Chefchaouen, George Smiley, Europe Hikes, Bookish Hotels & More: Endnotes 05 January

Every Friday, we celebrate the weekend — and all the reading and relaxing and daydreaming time ahead — with Melissa's favorite book- and travel-related links of the week. Why work when you can read fun stuff?!

This post is part of our Endnotes series.

That inviting stairway above is found in the Moroccan city of Chefchaouen. Most of the buildings in the medina (old town) are painted shades of blue. According to lore, the practice started in the 1930s, and there are different theories about how the city came to be painted like the sea and sky. Some locals believe the blue invites blessings and wards off evil spirits. Or maybe the tradition began with Jewish refugees in the ’30s, for whom blue symbolized the divine. Perhaps it’s as pragmatic as warding off mosquitos; the paint recipe includes lime to deter the bitey bugs. What is known for sure is the origin of the city’s name. Chefhaouen is from the Berber: chef means ‘look at’ and echaouen means ‘the horns’ — a reminder to look to the twin peaks of the Rif Mountains that stand guard nearby. One of the best things to do in Chefchaouen is wander (and maybe get lost) in the medina — and/but here are 12 best things to do in the ‘Blue Pearl’. For more on Morocco, listen to our podcast episode Morocco: Couscous, Camels, and the Kasbah.

• I love a big honkin’ list like this one from LitHub: 230 Books We’re Looking Forward to Reading This Year.

• Maybe this is the year to read one of Le Carré’s George Smiley spy novels.

• Must-click headline: From book butlers to library sleepovers: 10 great UK places to stay for book lovers.

• The plan to use the Seine River in the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics is ‘bold, audacious, and risky’ — and sounds fantastic, TBH. It’s worth a click-through for the photos! ‘[T]he organizers of this summer’s Paris Olympics want to make the Seine the star of their Games with an audacious plan to host the Opening Ceremonies not inside a stadium as other Olympics have done but on the river itself. They imagine a sunset parade of athletes riding dozens of river cruise boats three miles up the Seine to a makeshift amphitheater at the Trocadero across the water from the Eiffel Tower for an extravaganza on the river with acrobats, light shows, drone displays, and dancers on nearby rooftops.’ (WaPo gif link)

• This is an excellent, entertaining conversation about Shakespeare:

• This is a very adventurous gentleman! He moved from Colombia to Finland without ever having visited. He said he saw on social media that Finland was ranked one of the happiest countries in the world and needed to know why.

• Exciting! There’s a new audiobook version of David Copperfield starring Ncuti Gatwa (the new 15th Doctor on Doctor Who), Helena Bonham Carter, Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), and so many more great British actors.

• Someone was definitely chopping onions while I read this story: Man taught himself to read, then set out to read 100 books in 2023. ‘In 2020, James decided to make a change in his life. He wanted to feel more fulfilled and connected to the world. He decided he had to learn how to read. Plus, he said, he was hoping to become a father one day. I can’t have a kid until I read, James remembered telling himself. I realized, this is my time to figure out what I can do to grow.’

• From Japan to Chile to the English Cotswolds, here are the 11 most beautiful thatched roof villages.

• When we visited Stockholm, Sweden, our day at the Vasa Museum — a celebration of the 17th-century Swedish warship — was the highlight of our trip.

• Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has designed some gorgeous furniture for book lovers.

• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Remains of the Day, Hotel du Lac, and more — ten Booker-nominated books to inspire a fresh start.

• Are you a fan of the NYTimes game Connections? You can make your own grid! (Listen to our mini-podcast about the game.)

• Mickey Mouse Is Copyright-Free and the Internet Is Making the Most of It.

• All of these European hikes look glorious. Portugal! Ireland! Poland! Montenegro!

New Episode of The Library of Lost Time

In each mini-podcast episode, we discuss two books at the top of our TBR, then share a fun book- or travel-related distraction. Get all the episodes and books galore here.

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer and North Woods by Daniel Mason. Then Dave shares the heartbreaking story of the hack on the British Library. [transcript]

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/StrongSense and get on your way to being your best self.

Links

• The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer

• The Last Mona Lisa by Jonathan Santlofer

• Jonathan Santlofer’s website

• Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva

• The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith

• Podcast: Museums: A Gathering of Muses, A Clutch of Curators

• The Seville Communion by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

• Podcast: Spain: Valencia, Velázquez, and Vermouth

• North Woods by Daniel Mason

Distraction of the Week: The British Library Hack

• British Library website

• Knowledge Under Attack

• Rhysida, The New Ransomware Gang Behind British Library Cyber-Attack

• How to Lose a Library

Wishing you all good things in the new year.

Top image courtesy of Elizabeth Gottwald/Unsplash.