentic food, beautifully presented...just get in line. We started on some desserts eventually. A whole, huge table full of individual petit fours...tiny tarts, cakes, pastries, on and on. And then the huge table full of fresh fruit, available whole or cut. You'd see people walking round with punnets of berries. Or a whole tart. I skipped the cheese table, but it looked amazing. The drinks section had all the soft drinks, juices, waters, beers and wines you could want. And later on we went back for crepes (chocolate for the girls and I, Grand Marnier for Michael). And at different times Lily had popcorn and fairy floss/cotton candy/?. And then even later we went back for wood-fired pizza (pick your own topping). Before the final traditional ending of ice-cream....Cornetto, Magnum and Movenpick Tiramisu. Yeah, got our money's worth.

Lily enjoyed the merry go round, as did Charlotte. With the right amount of pushing, shoving and patience we are able to get the girls on for a couple of go-rounds. Lily also had fun in the bouncy castle and at the bricolage (craft) area where she (or mainly me) made an Asterix hat. I'm not sure what else Lily played on/with as some of the time she was with Sophie and other times with Michael. I didn't see her a lot.

Charlotte on the otherhand rarely left my side. She was carried by either Michael or I the majority of the time. And one stage she even had a nap on my lap. She was happy to hang close. So no danger of losing Charlotte. Michael reckons that when they grow up, Lily will roam the world and Charlotte will live with us.

And as tradition dictates, it did rain for Picnic. But thankfully not till close to the end. It didn't stop us from leaving though. Robyn pushed some umbrellas together and we stayed dry. Once again the weather was a mixture of overcast, patches of sunshine and rain.

We left just before 6pm with the rain bucketing down, the bouncy castles already packed away and the food and drink finished.

I love Picnic.

But we did miss Judi and Michael.