Some practical advice for organizing a fun picnic in the Sabine meadows.
When you’re a child, an outing means simply getting a ball and heading out to a meadow. We adults know that, before spreading a picnic blanket under the shade of an oak, there is quite a bit that needs to be prepared. However, the motto should be lightness and simplicity so that the outing does not turn into a nightmare. Lightness in everything, even in the items to carry along. And, above all, light meals.
A simple lunch, which doesn’t necessarily have to be a sandwich
Let’s start from the previous day, when the person in charge of the meal has the task of sweating it out in front of the oven. But do you really need to take a lasagna with you? Preparing a meal that risks making the cook arrive even more cooked than the lasagna the next day? A fresh rice salad could be a quick and easy solution, requiring only ten minutes to cook and adding various vegetables for dressing.
But, if you really want to get away from cooking – a very respectable choice – you can make a tasty and savory lunch with a simple mozzarella, along with tomatoes seasoned with oregano and a drizzle of olive oil, together with a few slices of homemade bread, which provide the right intake of carbohydrates, and therefore energy, for a friendly game of soccer on the field. So, in the name of simplicity, you shouldn’t necessarily have to opt for a stacked sandwich, which can weigh you down and is certainly not the best of food for your health. And remember to bring water bottles with lots and lots of water, and perhaps, why not, a thermos with a nice coffee to end the meal in style.
Choosing where to go
A picnic in Sabina always turns out to be a perfect choice; whether it be in the spring during the awakening of nature, during summer heatwaves or during a warm autumn. Even if you have established the area where you want to go, you need to understand what you are really looking for from this experience; if the shade of a tree is actually enough for you, or if you are the comfy type, in which case you will have to find areas equipped with wooden tables and, why not, a barbecue for grilling your meat.
Your stay in Cicignano, on the other hand, does not always have to include sitting in the trattorias and holiday farms, which needless to say are abundant. Of course, you cannot miss out on the pleasure of tasting the typical products of Sabina and Lazio, but it would also be a shame not to take advantage of the other pleasures of a holiday in the countryside: a picnic will allow you to get to know wonderful areas and fully enjoy them.
Where too for a picnic in Sabina, Lazio
In the Nazzano Tevere Farfa Nature Reserve, picnic areas with tables welcome vacationers and allow them to savor nature without the formalities found in restaurants which, however, are also present within the protected area.
And, as you’re playing cards or kicking the ball around, you may decide to take a ride on a boat, which plows through the Tiber waters and allows you to visit places that cannot be reached by walking, which can instead be reserved for the characteristic paths created on wooden bridges.
In the meadow located in front of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria in Vescovio, in the territory of the municipality of Torri in Sabina in the province of Rieti, not far from Collevecchio and Cicignano, you’ll find a beautiful lawn, some wooden tables with benches, a play area with a slide and swings, and there’s your picnic ready. You might want to dedicate the afternoon to visiting the church, an extremely ancient building of worship, built in the fourth century AD on the remains of an old Roman villa, and completely rebuilt between the first and second century AD.
The Cottanello meadows, in particular those known as “prata di sotto”, offer large green spaces, the shade of beech and maple trees and the fresh air that 900 meters above sea level has to offer. And above all, stone tables and braziers to make your stay more comfortable. You can also go see the Cerro Monumentale di Cottanello, and, why not, spread your picnic blanket under its generous shapes.
And if you want to go a little higher in altitude, you may want to visit Terminillo. The so-called “mountain of the Romans” which should not be considered only for its snow during the winter season, because during the rest of the year it offers hiking trails of great naturalistic value and, above all, numerous meadows for our picnics.
Some trivial but useful advice
Bring along a map, or Google Maps for the savvy. Here are some of our tips, which we hope will not make us appear trivial, but they are necessary when suggesting places that are so beautiful and so worthy of being respected.
- Bring one or more bags with you to take back the waste that you will inevitably produce. In fact, any waste shouldn’t be left in the waste baskets on site, because they may not be emptied frequently, and therefore may attract wildlife with the risk of seeing the waste scattered everywhere.
- Remember to bring along a tablecloth if you plan to use the tables in an equipped area. It will be more hygienic for you and for those who come after you.
- Use reusable dishes and glasses and, if this is not possible, use compostable tableware. One cannot claim to love Nature and then contribute to plastic pollution.
