Hop, skip, and a jump 

ROME

Woke up for a 6:00 flight over to CIA airport in Rome, which is about the size of the McDonalds in Orlando's I-Drive. Now of course, I read about transportation, I googled mapped it, took pictures, did all the things I promise you but there is nothing like a quite like trying to figure out public transport with a language gap and no caffeine. How this translates? Kit got on a bus to a train station, thus derailing the google map plan (pun intended), and kicked into gear Kit's survival skills.  Finding the train station, check.  Getting to the right platform, check.  Fitting into a tiny tube with 6000 strangers and a full backpack, such a delightful check.

So my first impression of Rome, love what I've nick named Puffy Pine trees, not in love with public transportation. Also, what every guide book will tell you about Rome being dangerous for belongings? Very true. Stepping off the train felt a little like stepping into a hunting ground and Kit with a large pack and a map had to be at least 12pts to the happy hunters of the Termini Station.

At this point I firmly believe that Google, bitter that I did not use her directions to the Termini Station, decided to pay me back in kind with phony bus directions.  Or much more likely the case, I took the right bus going the wrong way.  Long story short, I got to the hotel about an hour later with a couple of kilometers of practice hiking under my belt.

This first day was more for the experience less for the pictures.  However after meeting up with my best mate Sammi, we did do the needed exploring to redeem the sense of adventure. We found ourselves eating the best meal of my life at Bernini Ristorante with server Toni, on the cobble stones of the Piazza Navona.

Pasta PleaseWords really can't do this justice. I will only offer up the additional detail that the reason the phone camera lighting here is so tinted is because naturally we were sitting next to a personal fireplace. Stop it Italy, I can't handle you. But wait there's more

Chocolate Gelato Cream X3 HeavenThey even powdered imaginary fork and knife. So naturally one eats this by gently laying ones face down as close as possible and inhaling, no?

To top it all off, while Sammi is running a conference, we are also staying at the "Aldrovandi Villa Borghese" which roughly translates to the "hotel of Kit's dreams". 

The fairest of them allThe slippers came in little bags, and yes that whole wall is a mirror. Gave it my swankiest smile.

So here I will leave day one Rome on a happy note and promise that the rest of Rome comes in a more visual bundle