Hamilton

As stationery shops increasingly descend into little more than vehicles for hawking the latest Moleskine product, it’s nice to find a place that sports a more diverse range of art and design books, supplies and tools. We picked up a couple of books for niblings, and would have happily purchased some of their letterpress-printed hand-stitched notebooks had we the room.

A delightful museum that focuses on the history of providing pressurized water to the citizens of Hamilton from Lake Ontario through the steam-powered pumping station that has gone on to become the main attraction of the museum. The tour guide was knowledgeable and witty; the steam works were a fascinating piece of engineering, more so for me because their mechanics mirrors that of my letterpress.

In the grittier (pleasanter) east end of Hamilton we found this unexpected place for good coffee and good waffles at exactly the time we needed both. You need to be patient for both, but it’s worth the wait, and the place has a “take your coat off and stay awhile” vibe. Waffles come in your standard with-fruit-and-syrup preparation, but also in savory combinations like “waffled bacon.” All were good in my group’s experience.

Here’s a bit of soundscape I grabbed while we were eating.

If you’re in the market for fabric and notions, or antiques, this is the neighbourhood to head out into afterwards.