A Russian Picnic

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Russia has very short summers that last only 3 months.Then the long,cold winter months kick in and people are forced to stay indoors. During our stay in Russia I have seen how much people appreciate and enjoy the warm weather. Over weekends people head down to the beach or parks. We have visited many beautiful parks with lots of trees and the one thing we always did was to take a blanket,basket and food for a picnic.

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In Svetlogorsk – April 2008.

I love picnics.

Every time someone takes something out of the basket I Imagine it is Christmas. Food gifts carefully unwrapped. Hand picked and selected for special occasions. Picnics are indeed special occasions. People take time from their busy schedules to get together,share food and drinks, laugh a little,cry a little and leave with a big smile and hug at the end of the day.

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Andrey`s mom and her friend after a day in Slavsk

What typical food is in a Russian picnic basket?

  • Wine,Vodka or fruit juice
  • Cheese
  • Eggs (if you are going for a full day)
  • Different kinds of cold meat (not sliced) that looks almost like salami
  • Bread, always bread
  • Tomato and cucumber
  • Fruits
  • Biscuits or something for the people with a sweet tooth

A lot more preparation goes into planning the basket if you are planning to spend a day in one place. In August we were invited to join Andrey`s mom and a group of women from her Veteran Club on an excursion to a place called Lesnoy at the Baltic Sea. I was surprised to see how much effort the women have put into preparing the food. Each woman prepared something delicious. We even had fresh fish and caviar!

They spread all the food on a blanket and ate very little themselves. They took pleasure in seeing us enjoying the food.

A Russian Picnic
A picnic in Lesnoy,Kaliningrad Oblast.

After a delicious meal you either lie down for a little while and rest the eyes or you get up and start walking to burn all the extra calories. I have very fond memories of these memorable get-together`s.

Where: Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia

I have been fortunate to have done quite a bit of travelling. By heart I am an adventurer and I love exploring new places, cultures and food. Travelling can become stressful and expensive. Over the years I have learnt to travel as cost effective as possible, simply by travelling more clever. Nelmitravel.com is a Adventure and Budget Travel site where I review Airlines, Accommodation, Transport, Restaurants and give helpful travel information.

6 Comments

  1. This makes me want to have a Russian picnic by the sea! Loved the pictures! And loved hearing about what they take along with them as they share in good company with friends and the ocean in all its glory.

    1. Thank you Jessica! It is always interesting to hear how people in other countries do things. I love learning more about cultures and customs 🙂

  2. Oh what a wonderful time you must have had. I do picnics quite often with the children and a few times a year with the whole clan. Nothing so elaborate as this, it sounds so marvelous. I love the photos you shared, good food and good people, just lovely. thank you or sharing this with us.

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