Tam-Tams at the Mont Royal Mountain

Going to the tam-tams, at the Mont Royal mountain, has been a local tradition since 1978. Every Sunday thousands of people convene behind the George-Etienne Cartier Monument on Mount Royal Park to play drums and other musical instruments while others gather to watch or to dance to the rhythm of the music. 

On the periphery of the action there are many vendors and an army of wanderers who get intoxicated with the contagious atmosphere; their presence add a lot to the festive ambiance. 

Once you pass the nucleus and head toward the field, you'll see hundreds of people enjoying the grassy surroundings, either playing frisbee, having a picnic, drinking a beer or smoking a joint. If you head toward the woods, you will see more people walking on tight ropes, juggling, playing hacky sack, medieval games or participating in many other fun activities. 

Sunday tam-tams at the mountain is the greatest free party in the city and every Montrealer  and every tourist should go at least once. If you've been there, please write in the comment section and tell me about your experience. 

Are You a Tango Lover? Dance Tango For Free Under The Montreal Sky

Montreal is one of those cities where you can take your dance shoes and go and dance tango any night of the week. To make tango even more irresistible, there are five municipal parks that offer their space to dance Tango.

One of the pioneers of this initiative is the tango school Tango Libre, who has been serving the public by offering free tango classes, in the park, to people who would like to experice the pleasure of dancing tango. Since then other schools have step up to the plate and have contributed to the noble cause of bringing tango to the masses. Among the other schools serving the community we find Tangueria,  Mon Tango, Air de Tango, Studio Tango, Tango Comme il Faut and a few others.

If you live in The Plateau you can enjoy tango in the park every Tuesday, for free, at Park Laurier from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm form June 18th until August 6th.

If you get hooked on tango, please consider taking private tango classes at TangoTime.ca or consider learning with our instructional videos.

Other places to dance free tango under the sky:

• Parc de la Petite Italie, organised by La Tangueria. Every Thursday from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. From June 13 until September 5th. 
• Serres Municipales de Verdun, organized by Tango Libre. Every Wednesday from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. 
• Park Notre Dame de Gaces, organized by Mon Tango. Every Monday from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. From June 17 until July 29. 

Super week-ends at Park Jean Drapeau

If you like world music and dancing, Park Jean Drapeau is the place to be.

On July 6th, 7th, 13th and 14th there are all kinds of fun activities going on at Park Jean Drapeau. There,s  a show of fire eaters, there are festivals such as the gospel festival, the Peruvian festival, the Cuban festival and the Colombian festival, also there is world music with many professional dancers and singers; the list goes on an on. Here is the official link to the Jean Drapeau website.

The idea of these festivities is to showcase the different cultural groups  of Montreal and display their traditions. As opposed to many other metropolises which are considered melting pots, Montreal is a cultural mosaic, where the differences of culture are highlighted  and celebrated.

If you're staying in Montreal during the above mentioned dates,  I suggest that you take advantage of this great opportunity; it is completely free and it's worth your time. Write me a message if you did like it.

Bixi bikes in Montreal

Montrealers are so lucky, we have a  service available to us three seasons of the year, from April to November, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What is a bixi service? A bixi service is a bicycle sharing service that allows a member (or a casual user) to pick up a bike at any bixi dock station and return it to any other dock station. There are 461 docking station which will park 5120 bikes around the city. Members are encouraged to use the bikes for less than 45 minutes at a time (non members less than 30 minutes), after this allotted time users are charged an additional fee per minute until the bike is returned. To circumvent this time restriction, many users dock their bikes bore the time is over and pick up another one, this way the bikes are in constant circulation.

To see where people can just pick up a bixi bike, users can visit  bixi homepage or download an app for their smartphones. Casual users can pay as little as $7 for 24 hours or $15 for 72 hours. Members can pay $82.50 for a whole year.

 

Saint Laurent Street Sale

Part of the experience of visiting Montreal are its streets sales.

There are many streets sales through the year and in different parts of the city. Right now, from June 13 to June 16, on Saint Laurent Street, from Sherbrooke to Mont Royal there are hundreds of people snooping for deals or just to spend some time as being part of the crowd.

Montreal's Most Famous Smoked Meat Restaurant. Schwartz!

3895 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal, QC H2W 1L2

Since I arrived in Montreal, February 1998, friends have been telling me that Schwartz has the best smoked meat in the city. Yeah, right! How much better could one smoked meat sandwich be than the other?

I have been tempted to go many times, but my dignity has not allowed me to be part of the long lineup outside. I've seen hundreds of tourists waiting in line at -20c. to get in and live the Shwartz experience.

Finally the curiosity overpowered my resistance. I asked my friend Gary to come with me to discover what all the buzz is about.

I discovered that Schwartz was established in 1928 by a Jewish immigrant from Romania and that the secret of their big clientele is their mandatory 10 day meat curing time which gives a distinct flavor to their meat, but above all,  it's the heritage of almost 90 years of great customer service.

Gary and I went on a Tuesday at 2:00 pm, hoping not to stand in line for a long time. We got in after waiting only a few minutes. We asked for a table for two, but there is not such a thing as a table for two. All tables seat 6 people and you sit with people that you've never met before. We were sitting next to three men from Argentina who asked me to take photos of them.

The service was extremely efficient. There are many dishes on the menu at a low price, but most of us go there for one reason: their famous smoked meat sandwich.  Within a few minutes the waiter was taking our order and somehow he managed to make us feel at home while expressing his Jewish humor. Five minutes later we were served.

The portions are big enough to satisfy a hungry man, and the taste was extraordinary. However, was it significantly better than any other established smoked meat sandwich in Montreal? Not really, at least not enough that would make it worth it for me to stand in a long line. Nevertheless, after eating at Schwartz, I feel that now I am a bit closer to the Montreal culture and history. Now I get to walk around telling people that yes! I have eaten at Schwartz's and yes! the smoked meat is delicious.

La Arepera du Plateau

http://www.arepera.ca 4050 Rue de Bullion coin Duluth

Entrance of Arepera. Rue de Buillon corner with Duluth

If you have ever wondered what's like to eat traditional Venezuelan food, this it the place for you. And yes, there is food for all different eating habits. Whether you are a carnivore, a vegetarian or a vegan you will find something to stimulate your taste buds. Also the arepas are 100% gluten free.

An arepa is a traditional Spanish dish, very common in Colombia and Venezuela, made of ground corn dough. All arepas are made in-house and they are served as a side dish or as the main dish. When the arepa is served as the main dish they are cut through the middle (like a bagel)  and filled with different combinations of meat, plantain, bean or cheese.

The decor is full of tropical colors. 

As soon as you walk in, you are exposed to a smorgasbord of tropical colors, smells and traditional Venezuelan music. You get a true sense that you are in a small restaurant in Latin America. The servers are friendly and efficient; they greet you as soon as you come in, give you the menu, water and as soon as you are ready, they take your order with their pocket i-pods. If the owner has two minutes, he might come and warmly shake your hand, occasionally give you a hug and, when experimenting with a new recipe, he'll bring a sample to your table for free. "Here, try this" he'll say.

Assortment of plantains, avocado, lime, yucca, etc. 

The restaurant specializes in arepas, but they have a great variety of natural juices (made in-house), side dishes and desserts. Most of the natural juices are a new experience to the typical North American crowd. They have flavors such as guava, tamarind, lulo, mango, guanabana and passion fruit. Some of the most typical entrees are  "platanos" (fried plantains) which are served with cheese and "yuca" which is a root  similar to potato. Also, there are delicious soups and incredible desserts to go along with your arepa. For additional flavor, a squeeze-bottle of guasacaca ( a sauce made of avocado, garlic and lime juice) and a bottle of hot sauce are placed on each table as well as a small portion of watercress salad.

If you seem friendly, the owner might come to give a hug. 

I go to Arepera du Plateau about once per week and as long as the arepas continues being so delicious and the staff so friendly, I'll continue being a loyal client.

Natural juice of Guava and Tamarind. Also Gusacaca and hot sauces. 

Arepa platano y queso and Arepa pernil with watercress salad

Bollo, a new recipe 

Bean soup and Chicken soup

Arepas being made. This is where the magic happens. 

Sabor Latino: A Taste of Latin America on The Plateau Mont Royal

Pork, lentils & rice / beans and cheese pupusa

4387 Bld Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC H2W 1Z8
If you want to have a taste of Latin America while out in the Plateau, Sabor Latino is on top of my list. Here you can find a restaurant, a grocery store, a bakery and butcher shop that will resemble any small restaurant/supermarket in Latin America.

I have been going to Sabor Latino since 1998 when I arrived in Montreal from Colombia. The staff is friendly and professional. They are all from different countries in Latin America. Also, more than 50% of the clientele are from Latin American, but if you are an Anglophone or Francophone, you will be greeted in the language of your choice.

Every thing in the menu goes for less than $10

I only go there for one reason. The food! As you can see from the menu, none of the plates cost more than $10.00. Also, the servings are generous enough to feed a hungry man like myself. And the taste is very traditional of our culture.

If you live in Montreal, you can enjoy this authentic Latin American cuisine any time without having to buy an airplane ticket. If you are a tourist resting at one of Alain's apartments, a visit to Sabor Latino will enrich your traveling experience.

Hmmmm, Do I have to choose?

I'll be back!

The best coffee shop of the neighborhood. Chez Jose

Chez Jose, an inexpensive, arty cafe in the heart of the Plateau. 
173 Avenue Duluth Est  Montreal, QC H2W 1H4

If you live in the Plateau, you are lucky to have one of the city's best cafes just a few steps away. If you don't live in the Plateau, at one time or another, you should venture out for a coffee at this neighborly cafe.

The menu features an inexpensive assortment  of crepes, omelettes, smoothies, vegetarian dishes, seafood soup (served on weekends) and many delicious pastries. 

The mood is set even before you enter the cafe. From a distance you can see the walls painted with friendly fish and funky colors. As soon as you step in, you realize that this is not your typical cafe. The atmosphere is happy, friendly and colorful with a mismatch of chairs and tables that adds to the ambiance.  

If you go there, please let me know about your experience by posting a comment.