THE NEW FESTIVAL CITY

My friends Carli-ann & Mike and their daughter Astrid were visiting from Victoria this weekend and we all took advantage of the lovely weather on Saturday to check out two Montreal festivals.

The first was Pointe a Calliere's 18th century public market down near the port in old Montreal. Costumed vendors sold bread and cheese, wine, fruit, pottery, vinegars, wool, woven goods, etc. It was my first visit to old Montreal and the setting could not have been more perfect.

I love how their jackets part at the back to reveal their red tail-feathers.

Later on that evening we trekked north to La Tohu, the national circus school and home to Cirque du Soleil. We went to watch the burning of La Falla, a giant 10 metre high sculpture created by a team of local artists and signifying the end of summer.

First, little fireworks went off all around the sculpture.

Until the entire thing exploded into light.

And eventually caught fire.

And we watched as the whole creation burned to the ground.

It reminds me of something out of Spinal Tap.

And finally, when there was hardly any sculpture left to burn, a giant fireworks display lit up the sky above.

Fun, fun, good clean fun.