I always thought that a picnic is about freedom. You can sit right on the grass, laugh loudly, and no one will look askance. But one day we went to nature with friends and... I realized that regular sandwiches and plastic cups ruin all the magic.

Since then, I have come up with a few simple rules that I take with me in every basket.

First, beautiful does not mean complicated. I like to take a baguette and cheese - but I don’t just put them whole. I cut the cheese into cubes, the baguette into slices in advance, pack everything in small jars or waxed paper. This way, your hands stay clean, and everything looks no worse than in a cafe.

Second, berries. Always. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. Berries make any table on the grass bright and joyful. Especially if you take small skewers or wooden forks.

Third — drinks. I am against plastic bottles. I take thermoses or glass bottles with lemonade, which I make myself: soda, mint, lemon, a little syrup. Pouring from them is already a holiday.

Fourth — little things. A warmer blanket, small napkins, a knife that is convenient for cutting fruit right on the spot. And a garbage bag — so as not to spoil nature.

Sometimes I even take candles to a picnic. In the evening, when the sun goes down, they create such a soft mood — you immediately want to sit longer.

The most important thing is that a picnic is not about food. It is about people. About how easy it is to be yourself, sitting on the ground. About how important it is sometimes to turn off your phones and hear only the laughter of friends and the chirping of birds overhead.