"Time Out" Rome Book

As Aurelio Zen's creator Michael Dibdin says in his introduction to Time Out Rome, the best way to know the city is to do nothing. He goes on to say he means don't fret with a schedule but simply absorb the history, the culture and the contemporary sense of its citizens. This guide follows with clever, sometimes curious, commentary from the short history of the city's ups and downs to vignettes of the oddities that make it endearing. It doesn't even pretend to offer a step-by- step guide of the "if its elevenses, it must be the Coliseum"-style guide book. Lists of historical and architectural sights are complete, nonetheless. A few hours of chaos--nonsensical museum hours, relentless building works and changing venues--and it hits home. Fellini made documentaries, Dibdin reminds the traveller. The guide mimics its subject, jumping around when it feels the urge but giving solid information on the basics. There's a better than usual list of Italian phrases for food, money, accommodation and shopping. And a handy column under the heading "female self-defence." But, not to deny the chance at romance, it also includes the phrase "mi piacerebbe tanto fare un giro con Lei in Vespa"--"I'd love to go for a spin on your Vespa." Or, as this book suggests, be indulgent with Rome, it will love you for it. --Kathleen BuckleyRead More