Bonjour tout le monde! [Hello everyone!]
We're the Vagabrothers
And this is part three of our six video series on Quebec.
In this episode we're leaving Montreal
And we're heading to Quebec City, for Winter Carnaval.
First we got a train to catch.
Lets go.
Bienvenue mon frere [Welcome, my brother]
Put your bag down, lets go.
Alright guys, well we've just arrived at Quebec City
To our hotel, Chateau Frontenac
And
Wow!
It's a castle.
Okay so we've just finished checking in to the hotel, Frontenac
And now we're walking through the Old Town of Quebec.
This was the original French settlement here
And it's also the only walled city north of Mexico
Which is why it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is also the site of that fateful battle
Between the English and the French.
1759
Three months siege.
Culminates in fifteen minutes of fighting on the planes of Abraham.
Both the French and the British General die
And Quebec became part of British Canada.
Anyways guys, we're here for Carnaval.
It's a Catholic tradition that's celebrated all around the world
And it's basically like two weeks of feasting and partying before lent:
Forty days of being on your best behaviour.
So we're gonna indulge a little bit later at an "urban sugar shack"
But first we're gonna go down and check out a tradition
That only happens here.
Ice Canoe Racing on the St Laurence river.
Which by the way is full of icebergs
And almost completely frozen.
So we're gonna meet up with Felix
Who is one of the organisers
And we'll learn a bit more about Ice Canoe Racing and how it got started.
First of all it was a transportation mode.
Then from a transportation mode to a sports competition.
Really developed and really sophisticated.
We are in a special river.
The current changes direction four times a day
And there are huge chunks of ice that are floating on the water.
It's Mother Nature who gives the most challenging part.
That event is ridiculously insane.
One of the coldest looking competitions too.
It's definitely cool to see.
Thank God we didn't fall on the water.
We just got to watch it from a distance and stay all toasty.
Congratulations to the winners, but
We're gonna head back to the centre of town
Warm up a little bit and see the celebrations.
Yeah, so it's Carnaval time
Go check it out.
Let's go.
Well we've just arrived to the Winter Carnaval Fair Grounds
And it looks like there's a lot to do man.
For sure, we're actually on the plains of Abraham
Which is where the big battle between
The French and the English armies were back in the day.
Dude, Zorbing! Oh my God!
There's Zorbs, there's ice sculptures
So we're just gonna check out everything
And see what we're going to get in to.
Welcome to the ice palace.
So we're leaving Carnaval.
We're going to the Hotel for a little sunset cocktail.
We're walking through the Old Town
And this Old Town is incredible!
It recently celebrated 400 years of settlement in 2008.
So this town was founded in 1608 by the French.
To give some perspective,1607, just a year earlier
The British settlement of Jamestown was founded
And a year later, 1609
Santa Fe, New Mexico was founded by the Spanish
First impressions so far?
Insane!
Definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas
Without a doubt.
This feels like an alpine town
Somewhere in France.
But then at the same time it's not French
It's not European
It's Québécois - Canadian
It's really cool. I'm seriously digging this place.
And it's time for a cocktail
Which is making my numb fingers start to tingle again
Which is great!
That's like exactly what i need.
This is the Old Fashioned Fairmont
Its got bourbon and rum.
No it doesn't?
Yeah, it does
Rum?!
Yeah, bourbon and rum.
What?
I'm right!
So that was a great cocktail
And this is a classic hotel
It's really an institution.
When Canada built their rail-roads system in the 1800's
They constructed all these huge, magnificent hotels
Alongside the railway stations
So this place looks like a castle.
It's very cool.
We're super lucky to be staying here
But for dinner, we're going to a place a lot more unconventional.
It's called La Buche.
It's owned by Yannik Parent
And he is a young restauranteur
Who is basically doing a contemporary version
Of Québécois comfort food.
So, how you feeling bro?
Hungry
Very ready to eat. Lets go!
These are our roots, it's a typical Quebecois restaurant
We've put our roots aside for some years
There was no Quebecois restaurant in Old Quebec
It's important to make it fashionable again
to help tourists understand
what our grandparents' food was like
That's La Buche, it's like home
We try to do old recipes our way, new school.
So tonight we're gonna eat rabbit wings
Smoked salmon
Fried meat pie
Pea soup
Then we're gonna hit the main courses
We have
a "tourtiere" (shepherd's pie)
And we're gonna finish you with the beer braised ham on a poutine.
You can't get out of here still hungry.
Impossible!
It's middle of winter, you can always work out in spring time
Drink beer
Eat up
Get fat, who cares
I got pea soup and a cocktail that i don't even know what it is
But i just want to say, we're being treated so well here.
This is such a cool place!
I feel like Quebec has many answers to the modern world's questions
Bacon
Maple syrup
Plaid
Beards
It's all here
Everyone, we just need to come to Quebec more often i think
But first i have to eat this scallop
Seriously, this is like "Man vs Food"
I have never been so stuffed in my life
But i'm not one to give up easily.
Plaid on plaid on PLAID!
What!? It's time to eat this poutine.
Everything we've eaten tonight has been covered in maple syrup
Including maple syrup whiskey.
Final, final dish of the night is this "sortilege."
It's french for "sorcery."
Basically Canadian whiskey mixed with maple syrup
And it's called sorcery because it just puts a spell on you.
Wooww!
I love restaurants like that.
I love restaurants that have extremely deep appreciation for their heritage
But also they're so in tuned
With what this new generation likes.
That restaurant has their finger on the pulse
Of global cuisine but also their feet firmly planted
In the roots of Québécois culture
And that made for an exquisite dining experience.
Wow!
I'm pretty much speechless
And i'm stuffed
I think i gained a coupla pounds in one sitting
Most food i've ever eaten without standing up and leaving
But, so happy.
So pleasantly plump.
Guys today was amazing.
Hopefully you enjoyed this video
As much as we enjoyed filming it.
If you did, make sure you give it a thumbs up
Share it with your friends
And subscribe to Vagabrothers if you have not already.
In the mean time, stay curious
Keep exploring
And we'll see all of you guys on the road.
Until next time.
Good night, Good bye!