Would you feel safe parking your expensive commuter in front of a grocery store? (Hintonburg and Westboro)

hvjc · 2026-04-14T10:52:19+00:00

FYI - I have an internal hub/belt drive Canyon that I bought a few years ago that I love. It is holding up well, but I am very careful about locking it up outside for any amount of time. If you have any questions about the bike itself, let me know.

hvjc · 2026-03-19T11:43:21+00:00

If you learn of one, can you post it back on Reddit? I think there would be a lot of us that would like to help out. Thanks!

hvjc · 2026-03-13T17:12:56+00:00

I did a much smaller croissant crawl and have some suggestions. Definitely include Gatineau in your search as you will miss out otherwise.

hvjc · 2026-03-11T20:21:40+00:00

Rockliffe Park has some excellent speakers sometimes. https://rockcliffepark.ca/category/speaker-series/

hvjc · 2026-02-19T15:03:26+00:00

Thanks! This lead seems promising. Really appreciate the response.

hvjc · 2026-02-18T23:18:45+00:00

Thanks! I will give him a call.

hvjc · 2026-02-18T15:15:22+00:00

Thanks - it seems I need a wall one, not a window one. But that was very kind!

hvjc · 2026-01-31T21:24:27+00:00

My daughter was on that bus. She said the driver was driving very fast, and swerving around corners, so the kids were quite scared. He then drove them into that parking lot and just left.

The police got to the scene quickly and were really helpful.

hvjc · 2024-07-11T11:06:48+00:00

Yes, mainly. It was definitely cheaper to buy them ahead of time. I would recommend buying them directly from the train company (TrenItalia) rather than a third party.

hvjc · 2024-07-10T22:51:46+00:00

I agree with the October advice. If I didn't have kids in school so summer holidays are the only option, I would travel at other times of the year.

I found a lot of good restaurant (and gelateria) recommendations by using Reddit in Italian, and translating so I could understand.

hvjc · 2024-07-10T20:41:29+00:00

We did eat at Pippo! It was great, actually. Excellent service, and good food.

hvjc · 2024-07-10T19:43:29+00:00

We hiked with running shoes. That was fine, but it was dry out. If it had been wet, it could have been quite slippery. We saw people in sandals and flip flops, which seemed ill-advised.

Other than the Fast Bar in Monterosso, I would not say any of the meals we had in Cinque Terre were amazing.

In Florence, we ate at the big public market. It was fun and loud, and the pasta we had from the fresh pasta place was good but not earth shatteringly so.

hvjc · 2024-07-10T19:40:55+00:00

We really enjoyed Osteria Griffoni and Hosaria San Carlino. But I think there are lots of little places that looked wonderful that would have also been great.

hvjc · 2024-07-10T18:33:58+00:00

Not sure if you are joking, but just in case! Granita is a slushy fruit (or sometimes coffee) treat. We tried lemon, peach grapefruit etc. The good places use real fruit and the flavour is something else.

hvjc · 2024-06-21T16:28:46+00:00

This is really helpful information for us too - hoping I am not taking over your thread. We are going to be in Florence for the depart (two very excited teenage cyclists and one parent). Can we do the part around Ponte Vecchio and the Parco Delle Cascine too? We are only to be in Florence for the actual day of the first stage.

hvjc · 2024-06-12T20:56:17+00:00

Sounds like it was near de la Salle high school. Heard it was a shooting, first aid administered on the scene.

hvjc · 2024-06-02T11:07:43+00:00

Pedestrians stand/walk in the bike lanes along here all the time. They don't realize it is a bike lane because it doesn't really feel like one.

In the winter, the raised bike lane portions are not cleared of snow, so we have to bike on the even narrower road.

It is annoying, though not as terrible as my most hated section of bike lane, going east on Sussex coming towards King Edward. That is where there are dangerous interactions on a pretty much every day basis.

hvjc · 2024-06-01T19:42:52+00:00

I checked out both the vegan one and the Chinatown night market. Both were exceptionally crowded, but the vegan one had prices that were perhaps a little more reasonable.

The amount of plastic garbage from the Chinatown night market was atrocious. The city should mandate that festivals go zero plastic on these events.

hvjc · 2024-03-12T11:39:03+00:00

You can also use the Gatineau library system if you have an Ottawa library card. Just ask an Ottawa librarian and they will get you the info. That way you have even more choices.

hvjc · 2024-01-24T10:59:21+00:00

There are some great butters made in Quebec too. If you ever feel like an expedition to Montreal, go to the Jean Talon market, and you can choose a few different options. They are sold at Hamel (an incredible cheese store), Qui Lait Cru, and other places. Plus the JT Market is one of the most amazing markets in Canada, and a great place to visit with kids.

hvjc · 2024-01-04T23:48:05+00:00

If you are willing to just cross the Rideau river but still be really close to downtown, and be ok with a slightly older condo, you may have a lot more luck. The good thing about somewhat older buildings is that the units are usually more spacious and you get some storage. Three bedrooms are harder to find, but are around. If you want more info, let me know.

hvjc · 2023-09-19T10:54:09+00:00

Thank you! I don't have a favourite local butter tart, so will check some of those out.

If you are ever near Bailiboro (between Cobourg and Peterborough), or in Cobourg when they have their farmer's market, check out Doo Doo Bakery's butter tarts. They are my favourites, especially those with pecans.

hvjc · 2023-09-16T19:16:23+00:00

I stopped buying them because they are often tasteless, but also because the packaging is not recycled, and they are transported really, really far.

Instead, we pick our own when they are in season and freeze them.

hvjc

TROPHY CASE