Château de Chambord, Haluski, Country House Stories, Booker Prize & More: Endnotes 22 March

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 beautiful and imposing castle above is the Château de Chambord in the Loire Valley (almost smack-dab in the middle of France). Construction on the château began in 1519 (!) by François I, King of France from 1515-1547 (and in-your-face rival of King Henry VIII of England and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). Although it looks quite fancy to our eyes, the château was intended to be a hunting lodge for François; his official royal residences were at the Château de Blois (3 1/2 hours away by foot, 90 minutes on horseback), and Château de Amboise (an 11-hour hike away and a 2-day ride). The Château de Chambord is surrounded by immense formal French gardens, which you can get a glimpse of in this aerial shot and this website. To take a look inside, here’s Rick Steves’ short video tour — and this video that answers the question: Is Chambord the most magnificent and recognisable Renaissance palace in the Loire?

• I feel this in my bones: Why We Can’t Get Enough of Country House Stories.

• Pretty fond of this, too: 5 Feminist Literary Characters That Smash the Patriarchy. Heck yeah, Jane Eyre.

• Ooh, there’s a new book coming about Ted Lasso. ‘Believe: The Untold Story Behind Ted Lasso, the Show That Kicked Its Way Into Our Hearts draws on interviews with the show’s cast and creators, and chronicles the show’s history… The book will also offer intel into the casting process and dish on those unforgettable locations used in the show.’

• I love this recognition of a book’s power:

• Good luck with this quiz about famous literary destinations.

• These modernist churches in India are pastel-colored and so very Wes Anderson.

• Enjoy this love letter to haluski, ‘It’s a dish that’s easy to fall in love with, even if you have no cultural context. Haluski sits easily in the category of winter comfort food, alongside stews and soups you might serve in colder months. And while none of the ingredients in haluski inherently sound like something that would get me all that excited (okay, maybe the butter), combined they turn into a humble, filling dish that is more than the sum of its parts.’

• This is very alluring:

• Go behind the scenes at Stancombe Park, the inspiration for Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead. ‘According to local legend, the Revd David Edwards, who lived at Stancombe from 1889, created a series of especially narrow tunnels leading to alcoves and grottos, eventually emerging close to the romantic waterside Doric temple, in which a bed is hidden in an alcove.’

• Win a set of all 13 books from the International Booker Prize 2024 longlist!

• According to this piece in The Millions, there are two types of novelists. ‘…the peckish and the ravenous: those who fastidiously nibble on the pie of human experience (Jane Austen), and those who gorge themselves on its hearty filling (Emily Bronte).’

• These vintage photos of Coney Island circa the 1900s are very romantic. For more amusement park fun, listen to our Strong Sense of Place episode Amusement Parks: Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

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 Morningside by Téa Obreht and James by Percival Everett. Then Mel tells us about an unforgettable Sri Lankan meal at Rambutan. [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 Morningside by Téa Obreht

• The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht

• Téa Obreht on How She Found The Morningside

• Excerpt of The Morningside by Téa Obreht

• James by Percival Everett

Distraction of the Week: Rambutan Restaurant in London

• Podcast: Sri Lanka: Remarkable, Relentless, Resplendent

• Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka by Cynthia Shanmugalingam

• Rambutan website and Instagram

• Recipes from Rambutan here and here

• Borough Market website

• Cubitts eyeglasses

May you revel in your home being your castle.

Top image courtesy of Wilfried Santer/Unsplash.