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  • This week Sam and I are in Montreal. This is a city where I was born, so it is always

  • really fun to come and revisit. We are going to be showing you some of the main attractions

  • around town.

  • For our summer getaway we decided to visit Montreal. Located in the province of Quebec,

  • this city offers world class festivals, arts, entertainment and dining. We wanted to highlight

  • what makes this city so special, so here are 30 things to do in Montreal.

  • Our first stop was the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts for a look at some of the current

  • exhibitions. One of the nice things about this museums is that admission to the permanent

  • collection is free at all times.

  • Well, it is time to burn off all of that Poutine. We're here at Park Mount Royal and we're going

  • to walk around and explore to see what is going on. This is one of the biggest parks

  • in the city.

  • We just spotted a woodpecker up in the tree.

  • This is where locals come to escape the bustle of the city. You'll find many people picnic-ing

  • here on a weekend.

  • We've been walking around Mount Royal for a while now and we've finally reached one

  • of the many lookout points of the city and there are some amazing views.

  • On a clear day you can see the whole city.

  • During our visit to Montreal we chose to stay in the neighborhood of Le Plateau-Mont Royal.

  • The area is quite lively with lots of bars and restaurants, and the residential streets

  • are lined with spiral staircases. There were also lots of friendly cats who came out to

  • greet us in the morning.

  • Summers in Montreal are a lot of fun. On Sunday afternoons you'll find a huge drumming circle

  • on the east end of Mount Royal.

  • We're now here at McGill University, one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious universities.

  • It is a gorgeous day outside so we're just going to wander around campus and show you

  • around.

  • McGill University is one of the most prestigious universities in all of Canada. Even if you're

  • not a student, the campus is worth a little stroll.

  • There is one dish that you absolutely have to try when you come to Montreal and that

  • is poutine. This is a French Canadian dish and for those who aren't very familiar with

  • it. It is basically french fries with gravy and cheese curds on top. Now it sounds a little

  • bit gross and it doesn't look that appetizing at first sight but trust me it is delicious.

  • It is time for the big reveal. Look down here. This is the standard one. Look at all of the

  • cheese curd. It is melting. And the gravy. These fries are swimming in a pool of gravy.

  • That is amazing.

  • Time for the first bite of the classic poutine here. Let's get lots of gravy on it. Woah,

  • stringy cheese. Oh, I got it on my mouth. Wow! That is so good. I just wish this was

  • healthy so that I could eat it more often.

  • For a taste of French charm, wander down the cobbled streets of Old Montreal. It'll feel

  • like you've traveled back to France several centuries. There are lots of great restaurants

  • to try in this area.

  • For fine dining and shopping in trendy boutiques, you can pop into the Bonsecours Market.

  • Habitat 67 is a unique housing complex and one of the most interesting architectural

  • landmarks in the city.

  • Whether you visit Montreal in the summer or winter, there are always festivals going on.

  • Be sure to check them out!

  • Tonight we're at the Cirque du Soleil here in Montreal and we're going to be watching

  • their latest show Curious.

  • While we can't bring you inside the tent, we can tell you that it is a fascinating performance

  • that takes you into a different world.

  • This roman catholic basilica is located on the Westmount Summit and you'll have to climb

  • 283 steps to reach the top.

  • The biodome is a popular attraction for families with children. It allows you to walk through

  • replicas of four ecosystems found in the Americas.

  • We're here now at Olympic Stadium. This used to be the former stadium of the Montreal Expos,

  • a baseball team that has since moved to Washington. I was fortunate enough in the 90's to come

  • and watch them play when they had such great players such as Larry Walker who is considered

  • to be by many the best Canadian baseball player ever.

  • Originally though this stadium was built for the Olympics in the 70's and this is still

  • the largest stadium in Canada in terms of seating capacity.

  • Because there was some landscaping work being done, we didn't get to walk the extent of

  • the gardens, however, there is plenty to see here. The botanical gardens are home to Japanese

  • Gardens, Chinese Gardens and even Alpine Gardens.

  • Right now I'm here at the Bell Center, home to the Montreal Canadiens, one of the most

  • historic and celebrated franchises in all of sports - not just in the NHL but all of

  • sports.

  • They have such a storied history but as a Blackhawks fan my team has been doing better

  • lately so I've got bragging rights right now.

  • You have to eat smoked meat if you come all the way to Montreal and there's not better

  • place to do so that at Schwartz. This restaurant is an institution and it's worth lining up

  • for.

  • The Notre Dame Basilica is located in the historic district of Old Montreal. Step inside

  • to be wowed by the blue ceilings and gold-adorned altar.

  • If you enjoy checking out graffiti and street art I would highly recommend the area around

  • Saint Catherine's in the East end of the city. It is just so colorful. You can wander down

  • the lanes. So many artists have taken over the area, so check it out.

  • Next up we're heading to St. Catherine street which is the place to go shopping. The street

  • is lined with different stores and boutiques and I know Sam is going to love this.

  • This is the main commercial artery of the city.

  • Montreal has long, brutal winters and this is when the underground city plays an important

  • role. Most of the downtown area is interconnected by underground paths and underground shopping

  • areas so you don't have to be out in the cold.

  • Parc Lafontaine is located in the borough of Le Plateau Mont-Royal and it's a popular

  • hangout spot on weekends. Friends come to play sports and enjoy a picnic by the pond.

  • Le Village is a vibrant neighbourhood which is home to many bars, clubs, and theatres.

  • In the summertime the street is lined with 200,000 pink balls over the pedestrian only

  • street.

  • So now for a little afternoon pick-me-up we have St. Viateur bagels, which are really

  • famous here in Montreal. I got myself the cinnamon raisin one. That smells really nice.

  • What makes these bagels unique is that they are hand rolled and they are made in a wood

  • burning oven. This store is so popular that they actually produce twelve thousand bagels

  • a day.

  • Alright, time for the first bite. I don't know if you can see it well with the camera

  • but there are huge chunks of apples. Look at that. Wow! Are you in your happy place?

  • I am. This is like ultimate dessert for me.

  • A

  • great way to get around the city is by bike. Bixi stations let you hire out bikes for a

  • few hours or for the full day, and you can return them at any bike station in the city.

  • This is another popular cathedral in the city. It is the third largest church in the province

  • of Quebec.

  • Montreal's Old Port is worth a wander. You can enjoy a quiet stroll along the waterfront

  • or stop for a mid-afternoon nap and one of the many little parks found in the area.

  • The best way to get around Montreal is by hopping on the metro. If you're going to be

  • in the city for a few days we suggest you get a pass so that you can zip around from

  • one neighborhood to the next.

  • This Canal is popular with cyclists. It runs 14.5 kilometers starting from the Old Port

  • of Montreal.

  • So there you have it - a quick little glimpse at this beautiful French city. From festivals

  • to live entertainment, and dining to shopping, Montreal has plenty to offer for travellers.

  • Hey guys, as part of my plan to embrace winter while being back in Canada, I'm in Montreal

  • for the weekend. And this is the view from the guesthouse I'm staying at in the Latin

  • Quarter area. I'm stoked about going outside. I'm going to be doing all kinds of crazy stuff

  • today. Hopefully some dog sledding, snowshoeing and maybe some skating. I'm also going to

  • be devouring poutine and I can't wait to show you what a cool city Montreal is in the wintertime.

  • It is seriously cold out today guys. I'm all bundled up but apparently with windchill it

  • is almost minus thirty. Woo hoo!

  • Check out those icicles. I'm starting to get some on my beard. I don't know if you can

  • see it or not?

  • I'm at Parc Lafontaine and there is just this incredible skating rink. Outdoors skating

  • rink. And nobody is out here using it. If only I had my skates. What a fool for me not

  • to bring them. I can't believe I didn't bring them.

  • Oh, this is the best. There is a guy out there with his dog just gliding along the ice with

  • his boots. He doesn't actually have skates on. Look at him sliding out there. That's

  • awesome.

  • I'm in serious need of some comfort food to warm up. It's time to head over for my morning

  • poutine brunch. Oh, my precious - La Banquise - open twenty four seven for all your poutine

  • needs.

  • Now comes the hard part. There is such an extensive menu here that I don't know even

  • know which one to choose.

  • It is just seriously so nice to be warming up right now. My toes were starting to freeze,

  • my beard as all frosty. This comfort food is going to do wonders for me. I think it

  • is going to allow me to go outside and play around in the snow all day long.

  • Oh my, the moment I've been waiting for. Everything I expected and more. La Banquise has the best

  • poutine in Montreal.

  • Woah, that seriously did not last long - pure gluttony over here.

  • So this is one of the more unique entrances I've ever seen towards a subway station.

  • Mickey Mouse is in the house.

  • Hey guys, my life would not be complete without a Montreal bagel.

  • Okay, now the million dollar question is should I go for a bagel sandwich or just go with

  • spread on a bagel? Decisions, decisions.

  • Alright, it's a raisin cinnamon bagel and apple cinnamon cream cheese for the win.

  • Alright guys, time for the first bite. Mmmm. Amazing.

  • So it appears we've got some snow cricket going on over hear. It doesn't get too much

  • more Canadian than this.

  • Oh. Yes, yes!

  • Alright, it is time to complete the trifecta of must have foods when you're in Montreal.

  • I'm going for - of course - a smoked meat sandwich.

  • And when you want the best you come to Schwartz's. Seriously it pays to come here in the winter.

  • The is the first time I've ever been here where there hasn't been a massive lineup.

  • Now that really hit the spot. One thing to keep in mind when eating at these popular

  • restaurants in Montréal is that some of them are cash only. You can only pay with

  • cash. Some allow debit card but very few take credit card.

  • Now it is time to burn some calories guys. It is kind of embarrassing thing for me to

  • admit is that I consumed most of those calories within a two hour period.

  • I'm at Mount Royal Park right now and there are all kinds of people doing totally different

  • types of exercises from snowshoeing to cross country skiing to skating.

  • So this is the reward for the long climb up Mount Royal. I'm near the top of the peak

  • here and there is going to be some spectacular views. I just know it.

  • And the last stop of the day is at Fête des neiges de Montréal.

  • There is one dish you absolutely have to try when you come to Montreal and that is Poutine.

  • This is a French Canadian dish and for those who aren't very familiar with it, it is basically

  • french fries with gravy and cheese curds on top. Now it sounds a little bit gross and

  • it doesn't look that appetizing at first sight but trust me it is delicious.

  • There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this meal from a nutritional standpoint. It

  • is pure grease and no better way for us to sample it than in this park right here.

  • We went to one of the most famous restaurants in Montreal for Poutine - La Banquiseand

  • in this bag here I've got two different kinds.

  • One is the regular poutine and one is the premium kind. We're going to show you what

  • is inside.

  • It is time for the big reveal. Look down here. This is the standard one. Oh, look at all

  • of the cheese curd. It is melting. And the gravy. It is like these fries are swimming

  • in a pool of gravy. That is amazing.

  • You've got a premium kind. What did you get? I went for something a little bit fancier

  • and mine has bacon and goat cheese instead of the regular cheese curds. Alright, let's

  • open this. Oh, wow! Look at that goat cheese. This is going to be amazing.

  • This is the kind of meal we're going to have to walk off for hours and hours and hours

  • upon end.

  • Look at that cheese. My goodness.

  • First bite of the fancy poutine. That is just as good as imagined it would be. The goat

  • cheese is warm, it is gooey, it is soft and the bacon is amazing. It is greasy, salty.

  • It is amazing! How about the gravy? Mmmmm.

  • Time for the first bite of the classic poutine here. Let's get lots of gravy on it. Woah,

  • stringy cheese! I got it all over my mouth. Wow!

  • That is so good. I just wish this was healthy so I could eat it more often.

  • It is like a heart attack on a plate. We've been having this every day since we've been

  • to Montreal and I don't see us stopping until we leave.

  • Out of the two poutines that we had, my favorite of course was the one with goat cheese and

  • bacon because those ingredients are just stellar.

  • Even if you don't like bacon there is a whole variety of toppings that you can choose over

  • at La Banquise. There are mushrooms, green peppers, hot chilly and anything that you

  • can think of.

  • So how much does a poutine cost? The regular one was just under seven dollars and the premium

  • one was about nine bucks, so it is quite an affordable meal.

  • I'm really excited right now. Montreal smoked meat along with things such as Poutine, is

  • something you absolutely have to try when you're in Montreal. I'm going to go sample

  • a sandwich right now.

  • Montreal smoked meat is made from brisket and the meat is allowed to cure for one week

  • with peppercorn and lots of other spices. It is really flavorful by the end of that

  • week. I'm going to take a bite over here. Let's see what this tastes like. Wow, look

  • at all of that meat. Oh my, this is falling apart and it smells great. You can see the

  • mustard as well. Look at that. Oh my, oh my gosh. Keep that sandwich together there.

  • Okay, I'm going to need a huge napkin after this. Wow. Oh my gosh. That is so tasty. The

  • meat is really juicy and tender. It is served on rye bread with mustard and I just love

  • that combination. Really simple flavors, the meat is smokey and it is great.

  • Look at that massive piece of meat. The thing is a bohemoth. I can barely keep it together

  • in my hands. It is time for my first bite. It is so tender and delicious. That is one

  • of the best sandwiches I've had in a long time.

  • There is one establishment in Montreal that is really well known for its smoked meat.

  • That is a little deli placed Schwartz's and it has been around since the 1920's. However,

  • that is not the only place where you can get smoked meat. There is actually restaurants

  • and little shops across town that serve almost the exact same recipe, so it is not difficult

  • to track it down.

  • In a place that specializes for Montreal smoked meat, such as Schwartz's, you can order it

  • lean cut, medium or fatty. We've tried a few different ones and medium is our favorite

  • so far.

  • Some of the popular side orders that you can also get with your smoked meat sandwich include

  • poutine, french fries or pickles.

  • For a typical smoked meat sandwich in Montreal you are looking at roughly six to eight dollars

  • and it is well worth the price to try.

This week Sam and I are in Montreal. This is a city where I was born, so it is always

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