It’s that time again - time to start thinking about Doperéal, up here in beautiful Montreal. This year’s 'fest has been officially named Doperéal 3D because we’re pretty damned sure the action will be more in-your-face than ever before. (3D glasses will be provided.)
The Doperéal Planning Committee has already convened over strong coffee and stronger cigarettes, for top-secret discussions about this year’s extravaganza. It will be bigger and better than last year’s, riding high on the momentum of a very successful Sugardope in March.
We’ve fallen into the habit of holding our annual summer 'fest in August, which has worked out well for the past two years. (That leaves July open for whatever the TorDopers want to do.) Depending on who can make it when (especially out-of-towners), we’ll decide on a date in the next thread.
Doperéal 3D weekend can be any of the following:
August 6 - 8
August 13 - 15
August 20 - 22
August 27 - 29
(If someone makes a really good case for holding it in late July, that’s not out of the question.)
The Doperéal Planning Committee already has a few ideas for restaurants and activities:
Friday evening: Dinner at a Can-Mex resto, probably Three Amigos on Ste-Catherine near Guy. (I recently dined there; it’s a lot bigger inside than it looks from the exterior. Plus Carlos & Pepe’s is full of drunken fratboys and their skank dates on their way to the Peel Pub. ::shudder::)
This would be followed by general carousing. Three Amigos is near Crescent & Bishop streets, so there’s that possibility. Or we could get on the metro and head to the Village and (again) do karaoke at Club Date, which is always fun.
Saturday afternoon: An activity of some sort. There’s a good show at the Planetarium, and provided there’s interest, we could book for a group. There’s also touristy stuff like the Old Port and Old Montreal.
We could go back to La Ronde again, but that would involve getting up early, and leaving the amusement park in time for dinner. This year’s new ride at La Ronde is just a flume - the sort that gets everyone absolutely soaked. Still, La Ronde was a lot of fun last year.
We could also go back to the Biodôme, where we went in 2002. Or we could try the Insectarium, the Botanical Gardens… Even a 3D IMAX show at the Old Port or at the Paramount (that would really fit in with this year’s theme).
Saturday evening: Dinner at a Hungarian resto on Lincoln Street, provided they can seat a group. Hungarian food is hearty yet divine. If they can’t take us, I suggest we go back to Mazurka on Prince-Arthur for Polish food, where we went for PoutineDope 2002. They gave us the entire upstairs, but that was off-season.
This would again be followed by carousing and such. The Hungarian resto on Lincoln in the same neighborhood as Three Amigos, and Crescent and Bishop Streets. (This is also more or less my neighborhood, so I wouldn’t have to haul ass anywhere. Hee.)
Sunday afternoon: Pick up smoked meat sandwiches - a truly Montreal thing - at the incredibly crowded Schwartz’s (hence the “picking up” part) on St-Laurent. A walk up and down St-Laurent before this would be cool as well, as it’s a very unique street, known to locals as “The Main.” Then we’d head across Jeanne-Mance park to the obelisk at the foot of the mountain for the famous Montreal Sunday Tam-tams, where you can get a contact pot buzz within about 20 seconds. We could also perhaps take the bus up the mountain to the lookout, for a fabulous view of a unique city.
Prices for everything in Montreal are very reasonable. Three-day tourist passes for the bus and metro are available for $16.00. Hotels I don’t know much about in terms of cost, since I’ve never stayed in a hotel in Montreal, because I live here and all that.
The newly-redecorated Pad of Evil® will once again be open to host guests. We now have air mattresses, too! We can host three people quite comfortably, and up to five (maybe even six) a little less comfortably. But it’s always a blast to stay here. Just ask Curious Canuck.
As well, there are other Montreal Dopers who will no doubt be willing to offer up floor and/or couch space.
Now, this is who really should be coming to Doperéal 3D:
detop (Grand Marshall of Doperéal 3D; also the best Montreal tour guide you’ll ever meet)
scott evil (Fashion, Style, and Cultural Consultant; also good at shepherding chitchatting and lollygagging Dopers so that we can get a move on to where we’re planning to be)
LaurAnge
Daerlyn
matt_mcl
Mnementh
Curious Canuck
clayton_e
wolfstu
Hamish (???)
kung fu lola
Upside Down Amber
Some out-of-towners who we’d really like to see make it up:
Eonwe
JeffB
Eats_Crayons
The Discos (if the wedding hasn’t bankrupted them)
the rest of the TorDopers
So that’s about it for now. Feel free to chime in if you’re interested in attending, and/or if you have any activity suggestions. The next thread will have more definite details.
*Au plaisir de vous rencontrer et de vous revoir ! *
