OK, maybe the title lies just a little. There may have been a few Heinekens. But really, who's counting? And when you're in Amsterdam, let's be honest: A couple of light beers are really the mildest of the vices available for indulging!
Amsterdam, The Netherlands: That's the destination for today's blog post. On a day I've decided to coin "Where to Wander Wednesday," (say that three times fast, then hashtag it!) I'm going to highlight weekly a city I've visited and two of my favorite attractions in that city--one that's well known and one that's hopefully at least a little offbeat--with the goal of inspiring you to not just follow a guidebook, but also follow your curiosity and your sense of adventure. Be inquisitive. Ask a local their favorite spot to hang out on a Saturday afternoon. If you're traveling with friends or a partner, take an afternoon off from each other and explore something that YOU want to do, even if they're not interested.
That's how I ended up in one of my favorite little spots in Amsterdam: Tassen Museum Hendrikje, Museum of Bags and Purses. Yes, you read that right: A museum dedicated to purses. Prior to stumbling upon this gem of an attraction, I thought the only such paradise in existence was the Louis Vuitton emporium. Wrong. Apparently, the Dutch appreciate the awesomeness that is a perfectly crafted handbag and they're not afraid to admit it--in fine museum fashion.
Five hundred years of bag and purse history? How could this NOT be amazing?
Now, I should probably mention that I was in Amsterdam at the beginning of my honeymoon. It was the embarkation port for our Baltic Sea cruise. Not surprisingly, my new husband was not super stoked (as he would say) about going to a purse museum on his honeymoon (or ever). In fact, he'd probably say he could just look in my closet and see enough purses to last a lifetime. But me, well, I thought handbags and honeymoons were a perfect match. After all, my Louis Vuitton bags and I are committed to each other for life. It only made sense that I learn a little about my lifelong purse partner's past. So, I followed my own advice and ventured off on my own for an hour or two of handbag heaven.
Even for a self-proclaimed purse fanatic, an hour or two was really all I needed to get my fill. I'm admittedly not a museum lover. I'm very tactile and like to touch things; they frown on that at museums. I also can't usually be bothered to read the descriptions on museum displays, so I'll just stand in front of them for what I think is long enough to give the illusion of reading. At the Museum of Bags and Purses, it was enjoyable enough to just slowly peruse the cases, admiring the intricate beauty of the more than 5,000 bags in the museum's collection, dating as far back as the Middle Ages, and imagining what life was like for the women who were carrying them.
Oh beautiful feathered bag, how I adore thee!
The museum itself is charming, housed in a 17th century canal house that once served as a mayor's residence. It was worth the stop just to see inside such a historic and beautifully preserved building. If you're feeling fancy, the museum also serves high tea in its restaurant and in one of two 17th and 18th century period rooms.
All in all, it was a lovely solo outing ogling centuries worth of stunning accessories. I did feel badly for all the husbands whose wives didn't have the decency to leave them at the hotel like I did mine. Undeniably, those husbands deserved an afternoon at the next favorite spot on my Amsterdam adventure: The Heineken Experience.
A museum in its own right (see, I do like museums, as long as they involve things like purses and beer. Is there one for shoes somewhere? If so, how quickly can I get there?), this interactive brewery tour is to Amsterdam what the Guinness Storehouse is to Dublin (I'll save that for another post): an ode to the history, promotion and brewing process of the city's most commercialized product, filled with little interactive exhibits, like designing your own label, taking silly photo booth photos and videos against funny backgrounds, mixing ingredients in vats and barrels, attempting to pour the perfect beer and, of course, tasting the finished product.
At the end of the day, after you've raised a glass or two to the fine city of Amsterdam and the green-bottled beer that it introduced to the world, the Heineken Experience is fun enough that it makes you forget that you never really liked the taste of Heineken in the first place.