Sunday late afternoon picnic

Regarding a Sunday this summer, we plan on spending a morning at Giverny, then returning to Paris for a picnic, perhaps on the Champs du Mars. At first I wanted to buy picnic fare at Rue Cler, but noticed it closes at noon. Will it be difficult finding good picnic items elsewhere on a Sunday pm-things like wine, baguettes, cheeses, fruit etc?

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Most convenience stores will have what you need for a pic nic. Wine, bread, cheese, fruit. Bread might not be a baguette as they tend to sell out quickly.

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You can buy the wine ahead of time and store in your room... there should be %26#39;alimentaires%26#39; that are open for fruit, snacks... There are two located on avenue de Tourville, and a couple on rue Grenelle, just before it runs into the park. Also I see a boulangerie and fromagerie at that end of rue de Grenelle...no way to know if they are open on Sundays though.

Franprix is located at 107 ave de la Bourdonnais %26amp; 11 rue Champ de Mars; you can stop by and see what their hours are (small grocery store).

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By law there must be a bakery open everyday in every neighborhood, so you are sure to have fresh baguette on Sunday.

I%26#39;d suggest packing the picnic on Sat. and bringing it with you. You can enjoy it along the banks of the river or at the square in Vernon. It will give you a good sense of country life and it is a nice change of pace from Paris.

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Iwould also recommend you eat in Giverny or Vernon along the river bank. Coming back to Paris for lunch would be a pity, and you would be coming back late, you need a little more than a morning to enjoy it i think. I loved the Auberge Gady before the church where Monet is buried, it is at the end of the village, 10-15 minutes walk from the Gardens.

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We picked up a rotisserie chicken and some broccoli from the asian deli either on Rue Cler or in that area before heading the the Champ du Mars. That and a baguette and pastries (and a bottle of wine, if you choose) from the grocerie and we were all set. If you take the metro to the Ecole Militare stop, there is a Shopi around the corner that has everything but the deli stuff. They also have great baguette sandwiches - my favorite is grilled chicken pieces with marinara sauce and cheese, panini%26#39;ed. They sometimes have a great lunch special - 4 euros for a baguette sandwich, pastry and drink.