Tom's comments about the differences between picnicking here in the States, and in Europe ... or for that matter, in Canada ... seem to me to be the differences in the quality of food that's available. When I drive through an unfamiliar town (we just drove from Seattle to Tucson and back), and stop in a likely grocery store, the pre-packaged meats, the choice between American, Jack or Cheddar, and the poor selection of fresh breads, doesn't have the same appeal. When we lived in Munich (many years ago) even the smallest 'grocery' had a wonderful variety of delicious, picnic-ready foods. And last fall, in Quebec city, we found the same wonderful choices with little effort, and had a very pleasant picnic overlooking the St. Laurence.

I don't know how to find a deli in an unfamiliar neighborhood in Seattle, much less in Tucson, that might offer something I'd want to make a picnic out of. We Americans seem to prefer pre-packaged ready to eat foods, either from a grocery, or more likely, from the closest McD's or Wendy's.

I hope all the above doesn't sound 'whiney', 'cause on the whole, I wouldn't have it any other way. But maybe someone will come up with A Tour Guide of Great Traveler's Delicatessens, like the ubiquitous B& B Guides . . . I'll buy one!

Ferd in (today at least) sunny Seattle.