Do you fancy a romantic picnic?

Even in the centre of London, on a sunny day, the parks are full of office workers eating their lunch outside on the grass. That might be a pretty basic picnic – a shop-bought sandwich and a bottle of water. (来源：英语图片 http://photo.englishcn.com)

But if people are planning a picnic on the beach or at the park, they would probably pack a cool bag with a whole variety of home-made sandwiches, snacks, cake, fruit and soft drinks. They might have a picnic rug to sit on, and paper plates and cups. Another item which is useful is a thermos flask which keeps hot drinks like tea or coffee hot, or cold ones icy. (来源：英语美食指南 http://food.englishcn.com)

University students enjoy having picnics, and usually take along some kind of sports equipment, such as a Frisbee or ball in order to burn off some energy after lunch. British student picnics usually involve drinking beer or wine too!

For small children the idea of a teddy bear’s picnic is popular – each child brings their teddy bear along to ‘enjoy’ the fun as well. (来源：英语交友 http://friends.englishcn.com)

Some people love to have a very elaborate picnic, and really go all out to make it an occasion. For a very posh picnic you’d need a proper picnic hamper to hold the food complete with china crockery, metal cutlery and real wine glasses. A picnic could be a romantic occasion, but only if it’s in a quiet attractive spot, not in a busy park with lots of children playing nearby! (来源：英语麦当劳 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

In that case there might be champagne or chilled wine to drink, and gourmet picnic fare, either home-made, or bought from a local delicatessen. Crusty bread, dips, paté, and strawberries with cream for dessert make for a more sophisticated al fresco experience. (来源：英语麦当劳 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

Of course, you can never reply on the British summer weather, so taking an umbrella along might be a good idea just in case!