This past week I had the opportunity to fulfill a dream of mine. I ate my way through Italy. To fill the gap between meals I visited some famous sites.
My journey began in Pisa. I arrived and met up with Indigo at our hostel, then we continued on to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This architectural error is the main attraction of the town, and it does not disappoint. The tower was poorly constructed, and all attempts to make it straight while building it only added to the problem. Since it was already falling, I pushed it a little further (all the other tourists held it up though, so I don't really believe I did too much damage).
My efforts at the Tower left me with quite the appetite, and it was in Pisa that I enjoyed the best meal of my life.
After Pisa, Indigo and I went to Florence. Florence is a beautiful city, and home the statue of David. (It is forbidden to take pictures so here is one from the internet) It is obvious Italy had not yet perfected the art of pasta making at the time Michelangelo carved David; it's impossible to look that good and live in Italy. The statue stands an amazing 17 feet tall and even after 500 years it remains virtually flawless. My time with Indigo in Florence was spent walking through the streets and taking in the views of the city, while consuming copious slices of pizza and cones of gelato. From the Piazzale de Michelangelo the entire city of Florence can be seen. While taking in the view we were able to listen to battle of the bands, German edition. There were three German bands playing in the square, and the music was perfect for the location. The final picture from Florence is the sunset over the Fiume Arno.
After Florence I headed on to Rome solo. After a two and a half hour train ride through the Italian countryside I arrived in Rome. I checked into my hostel and left to explore. While wandering without purpose I stumbled upon the Colosseum. Nothing beats turning the corner and seeing a monument like the Colosseum when it's unexpected. I spent my first night in Rome walking around the Colosseum, and then was informed that the Pope would be arriving soon. I attended the Mass service led by the Pope at the Colosseum for Good Friday. This was one of the most unique experiences of my life. Saturday I woke early and went to the Vatican, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon and many other famous sites of Rome. After having seen all of these sites, I ate the biggest meal of my life before returning to the hostel. Words cannot explain how it felt to be in the middle of these historical sites, and pictures hardly seem to do it justice either. I was inside the Colosseum and saw the Sistine Chapel. I spent so much of my time in awe of my surroundings, the only way to truly appreciate my experience was to sit and take it all in.
When I returned to my hostel I was invited by some of the other guests to attend Easter Mass, at the Vatican, led by the Pope. In case my trip was not already full of once in a lifetime experiences, this took the cake. We got there early enough to get seats with a view of the Pope during the entire service. The entire square was full of people, and the crowd spilled out onto the street. On the holiest of days for the Catholic Church I had the opportunity to be in the presence of the Pope. It was unreal. The crowd was silent for the entire service, and when the Pope appeared above the square afterwards to bless each nation and wish everyone a Happy Easter in their language, cheers filled the Vatican's center. 
The rest of my time in Rome was spent hopping from site to site with some of the other guests in the hostel. The group was so amazing, and incredibly unique. I feel lucky to have had the chance to make new friends and share such incredible experiences with them. My final day in Rome was spent on the hunt for the perfect gelato, a successful mission. I arrived back in San Lorenzo late last night and am looking forward to the next chance I get to travel. 
