Taormina, Italy (CNN) Swinging over the green Ionian sea Saturday, his first foreign trip behind him, President Donald Trump was in a valedictory mood .

Behind him, perched on the hillside, was the former Dominican monastery where G7 leaders had just finishing haranguing him to abandon his campaign promises to withdraw from a major climate agreement. He didn't give in.

Ahead was a crowd of US troops stationed on this rocky Italian outpost, eager to hear their commander in chief reprise the foreign agenda he'd spend the last nine days considering.

After nine days of talks with calculating foreign leaders, Trump was eager for the affirmation of an applauding audience.

"We have been gone for a long time," Trump declared at the Sigonella Air Base here. "Everywhere I go -- we have been gone close to nine days, this will be nine days -- I think we hit a home run no matter where we are."

It was an upbeat message for a leader fresh from meeting with his new club of foreign counterparts for the first time. But underneath the point-by-point recap of his trip lay uncertainty over his agenda and disputes with his foreign counterparts.

Trump's first voyage abroad was a story told in chapters, each successively less pleasant for a President still taking stock of his standing on the world stage.

Beyond a scattering of formal remarks, none of the story was told by Trump himself, who refused to hold a news conference and, by his advisers' own admission, revealed little of his thinking to top aides as he hopped from nation to nation.

Instead, it was a trip told in pictures with the volume on mute . By the time he departed Sicily, Trump had delivered four major addresses but clarified none of the questions that surround his foreign policy.

In some ways, uncertainty amounted to a win, at least in the minds of Trump's aides. As Trump prepared to depart Washington last Friday, there was little surety among his staff that the nine-day odyssey could proceed without failure. Trump himself, who hadn't slept in a bed that wasn't his own since taking office, remained skeptical a five-country itinerary could end well.

A homebody with little appetite for discomfort, Trump was imagining the worst. Unpleasant foreign food, withering jet lag, and an unfamiliar bed had been his experiences as a businessman abroad. Even in the days leading up to his departure, Trump asked whether the trip could be truncated. He vented about the ambitious schedule to his senior advisers in the days leading up to his departure.

But by then it was too late. With meetings locked in and the world anticipating his global debut, Trump settled into his quarters on Air Force One for a flight four times longer than any he'd taken as President.

JUST WATCHED President Trump receives Saudi gold medal Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH President Trump receives Saudi gold medal 01:43

A king's welcome

Fourteen hours later, Trump was tucked into the back of his armored limousine, speeding into central Riyadh alongside King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and watching billboards plastered with both their faces whiz past.

Any concern about an uneasy touch-down abroad disappeared quickly. Welcomed with horse parades, draped with a gold medal and lured into a male-only sword dance , Trump had finally found a country to treat him like a king, if only for a weekend.

For the first time in his presidency, he was regularly accompanied by the first lady, who consulted with the US State Department before packing her wardrobe and emerged as the unlikely subplot of Trump's debut on the world stage.

Trump's aides selected the Middle Eastern kingdom as the first stop, partially because the lavish lifestyle lived by its monarchy was bound to be extended to the President. Launching the President's trip from Saudi Arabia also underscored its critical importance in the eyes of the White House, particularly for son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who hailed the business deals reached on the trip.

Yet an air of naïveté hung in the air after the President's speech to leaders of more than 50 Muslim majority nations. The White House described it as something of a fait accompli, with a top official twice declaring that the President had "united the Muslim world."

In truth, Trump had done nothing of the sort, even with his well-received Riyadh address. Trump's policy adviser Stephen Miller -- whose role writing the speech raised eyebrows -- had drafted a conciliatory address that replaced Trump's "radical Islamic terror" watchword with the milder "Islamist extremism."

As Trump delivered his opening argument to a room packed with leaders of Muslim nations, however, the newly sedate language didn't entirely come through.

"There is still much work to be done," Trump said. "That means honestly confronting the crisis of Islamic extremism and the Islamists and Islamic terror of all kinds."

The slip-up occurred because the President was exhausted , his advisers later explained, only two days into what would become a nine-day slog through meetings and ceremonies.

JUST WATCHED Trump after UK attack: Terrorists evil losers Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump after UK attack: Terrorists evil losers 02:39

Terror intrudes

Awaking in Jerusalem two days later to news of a suicide attack in England , Trump found himself confronting at close range the thematic underpinnings of his trip.

Huddling with aides in his suite at the storied King David hotel overlooking the old city, the message on extremism he'd delivered in Saudi Arabia -- which came with few details -- suddenly appeared more difficult. In Israel, a country intimately familiar with the scourge of terror and the entrenched politics of peace, the problem appeared even more insurmountable.

Trump was unsatisfied with the language his advisers had prepared for a speech later that morning. The condemnation of the attack lacked verve, Trump believed. Describing the attackers in ordinary terms wouldn't suffice. Instead he wrote up his own description, using the insult he's long considered the most cutting.

"I will call them from now on losers because that's what's they are. They're losers," Trump said a few hours later standing alongside Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "We'll have more of them. But they're losers -- just remember that."

The message was well received. But hours later, it was clear Trump faced a steep climb before bridging the gaps that have long stymied American presidents' attempts at fostering stability in the Middle East.

"I hope this heralds a real change," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ahead of Trump's remarks at the Israel Museum. "Because if the attacker had been Palestinian and the victims had been Israeli children, the suicide bomber's family would have received a stipend from the Palestinian Authority. That's Palestinian law. That law must be changed."

It was an intrusion of real-world obstacles into Trump's vision for peace, which he once deemed easy, but which this week he declared the hardest deal of all.

JUST WATCHED President Trump, Pope Francis exchange gifts Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH President Trump, Pope Francis exchange gifts 01:20

Climate controversy

When the President arrived at the Vatican on a sun-splashed morning on Wednesday, Pope Francis didn't lecture Trump. He gently encouraged him to do something else: Read.

The Pope presented Trump with a bound copy of his encyclical on protecting the environment, "Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home."

For all the underlying tensions setting the stage for their first visit, given their unusually harsh exchange last year over immigration and whether the building of walls is a Christian thing to do, the Pope took another tack.

A skilled politician in his own right, Francis honed in on the President's pending decision whether to pull the US from the Paris climate accord. It was the first of several conversations Trump conducted this week on the landmark carbon reduction agreement, which he vowed as a candidate to scrap.

Departing the G7, Trump said he would make a decision next week. But to leaders he met with in Sicily, his intentions already seemed clear. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the group held unsatisfactory conversations on the matter . The US refrained from signing onto a joint statement endorsing Paris after the summit closed; other leaders said Trump wasn't prepared to take that step.

At the Vatican, though, Trump insisted his mind was open.

"I'll be reading them," Trump said of the essays from the Pope on the environment and creating peace.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, weighed in with the direct message urging Trump and his team to stay true to the Paris agreement.

The President's first meeting with Francis was steeped in symbolism, the final stop in visiting the three homes of the Abrahamic religions: Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

He's the second American president to visit the Vatican under Francis' papacy. While President Barack Obama's meeting was 20 minutes longer than Trump's, the Holy See wasted little time comparing the two.

As he left the Apostolic Palace, Trump told the Pope: "I won't forget what you said."

If he meant climate change, the Pope will have won round one.

JUST WATCHED Trump calls out NATO allies to pay up Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump calls out NATO allies to pay up 02:04

Selective lecturing

Flying north from Rome, Trump found the temperature quickly cooling. He arrived at NATO's headquarters on the outskirts of Rome under a cloud of suspicion on multiple fronts.

After sensitive British intelligence about the Manchester attack appeared in American media outlets, Prime Minister Theresa May fumed , saying she planned to speak her mind when she met Trump at the meetings. It was the second time a foreign government expressed concern about sharing intelligence with their US counterparts: Trump himself revealed secret information to Russian officials earlier this month that could be traced back to Israel.

In one of the only off-script moments of his trip, Trump declared in Jerusalem that he hadn't mentioned Israel by name with his Russian visitors. But at NATO, the concerns still boiled.

It was just one of the rifts between Trump and his European counterparts. After open-arm welcomes in Riyadh and Jerusalem, Trump's foreign swing took a distinct tonal shift. Instead of banquets and horses, Trump was suddenly flung into tension-filled meetings with leaders deeply skeptical of his foreign agenda.

Subsequent sessions proceeded similarly. Trump reportedly griped about the hurdles in opening golf courses in Europe with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. European Council President Donald Tusk said after his meeting with Trump that they weren't able to bridge differences over Russia.

Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One on Saturday, May, 27, 2017, at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy. They were headed back to the United States after a nine-day trip to the Middle East and Europe. Hide Caption 1 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip President Trump greets people on May 27, after speaking to US troops at Naval Air Station Sigonella. Hide Caption 2 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip President Trump addresses US troops and their families on May 27, at the Sigonella Naval Air Station. Hide Caption 3 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip President Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive on May 27, to address US military personnel and families at Naval Air Station Sigonella. Hide Caption 4 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Leaders of the G-7 and some African nations pose for a photo on May 27, on the second day of the G-7 summit in Taormina, Italy. Hide Caption 5 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip President Trump gestures on May 27, during a G-7 session. Hide Caption 6 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, arrive for a concert of the La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra while in Taormina, Italy, on Friday, May 26. The Trumps are in Italy for a two-day G-7 summit. Hide Caption 7 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump and other leaders pose for a group photo at the G-7 summit on May 26. From left are European Council President Donald Tusk, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Hide Caption 8 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump and Trudeau walk together after the group photo. Hide Caption 9 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip G-7 leaders congregate during a walking tour on May 26. Hide Caption 10 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump embraces new French President Emmanuel Macron on May 26. Hide Caption 11 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip The leaders watch a French air squadron. Hide Caption 12 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Melania Trump arrives at the City Hall in Catania, Italy, on May 26. She was wearing a $51,500 Dolce & Gabbana jacket as she met with other spouses of G-7 leaders. Hide Caption 13 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump shakes hands with Macron in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday, May 25. They were attending a NATO summit as the alliance officially opened a new $1 billion headquarters. Hide Caption 14 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump stands with other world leaders during a NATO photo shoot on May 25. Hide Caption 15 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump speaks with British Prime Minister Theresa May during a working dinner at NATO headquarters. Hide Caption 16 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump stands next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the NATO summit. Hide Caption 17 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Melania Trump visits the Magritte Museum in Brussels with Amelie Derbaudrenghien, partner of Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. Hide Caption 18 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip A girl takes a selfie with Melania Trump at a children's hospital in Brussels on May 25. Hide Caption 19 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump meets with Macron in Brussels. Hide Caption 20 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump walks with European Council President Donald Tusk, center, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, right, after they met at the European Council in Brussels on May 25. Hide Caption 21 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump, third from right, attends a meeting with leaders at the European Council. Hide Caption 22 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump speaks with King Philippe of Belgium as Queen Mathilde and Melania Trump chat during a reception at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Wednesday, May 24. Hide Caption 23 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Tusk talks to Trump as he welcomes him in Brussels. Hide Caption 24 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump stands with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel while the national anthem is played during Trump's arrival in Belgium on May 24. Hide Caption 25 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Protesters in Brussels demonstrate with effigies of Trump and Michel on May 24. Hide Caption 26 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump shakes hands with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Rome on May 24. Hide Caption 27 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Pope Francis stands with Trump and his family during a private audience at the Vatican on May 24. Joining the President, from left, are Trump's son-in-law, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner; Trump's daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump; and first lady Melania Trump. Hide Caption 28 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump and the Pope exchange gifts. Trump presented the Pope with a first-edition set of Martin Luther King's writings. The Pope gave Trump an olive-tree medal that the Pope said symbolizes peace. Hide Caption 29 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump and his wife look at the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel. Hide Caption 30 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump speaks to reporters in Rome during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, right, on May 24. Hide Caption 31 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip The first lady visits a pediatric hospital in Vatican City on May 24. Hide Caption 32 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Melania Trump arrives at the Vatican on May 24. With Vatican protocol in mind, she wore a black veil and long-sleeved black dress draped down to her calf. Ivanka Trump wore a similar outfit with a larger veil. Hide Caption 33 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wave at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem on Tuesday, May 23. Trump gave a speech there, reaffirming his country's commitment to Israel while also holding up Judaism's historical ties to the United States. Hide Caption 34 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip People take pictures of the message Trump wrote at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, on May 23. Hide Caption 35 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip With the help of US Marines, Trump and his wife lay a wreath at Yad Vashem. Hide Caption 36 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump meets with Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, on May 23. Trump met with Israeli leaders the day before and said he believes both sides "are ready to reach for peace." Hide Caption 37 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip A Palestinian security official takes position before the arrival of Trump's convoy in Bethlehem, West Bank. Hide Caption 38 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Israeli and American activists hold signs Monday, May 22, during an anti-Trump protest next to the US embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel. Hide Caption 39 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Melania Trump and Israeli first lady Sara Netanyahu speak to children during their visit to the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem on May 22. Hide Caption 40 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump talks to reporters as he meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 22. Trump sought to rebut claims that he damaged Israeli intelligence capabilities by revealing highly classified information to Russian operatives earlier this month. "Just so you understand, I never mentioned the word or the name Israel," Trump told reporters as he began the second leg of his first foreign tour. Hide Caption 41 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump touches the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, while in Jerusalem on May 22. Trump became the first sitting US president to visit the wall. Hide Caption 42 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump stands in the Western Wall plaza. To his left, in black, is Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall. Hide Caption 43 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip First lady Melania Trump, in white, visits the Western Wall. At far left is Ivanka Trump. Hide Caption 44 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip The President and first lady plant a tree in Jerusalem with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. Hide Caption 45 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump is welcomed by Netanyahu upon arriving in Tel Aviv on May 22. Trump started his trip with two days in Saudi Arabia. Hide Caption 46 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip On the way to Tel Aviv, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One. Hide Caption 47 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip While in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Trump attends the inauguration ceremony for the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology. Joining him here are Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, center, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, left. Hide Caption 48 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump speaks in Riyadh during the Arab Islamic American Summit on Sunday, May 21. Trump looked to make it clear that the United States is not at war with Islam. "This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations," he said. "This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil." Hide Caption 49 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump sits at the summit, which included leaders from 55 Muslim-majority countries. He urged them to do more to eradicate terrorist groups that claim the mantle of Islam. "We can only overcome this evil if the forces of good are united and strong and if everyone in this room does their fair share and fulfills their part of the burden," Trump said. "Muslim-majority countries must take the lead in stamping out radicalization." Hide Caption 50 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump poses with other leaders at the Arab Islamic American Summit. Hide Caption 51 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Saudi King Salman shakes hands with Trump on May 21. Trump is the first US president to start his first foreign trip in the Middle East. Hide Caption 52 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump meets with other heads of state in Riyadh on May 21. Hide Caption 53 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump speaks with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Gen. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Hide Caption 54 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip First lady Melania Trump chats with children during a visit to the American International School in Riyadh on May 21. Hide Caption 55 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip While in Riyadh, President Trump meets with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on May 21. Hide Caption 56 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip President Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi share a laugh during a meeting on May 21. El-Sisi complimented Trump on his "unique personality that is capable of doing the impossible." Trump exchanged pleasantries back, praising el-Sisi's shoes. Hide Caption 57 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump is handed a sword during a welcoming ceremony at Riyadh's Murabba Palace on Saturday, May 20. Hide Caption 58 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump sits with members of his staff and Cabinet before a meeting with Saudi King Salman on May 20. Hide Caption 59 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump and King Salman take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20. The two leaders oversaw the signing of a defense deal worth nearly $110 billion. Hide Caption 60 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip The Trumps look at a display of modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh. Hide Caption 61 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip King Salman presents Trump with a gilded necklace and medal, the country's highest honor. The distinction also was bestowed upon Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Hide Caption 62 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip The first lady chats with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef at the medal ceremony on May 20. Hide Caption 63 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Ivanka Trump attends the medal ceremony. Hide Caption 64 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump meets with King Salman after arriving in Riyadh on May 20. Hide Caption 65 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Soldiers on horseback carry the US and Saudi flags as they escort Trump to the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh. Hide Caption 66 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip Trump is welcomed by King Salman after arriving at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Hide Caption 67 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip The Trumps take part in the welcome ceremony. Hide Caption 68 of 69 Photos: President Trump's first foreign trip The President and first lady wave from Air Force One after landing in Riyadh. Hide Caption 69 of 69

At NATO, the mood hadn't improved. Despite the military bands and a military jet flyover, Trump wasn't in a conciliatory mood. While he vowed in Riyadh the US would no longer lecture its allies -- particularly on human rights -- it was a lecture he delivered during an unveiling ceremony at the military alliance's new building.

"Twenty-three of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they're supposed to be paying for their defense," Trump said as his fellow NATO leaders openly scoffed. "This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States. And many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years."

Trump's message didn't contain an explicit endorsement of NATO's collective defense pact -- an attack on one is an attack on all -- though his aides later insisted the message was implied.

As he mingled at his first major summit of world leaders, it was evident the new member of the exclusive society wasn't out to make friends. He remained largely isolated during informal talks, speaking intently with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as other leaders huddled around Merkel, the most powerful leader in Europe. When it came time for a photo-op, Trump pushed his way past Montenegro's prime minister to the front.

It was a far cry from the display of welcome he'd experienced in Saudi Arabia only five days earlier. And it wasn't due to improve as he flew to his final stop in Sicily.

JUST WATCHED Trump advisers dodge Kushner questions Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Trump advisers dodge Kushner questions 01:28

Russia questions swirl

The week-long swing through the Middle East and Europe provided momentary relief for a beleaguered Trump, whose presidency reached its most precarious moments in the scandal-pocked week before he departed.

Aides had hoped he could escape the Russia controversy briefly while traveling overseas. But by the time Trump arrived at his final stop in Sicily, the probe into Russia's election-year meddling had only inched closer to Trump's inner circle.

As he returns, decisions about hiring lawyers and firing aides loom.

Spending his first nights as president away from home, Trump found himself stewing over the latest developments from foreign hotel rooms late into the night. Even with wife, Melania, alongside for the longest stretch of his presidency, Trump was consumed by the story that has deeply sidetracked his agenda.

On the rocky hillside where leaders were meeting, the questions about Russia and the controversies back home seemed to merge. Leaders wondered whether Trump -- whose campaign was aided by Russian election meddling, according to a US intelligence analysis -- could ever be trusted to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russia controversy also prevented Trump from fully embracing what would ordinarily be a crowning moment of his presidency. Unwilling to face questions about the controversy, Trump eschewed any kind of interactions with the press, a setting he otherwise could use to tout his accomplishments abroad.

Most other leaders took questions as they departed Taormina, many detailing points of contention with the new US leader. Trump himself offered no view of his side of the encounters nor could he articulate his foreign policy while answering questions about them.

Returning to Washington, Trump remained in his cocoon -- pleased with himself, but aware the silence won't last much longer.