Elite Traveler July-August 2018

DISCOVER

Books

The good life

If you’ve dreamed of living in a French chateau, you’ll lose

yourself in this new coffee table book by Australian author Jane Webster. Château Life: Cuisine and Style in the French Countryside by Assouline is a celebration of l’art de vivre that’s embodied by these magnificent French properties. Having set up home at Château Bosgouet in Normandy, where she hosts culinary events in the summer months, Webster is an indisputable expert on how to make a picturesque country lifestyle a reality. “ Château Life is a peek into the wonderful, exhilarating life behind the doors of these grand old houses,” she tells us. “This book shows how the chatelaines live, work and play.” Through a collection of stories and recipes, accompanied by the richly colored photography of Robyn Lea, Webster opens the door to the French approach to food and the importance this nation places on spending time around the dinner table. The book covers 10 themes, fromwisdom on the French culture of eating to advice on setting the table when you entertain, taking you into private homes across Normandy and Bordeaux and delving into personal archives. The book guides you through the seasons and everyday customs of chateau life, enabling you to replicate some of the flavors and traditions in your own home —we can’t wait to try the cheesecake. $85, available online at assouline.com

Clockwise from left Dinner in the garden at Château Bosgouet; the dining room of Château du Thil; baked French cheesecake

OPEN ROAD

Each publication in the inspired Louis Vuitton Travel Book series is more coffee table book than travel guide, but they each provide vivid insight into a destination as seen through the eyes of a renowned artist. This May saw the launch of four new titles: Rome, Cuba, Prague, and the one that most caught our eye — an homage to Route 66. Edgy Swiss artist Thomas Ott set out on the 2,796-mile journey from Chicago to Santa Monica to document the road’s most distinct landmarks, ghost towns, bare landscapes and open skies. The inspiration, skill and time that has gone into each individual print makes this collection of over 100 drawings particularly remarkable. A special edition, limited to just 30 copies, is available in select Louis Vuitton stores. In addition to being signed and printed in a larger format, this limited edition is bound in fine Italian leather and complemented by one of the artist’s original silkscreen prints. Limited edition Louis Vuitton Travel Book: Route 66 , $3,050, available in Louis Vuitton stores

Words Lauren Jade Hill. Photo Robyn Lea