Italian Leather / Vera Bradley?

Tip of the day: Bring an over the shoulder handbag that zips closed and keep it in front of you.

You've heard pickpocket tales from Europe. The American Embassy Paris website gives strong caution about pickpockets in high tourist areas such as the Eiffel Tower.

Knowing that, my daughter and I carried over the shoulder zip purses and kept them in front of us. We didn't experience any problems on this trip with pickpockets.

But, today's blog is about another tip. Italian leather or American Vera Bradley? In Firenze (Florence), Italian leather abounds. We had fun hitting many many leather handbag shops.

A Furla bag that shares my daughter's first name in a beautiful brown leather called to me. Would that be a good souvenir of my trip? It may have been. But, in the end, I didn't buy the bag. I have a few beautiful Vera Bradley bags at home that really give me joy.

Tomorrow I'll tell you the tale of the Italian leather bag that my daughter bought (photo below).
Top - Italian leather Bottom - Vera Bradley Microfiber
I carried my hipster zip close Vera Bradley Microfiber bag.

Part of the point of this is to get you thinking about what makes the right souvenir for you to bring home from your trip. What do you think?

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