MORE NERDY ADVENTURES Four history-laden sites to check out in Montreal , plus the best part of almost any trip : the local cuisine .
Old Montreal
Cobblestone streets , centuries-old architecture and charming shops , galleries and eateries beckon in the oldest — and quaintest — part of the city . Tuck into the Galerie Images Boréales ( imagesboreales . com ) to admire art , clothing , jewelry and crafts all made by Inuit artists and craftspeople , then head across the street for a sweet or savory crepe and a frothy cappuccino at Creperie Chez Suzette ( chezsuzette . ca ).
Atwater Market
Come for the art deco atmosphere , stay for the fresh fruits , vegetables , flowers , meats , seafood and cheeses offered by local merchants . The market first set up shop in 1933 and draws shoppers year-round . A
Atwater Market .
variety of eateries offer food during the summer months ; the brisket sandwich from Aylwin Barbecue ( aylwinbarbecue . com ), along with a mint lemonade from Le Petit Sao ( lepetitsao . com ) and a pint of Quebecois strawberries makes for a lovely repast . marchespublicsmtl . com
Le Bateau-Mouche River Cruises
See Montreal from aboard open-air boats similar to the ones that ply the Seine in Paris . Le Bateau-Mouche ( bateaumouche . ca ) offers several cruises from the Old Port area , including dinner , tapas , fireworks and one-hour intro sailings on the St . Lawrence River . Snacks and drinks are available on most outings .
Montreal Botanical Garden
Founded in 1931 , the garden has sixteen themed areas — think lilacs , an alpine garden and a rose garden — buffered by a Chinese garden , a First Nations garden and a Japanese garden , as well as a wide variety of trees . If you ’ re up for more exploration , Olympic Park — where the 1976 Summer Olympics were
Poutine .
held — is right across the street . espacepourlavie . ca
Cuisine
My kiddo and I were on the hunt for poutine — a messy mashup of french fries , gravy and cheese curds — crepes and Cadbury candy bars during our visit . But don ’ t miss out on Montreal ’ s other famous food offerings , like maple everything , croissants , smoked meat sandwiches , meat pie and Montreal bagels . You won ’ t even need to know the French word for potato or apple : Most restaurant menus are printed in French and English . — D . L .
PHOTOGRAPHY : COURTESY OF TOURISME MONTREAL / IMAGES BY LOÏC ROMER , CAROLINE BERGERON , STEPHAN POULIN ; FAIRMONT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH , ALISON SLATTERY ; GETTY IMAGES / IMAGES BY VLADONE , ONE PONY , A & J FOTOS ; DANA LAVERTY .
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