How John the Baptist’s Severed Head Wound Up in France

Plus, How the World’s Best Restaurant’s Alumni Have Taken Over Copenhagen [Manage newsletters]( [View in browser]( [Image] [Image] The entire world in your inbox.   Hello! To those who celebrate, I hope you had a lovely Christmas, and wishing you all an early happy New Year! We all have probably been overeating this week, so if you find yourself lolling about on the couch and looking for something that will make you feel less slovenly, consider this entertaining excerpt that will also leave you a bit smarter. It’s from R. Howard Bloch’s new book [Paris and Her Cathedrals](, which takes readers through the rich histories of the houses of worship in and around the capital. [The excerpt covers a cathedral]( in Amiens, the largest in the country, which claims to house the head of John the Baptist (although there are multiple claimants to John’s head). How it got there is quite the juicy tale! When my colleague Andrew Kirell was in Denmark a few months ago, he was struck by how many of Copenhagen’s restaurants are helmed by alumni of Noma, long considered the world’s best restaurant. So Andrew decided it would be worth charting a dining course through the city based on those alumni and their eateries, and [wrote about it here](. Over the past few weeks, the Thai government has sent conflicting messages over the state of legal weed in the country, but with its initial loosening of laws it appears the tourist hotspot of Chiang Mai is poised to become the Amsterdam of Southeast Asia. Lucie Grace is on the scene, and [lays out how that transformation is taking place](. Enjoy! — [William O’Connor](, Travel Editor   [Image] [The Wild Tale of How John the Baptist’s Head Ended Up in France’s Largest Cathedral]( [The treasures of Byzantium proved too great a temptation, even for a cleric who started out as one of the good ones.]( [How the World’s Best Restaurant’s Alumni Have Taken Over Copenhagen]( [Snagging a table at Noma, long dubbed the world's best restaurant is nigh impossible. But its alumni have created plenty of other spots worth going to in the meantime.]( [Will Legal Weed Make a Thailand Hotspot the Next Amsterdam?]( [Clubs, cafes, restaurants, and, of course, the famed night markets—in Thailand's second city of Chiang Mai, weed has a lot of entrepreneurs seeing green.]( [The World’s Biggest Four Seasons Just Got an Overhaul]( [The massive property at one of the world’s best beach destinations can be best described in one word: dramatic.](   “The Newt, a Georgian house turned hotel, has the preserved ruins of an ancient Roman villa dating back to 351 A.D. on the property.” –my colleague Caminero [stayed at an English countryside hotel with a peculiar amenity](.   [Consider This Post-Holiday Treat for Yourself]( Give the gift of a staycation or mini getaway with a [ResortPass gift card](. Resort Pass allows members access to some of the best pools, spas, and other resort amenities without having to be a guest or resort member. Day passes for pools, cabanas, fitness centers, spas, and other amenities start at just $25 per day. [BUY AT ResortPass ](   Travel to France's Most Over-the-Top Private Home It's a palace with one of the greatest tales in French history—a minister overshadowing his king only to be pulled down to nothing. That’s the long and short of Nicolas Fouqet, King Louis XIV, and the fabulous Vaux-le-Vicomte, a chateau south of Paris that is the subject of a delightful coffee table book from Flammarion, [Vaux le Vicomte: A Private Invitation](. Especially captivating are photographs from Vaux’s signature event. Every Saturday from late spring to early fall, the chateau and grounds are lit entirely by candles as they were the night of Nicolas Fouqet’s grand party that sealed his fate with the Sun King. Don’t miss our other selections for our series on gorgeous travel-related coffee table books, [Just Booked](. [BUY ON AMAZON >>](   Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts or newsletters, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up here.](   © 2022 The Daily Beast Company LLC I 555 W. 18th Street, New York NY, 10011 [Privacy Policy]( If you are on a mobile device or cannot view the images in this message, click here to [view this email in your browser](. To ensure delivery of these emails, please add emails@thedailybeast.com to your address book. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, or think you have received this message in error, you can [safely unsubscribe](.