In Rome, day 1

We had a good but long flight to Rome (9 hours), and arrived at 6:45 a.m. The meals were interesting - I didn't know wine from a box could be corked, but I was wrong. When we arrived my new suitcase was broken, the handle wouldn't open fully. Walked about a mile through the airport and train terminals, bent over like a chimp towing the short-handled monster. Spent a while trying to find a repair shop. Met many nice people who spoke no English, but finally found the only repairman in town.

Our hotel is fantastic, well located and everyone speaks our language. We went to the Borghese Gallery this afternoon and were blown away by the sculptures of Bernini and others, about 200 in all. Not to mention most of Caravaggio's paintings. Surpassed the Rodin Museum in Paris for quality and impact. Walking through the Borghese Gardens, several hundred acres like Central Park in NY, we saw a forest of tall twisted pines, no doubt the inspiration for Respighi's composition "The Pines of Rome."

After a gelato break, we walked around our neighborhood, then had dinner at a great little local restaurant. Their specials included homemade pasta with tuna & capers, and homemade spinach ravioli with fresh porcini mushrooms and truffles. The waiter showed the porcinis, which were huge, larger than portobellos, and the truffles which were black knobby orbs the size of golf balls. The waiter shaved about 30 slices of truffle over the ravioli. I was pretty happy. A nice wine from Umbria (Grecchetto from Montefalco) completed the meal. The trip is off to a good start!