Canada is fun 🇨🇦
Hello! I posted this on the r/heatedrivalry subreddit, and I was told this sub would appreciate my photos/experience ☺️
I live in Toronto and decided to take a solo HR pilgrimage to Hamilton on Monday! Possibly the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and it was lovely meeting fellow loons - one of them handed me a Sharpie, so I was able to leave my own quote in the Pink Tunnel!
Locations visited:
#1 The Pink Tunnel in Shamrock Park: I took photos of every single HR reference on there (grouped to the best of my ability), so now I have 178 photos - worth it! I’ve also done a terrible job of hiding myself so if any irl friends recognize these from my IG stories - heyyyyyyy 👋🏽 pretend you didn’t see me here
Song(s) I listened to: Moonlight Sonata, Two Souls
#2 Le Tambour Tavern: I had lunch here, and sat at the exact booth as the scene pictured! They had two HR-themed cocktails, Russians Don’t Blush and Episode 4. I had both, they were delicious and I was def tipsy afterwards. They also had themed wine options (Rose and Roselana). Finally, the side door had a sticker of the Vegas rooftop scene from Ep 1 🥹
Song(s) I listened to: Prendre soin du beau
#3 Relay Coffee: They had some really cute decor here! A Skip tote bag, Ilya quotes on hearts stuck to the wall, and HR-font brand merch. I obviously took 5738953885 photos of everything 😄 the menu had a Shane Hollander hot chocolate (which I would’ve gotten if it wasn’t 32C/90F outside) and an Extra Banana latte, which is what I got and it was yummy!
Song(s) I listened to: I’ll Believe in Anything
#4 Dundurn Castle: The castle was closed for tours, but the grounds were open. I got to walk around the exterior, so I was able to retrace both Ilya’s and Shane’s running paths. I also sat on a park bench in front of the castle and re-read TLG for an hour in the sun ❤️
Song(s) I listened to: mangetout, My Moon My Man
#5 Ciao Bella: Sadly the restaurant hadn’t yet opened when I got there, and it was my last stop before heading home and I was exhausted. I did manage to get a photo from the outside though, but I’d like to go back and actually eat there next time!
Song(s) I listened to: Bad Things (since it was the end of the pilgrimage)
Missed places:
- I went to McMaster U, but I wasn’t able to find the exact first meeting spot (*lighter clicks*)
- Mansion (All The Things She Said) is only open 10 pm onwards on weekends, and yesterday was Monday
- I walked past FirstOntario Concert Hall (MLH Awards), but couldn’t enter the building without a ticket to a show (which I absolutely wasn’t planning/dressed for anyway)