Tilburg.

Netherlands Textile Museum and the Museum de Pont. Entirely different and equally interesting. Though, the textile exhibits were all in Dutch, so it could have been more interesting.

Went to Tilburg - about an hour and a half train ride from Amsterdam Central station. Left on the 10:28 train, barely made it. Went with one of the women I met in the Amsterdam stitchn'bitch, K. She's studying for her masters at Amsterdam Univeristy. Nice girl from Michigan. Conversation was easy enough.

The Netherlands Textile Museum is an easy 20 minute walk from the train station and is in a converted textile factory. Currently, their primary exhibits are of early 20th century damask along with the graphed drawings for the designs. Beautiful. Initially, I was surprised to find that M.C. Escher had designed damask table linens, but by the end of the exhibit it made perfect sense. Symmetrical, intricate patterns with only two tones (shiny and matte in the linens on display). Many art nouveau patterns that were breathtaking in their intricacy. Also included were catalogs and sample books of the linens when they were for sale from 1900 to 1960. It is something refreshing for me to think of that sort of artistic and craft quality going into everyday use items.

They also have a textile lab where you see the various textiles produced - woven, knit, and damask fabrics. At the knit station the machine was making gloves. While we watched, it popped out a neat orangey glove. The man overseeing that and a few other machines gave us each a pair of gloves that the machine had made. Way cool. I've got to seam the cuff, but then they are good to go. All orange and Dutch and made at the Netherlands Textile Museum and free. What better souvenir is there?

The museum also allows to you visit the workshops there where artists are weaving and designing and worker women were washing and ironing finished products to be shipped out to customers. I could only stay there a few moments because I felt like an interloper. It would be too weird for me to be doing my normal job and have visitors just wander about as they liked. From what I glimpsed, they are working on some beautiful weavings.

After the textile museum we took a quick, sunshine beset walk to the de Pont museum of contemporary art. Another converted textile factory. An amazing space. Peaceful, clean, open, light. I must confess that the visit to this museum was much better for me than the visit to the Rijksmuseum. To be cliche is required; the art seemed alive, more relative to my own experiences. Some of it was incomprehensible to me - what was the artist trying to say and why did they feel they needed to share it with us? - but all of it was interesting and I was pleased to see it.

We had lunch in the cafe - brown bread with brie and a small salad. The top of the roll was poppy and sesame seeds and the surprise bottom was sunflower seed laden. Entirely pleasing. The food was presented on small, rectangular steel trays on white dishes. Everything was of clean lines and beautiful function. I have a new appreciation for white paint and brushed steel when paired with wooden striped floors and large windows and sunshine.

We then walked back to the train station, waited half an hour for a very late train, arrived in Amsterdam, parted ways and called an end to a good day.