This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
There are plenty of options for getting away from it all in Montreal. Between culture and gastronomy, festivals and museums, here are three ideas for traveling without a plane ticket.
The Asian market
You can easily find the place where the second edition of the Asian market is held every weekend in the summer, at the corner of boulevards Saint-Laurent and René-Lévesque Est. Approaching the public square l’Oasis | Chinatown, the music, the smell of cooking and the movement of the crowd easily show us where the trip is taking place. Indeed, between the stalls of cooked and seasoned octopus in front of us, roasted potatoes on a stick, skewers of all kinds and the juice and tea counters, it’s a long way from Montreal that we feel , the space of a few bites.
The ideal way to fully experience the event is to go there when the site turns into a night market, as was the case from July 28 to 31. Although its size is far from rivaling that of the night market in Richmond, near Vancouver, and even less with the night markets of the Asian continent, the festive and friendly atmosphere of this one manages to transport us somewhere between Taipei and Hong Kong. However, expect a fairly dense crowd!
Initiative of La Pépinière | Collective spaces, in collaboration with Marché de nuit and the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, the Asian market takes place every weekend until October 2. On Fridays and Saturdays, representatives from more than 10 countries of the Asian community offer entertainment and performances. The next and last weekend of the Night Market will take place from August 25 to 28, starting at 5 p.m.
lecoeurdelile.com
Vikings at Pointe-à-Callière
Did you know that the symbol of Bluetooth, so baptized by a consortium of Danish industrialists at the end of the XXe century, was composed of the two initials of the name of Harald Ier in merged runic symbols? King of Denmark from 958, Harald Ierwhom everyone nicknamed Harald with the blue tooth (apparently because of a spoiled tooth), is one of the characters that we discover in the exhibition Viking, North Sea Dragons, presented at the Pointe-à-Callière museum until October 10. In addition to learning surprising facts and elements of popular culture, visitors get to know more about this fascinating people who marked the world between 793 and 1066 CE thanks to the Viking collection of the National Museum of Denmark.
Farmers, merchants and fearsome warriors, the Vikings were also skilled navigators, who came as far as L’Anse aux Meadows, in Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition to learning more about the mythology and seeing images from the game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla from Ubisoft Montreal, visitors can admire 650 authentic pieces from the Viking Age, some of which have never before been shown in North America.
Until August 21, the “Family Sundays” also offer many free activities related to the exhibition. Myths and legends are on the program, as well as workshops to learn combat techniques like warriors.
pacmusee.qc.ca
Italfest
Attend a performance of Barber of Seville outdoors in Little Italy on August 14 at 9 p.m., how about it? This is what the 29e edition of ITALFESTMTL, formerly known as Italian Week, until August 20.
Circus, fashion show and comedy and music shows are also part of the program, as well as a Fiat exhibit at the Esplanade Tranquille in the Quartier des Spectacles on August 19 from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Singer Marco Calliari will also take the stage at the same location, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festival is also an opportunity to see some cult films again, such as Il Postinopresented at the Picollo Theater on August 16.
italfestmtl.ca