Finally! A long weekend! April 19, 20 and 21 is Easter weekend – with Monday the 21st off from work. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a day off because it’s a holiday in the Canadian calendar… Let’s make this one count.
Whether we’re celebrating Easter, Pesach or just a day saved to enjoy the start of spring, it’s a weekend we plan a little in advance. And we have a list of things we want to do…
Firstly, we want to get back to the warmth of spring, we want to spend quality time with family and friends (after eating tapas on speed tables all winter) and reconnect with nature. And we want Jane Birkin’s springtime joie de vivre.
Let’s go to the market!
The weekend will be mild (between 8 and 12 degrees, a bit of sunshine, a few clouds according to MétéoMédia), so we feel like adding the Montreal markets to our list of walks and things to do. Flowers, chocolates, local meat for Easter dinner, breads, seasonal vegetables… We’re going to slow down and let the spring breeze carry us.
Bonus for those who don rain boots or clogs – it’s the shoe of the season, you’ll thank us later – and swap the reusable Jean Coutu bag for a wicker or recycled fabric basket.
We love the Atwater Market, and this will be the last weekend of the covered market before its annual dismantling on April 22, and the opening of the outdoor market.
We also love the Jean-Talon market, which is also the place to spend this last weekend before the real spring. We’ll be leaving with our arms full of vegetables and flowers, because a long weekend will also give us time to cook slowly with our windows open-absolute bliss.
And depending on which one is closest to our house (the market, if possible, is within walking distance), we’re also going to Marché Maisonneuve to pick up a bunch of Canadian tulips – and more!
Bunnies, bunnies, bunnies (and coconuts)
Okay, it’s not all bunnies, but for those waiting for the Easter bunny to pass and those who just want to sweeten their teeth with the cutest chocolates of the year, we’ve got a list of the best chocolate bunnies in town.
For those who want to be immersed in bunnies (the animal, not the chocolate) and those with children who love nature and animals, we also have a
list of the best places to see them in and around Montreal.
and of course, we’re on the hunt for eggs!
We hide eggs in the branches of trees, under evergreen groves, behind the concrete steps of our condos, and on shelves and in plant pots inside houses and apartments if it rains… The Easter Bunny can go anywhere!
We’ve got a list of the best egg-hunting spots in Montreal right here!Brunch with family and friends
We want to spend some quality time – and to drink our sugar high – and we want to do it in a slow-living spirit to get us used to the hot, languorous days of spring and summer.
We say brunch, but that also counts as supper (for those celebrating Pesach), of course.
Where we cook with local vegetables, fruits and meats bought at the market, where we decide to replace effort with comfort and, after a lively egg hunt, brunch at one of Montreal’s best restaurants that make Easter menus for the long weekend… Reservations are essential!
We’ve got a list of long weekend brunches here!