The Museum of Bags & Purses

One of many quaint and lovely museums - situated in beautiful, old buildings along the canals in Amsterdam - is something as fascinating and wonderful as a museum for bags and purses! With a museum shop brimming with different contemporary, mostly Dutch, designer bags for sale - I didn't buy any, but I did get a slight crush on some grey felt ones with flower embroideries... - and a very nice café - where you can park the not-so-believe-it-or-not-interested-in-handbags-significant-other on a sampling of cakes - like this extraordinary lemon one...

- while you wander around, browse and learn a whole lot more about handbags, old, and new, history and future. Over 3500 different types of handbags ranging from the Middle Ages until present time. Apparently the only museum in the world with such a specialized collection. Some bags being absolutely exquisite, mouthwatering lovely, others completely overrated it-bags...

Tassenmuseum Hendrikje is situated at Herengracht 573, Amsterdam, in a splendid 17th century three storey building - definitely well worth a visit if you love handbags! Even if, alas, they don't display any Mulberry bags...

One exhausted, but very happy museum-visitor named Elvira