Busker is a British term for street performer, so naturally an American like myself is not as likely to have heard it before, let alone use it in conversation. We use the term street performer, but busker sounds just a wee bit more interesting. Buskers can cover themselves in paint, make balloon animals, perform an instrument, sing at a metro station, juggle, eat fire, flip, dance, sketch you as a cartoon; all of this for a small tip.
In New York City I was used to hearing singers in the subway and watching hip hop dancers perform anywhere from Times Square to the fountain in Washington Square Park. Montreal has a different sort of, shall we say, busker scene. Juggling is very popular in Montreal (I have seen jugglers pretty frequently). Of course there is always a person who dresses up for picture happy tourists, like this guy below who I can only imagine is some sort of silver Aztec king.
Place Jacques-Cartier in Old Montreal always has buskers hanging around looking to keep their audience entertained. Bands like this one make strolling around the city much more entertaining, I believe from one of the many universities in Montreal, that made the weekend afternoon.
This busker is quite the regular. I have seen him perform his fire juggling routine many times; even a year after I left Montreal he was still at it, performing for huge crowds by the Old Port. There are lots of pictures of him on Flickr.
Image via: fabio costello
A lot of enthusiasts perform not for money, but merely for the pleasure of performance, such as during Tam Tams. Montreal is a very creative city, so it is natural that its inhabitants would use the public space to display their talents. Expect lots of street performers at many of Montreal’s festivals.
Image via: Rishi Menon
Image via: icarusfire
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People Watching at Mont Royal Lookout Points
by Elena on August 10, 2009
The small mountain of Mont Royal is located smack dab in the middle of the island of Montreal. The mountain is more like a hill in terms of size, but compared to the rest of the city it is an impressive centerpiece, a remnant of an eroded volcanic complex. In the summer people walk, jog, and bike up to the top. In the winter you can go cross country skiing, sledding, snow shoeing and other snow friendly activities. It is very fitting to have this outdoor playground in the middle of a city with such active inhabitants. The streets are just as filled with people riding their bikes and walking around as they are with cars.
There is a beautiful view from the lookout point at the top of Mont Royal, just a short walk from Beaver Lake. You can see downtown Montreal, the bridges that connect to Montreal island, as well as Island Sainte Helene, where you can visit the biosphere or La Ronde amusement park. If you look closely at the picture below you can see a red roller coaster. During the summer there is a firework show every Saturday that you can watch from Sainte Helene and the Old Port. A different country hosts these shows each week. Sadly I have yet to see any of these shows.
Watching everyone with their bikes made me really nostalgic for my tiny, blue, city cruiser I used to ride last year.
This woman decided to get some sun after a ride to the top.
There is another lookout point at the opposite end side of Mont Royal. The only way to get to it is by car, or through a more discreet path from the middle of the mountain. The road less traveled if you will. Last year I stumbled upon it by accident with a few friends. The lookout itself isn’t too impressive (it is basically an extension of a small parking lot) however the view is worth it. You can see eastern Montreal, including the Olympic stadium in the distance. Also the sunset is much prettier from here, in my humble opinion. A couple times when I went up Mont Royal at night I noticed that people tend to convene here with wine and other alcoholic beverages, which I assume they do before going out. I’m not sure what the legalities are behind this practice, therefore it is probably safer if you enjoy a bottle of wine at a close by cafe.
I took this picture at Beaver Lake while the sun set last fall.
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