melissa grace kreider

      Friday the 27th: Milan. Okay, maybe not actually Milan, but a town near it called Assago. It reminded me of Ohio because there was nothing to do there. I took a train from Milan then a subway to Assago, arriving at my hotel around four. I was a bit taken back at how nice said hotel was due to the price. I chose it due to its walking distance to the venue where the concert was. I wasn't expecting it to be that high-end!

The view from my hotel!I took most of that day to soak in the massive bathtub included in that hotel room. My shower in Florence is miniscule. It was such a treat!!

I made my way to the venue and I saw the band by their tour bus (Three guesses who I was going to see. Yeah, Motion City Soundtrack. SO worth it!), and we chatted for a bit. I hurried inside to get to the front. Motion City played so well and the Italian crowd loved them. Motion City Soundtrack hadn't been there for eight years, when they played in Bologna with Blink 182! I'm glad that they had a good show in my current country, and I think it was my favorite time I've seen them...that's out of a lot of times. Let's not get technical, eh?

      Saturday; A day full of exhausting traveling. Setup? Feet-Subway-Train-Shuttle-Airport-Plane-Train-Feet-Done. Every form of transportation! All that was missing was a taxi ride and I'd have it all covered. Once in Amsterdam, I was greeted by one of my best friends from the states who is staying in Arnhem. It was so great to see someone familiar and be with someone I can just hang out with! I missed her so much! We traveled back to Arnhem by train, bought food and hung out for the rest of the night. I loved being around friends! Her and her boyfriend are two of my favorite people. 

Groezrock 2012 Wristband

      Sunday; Train-train-train-bus-feet-GROEZROCK. Once again a too-early-to-be-normal start to travel to Belgium for Groezrock 2012. Groezrock is in it's 21st year of rocking the city of Meerhout to it's core every last weekend in April. Included are the biggest names in punk/hardcore/ska/rock genre on four stages for two days.

I arrived to catch the end of MxPx's set, folowed by Motion City Soundtrack's set, then made a friend and explored the festival until Hot Water Music was set to come on. Groezrock was like nothing I've ever seen. Dirty, unwashed, sweaty punks were everywhere I turned. My people!! I felt at home and very in my element, although a pang of remorse shot through me all day for not smuggling my camera in ("Professional Cameras are Prohibited without a Photo Pass" blah, blah, blah...). I saw Hot Water Music, Alkaline Trio, got some things signed at the Etnies Booth by Motion City (they remember me-hoorah!) and geared up for Anti-Flag. 

      Let's just say I got my face rocked off by Anti-Flag. I haven't seen them in quite awhile and they're just as good as I remember them. I was in the front. I sweated until I thought I would pass out, screamed, and a guy got dropped on my head while crowdsurfing. All in all, successful. After their set I had to catch the last bus back to the train station that would deliver me back to Arnhem safe and sound, meaning I missed Refused and Tommy Gabel. Endless tears. Still an amazing day, awesome festival, and plans to one day return for the entire weekend and camp. 

     Monday; Queen's Day in Arnhem! Queen's Day is a nationwide holiday in Holland to celebrate the (former) Queen's birthday. We (my friend from the States, her boy, his friend) went to downtown Arnhem for the festivities and everything was orange. Orange clothes, wigs, leis, jewelry, decorations-there was even an orange farris wheel! So, why orange? The Dutch flag is red, white and blue. I found out that orange is the color of the Dutch Royal Family-dating back to Willem de Oranje. 

      On Queen's Day, craft and rummage sales line the streets for bypassers to pick at and purchase from. Food stands are mixed in, making it a city-wide block party. 

From the train station to the city center.

All Out.      I've said this three times this weekend: It was like nothing I've ever seen before! 

Drums in the street.     I decided to partake in something Dutch-a fried ball of dough with raisins-before I had to depart and return to Florence. I'm not usually a fan of fried things, but this pastry is the perfect balance between chewy and sweet. I loved it! It's a good thing I don't live in Holland-I would eat one of those each and every day. 

So I hopped back on a train to the airport, waved goodbye to my friends, and flew back to Florence, where I was met with yet another (the third) thing I've never seen before. 

Ciao for now,

-m.

 You know, just hanging out of the window..