The last few days have been smoldering in Montreal, and the city is finally alive and in fully in summer mode.

Summer is a special season for us Montrealers. It's all too short but it is also all too sweet. To me, the official kick-start of the summer celebrations is the F1 week-end. The Jazz Fest has past-us-by also. But it isn't until we have our first few days of 30 Celsius and over that the city fully blossoms into its summer incarnation.

This summer incarnation is a complex one. There are all the public events and festivals on the streets. All the Tam Tams on the Mont-Royal Mountain. Every Sunday we have the Piknic Electronic on Parc Jean-Drapeau Island.

There are the home-made ice cream stores, full with customers.

And most importantly, there are all the pubs and bars, with their bustling outdoors terrasses, full of people enjoying the sun and the warmth.

There are just too many activities and too many places to visit during the summer. Instead of trying to summarize it all, we will re-direct you to the professional work done by the journalists at the Montreal Mirror. They have compiled a list of what is to be seen, done, heard, eaten or drank in Montreal this summer.

You can read their Hot Summer Guide for 2011 here.

Make sure to enjoy every single drop of warmth that Montreal has to offer in August.

Photo credit: Tasitch