Rome hadn’t been high on my wish list of places to visit. But there I was that first visit with the best part of 24 hours waiting for a flight home. I walked and walked, got hopelessly lost, and fell in love with this incredible city.
You get the feeling that author David Winner feels the same away. Al Dente is an affectionate wander through the Eternal City taking in his favourite interests of art, history, religion to say nothing of food.
It’s not a guide in the accepted sense of the word, yet hidden amongst the deliciously witty prose (as delicious as his chocolate tiramisu or Fassi’s gelati) are handy tips on where to go.
It’s a perfect introduction to Rome, taking the reader on a stroll both through ancient and modern Rome, or acting as a gentle reminder that you’ve been away too long and it’s time to return. A.H.
Al Dente – Madness, Beauty and the Food of Rome. David Winner. Simon & Schuster: ISBN 978184739442-2. £8.99