[00:00:01] Hello and buon giorno from Lake Garda, located two hours from Venice and one hour away from Europe's most romantic balcony in Verona. My name is Bailey Alexander, and welcome to my podcast called Life Is Like a Detective Novel. I'll explain why by reading stories from my latest book called the Personal Legends of Piemonte and how they became legends and fulfill their destiny. In Legends, we enter the life of 12 Italians who have pretty much figured it out. One could even argue they found their bliss. But how did they do this? How did they make life work for them? This is what you will discover when you read these interviews, along with the stories I've wrapped around them, which showcase their daily lives, exposed their motivations, and most importantly, how they figured it out. And hey, listen, I had to travel a great distance and live in a lot of countries before I could find my own bliss. But these northern Italians did not have to move a mile. They found it in their own backyard, often by celebrating the treasure beneath their feet. I interviewed 12 wine and cheesemakers, herbalists, a famous chef, a bar owner, a teacher, a bureaucrat, and a car mechanic named Luigi. After all, it is Italy. In this podcast, we explore the life of Ana Fila Robotino, famous for her nature hikes. They really do provide a peak experience. I've been on many of them. There's a reason people, young and old, take notes. She refers to the herbs in the forest as superheroes, discovering how we can take care of ourselves through natural medicine, homeopathy, and box flowers. It's like a revelation knowing that the body is much wiser than we think. Anna once told me that people must be put in a position to learn on subjects that interest them. So I learned to give information that can be useful using words like botany, words that are really precise, but at the same time nothing's lost in translation so that a person of medium culture can understand and put what I have to say into practice. I have experience with many herbs, and I can make several types of herbal teas for me and my family and for others. Herbal teas for common colds, digestion, relaxing, or herbal teas to drain the liquids, to help with cellulite and other issues. Tisane is for men if they have prostate problems, and tisane is for young menopausal women, for interests pertaining to people who come on my walks because they want to find solutions so that they can better manage themselves. And the idea of traditional use of herbs in modern context allows us more knowledge, more culture, and we can be placed in the mode of learning Gradually, this is what works with the walks, the nature hikes. So, hey, let me read from my book called Personal Legends of Piemonte and I'll read you the short story before Anna's interview, and it's called Bewitched in Olmo Gentile. Anna entered my life via the school in Loezzolo. She was the mother of a student named Elric, a small boy with a big heart and if Italian sounds lyrical, Elric didn't really talk, he sang. He was awfully animated and had so much to say, it came out like a song. This charming duo, as you might surmise, lived in a town called Olmo Gentile. Anna said she could have taken Elric to a school closer to home, but it had to be Loetzolo, and I understood this is where I lived. To visit Anna's home was an adventure, like an excursion deep into the forest or a whimsical witch hunt. It carried anticipation. Her physical address was difficult to find. It certainly wasn't advertised on her post box. But after you navigate your way down a long and windy gravelly road draped in sycamore trees overhead, you are guided to a rustic area to park your car. A gentle slope takes you farther down to a large statue of the God Pan, and to your right, a large patio comes into view.
[00:03:55] This is where one begins to sense various spells strategically placed to ward off bad energy. If you think her guests fantasists, we are not. It cannot be denied, there's powerfully active and passive energy circulating in our midst. We have entered her domain where Anna does what she does best, hunting and gathering herbs so she can share her ever expanding knowledge with the rest of the world. Anna's home includes a husband and a library, each created by her mother in law long ago. They are now part of Anna's enchantments. Her library offers a treasure trove of found objects, and beyond her desk, a small window providing a view as far as the gaze would like to go.
[00:04:39] Outside the front door, wisteria winds its way all the way down the stairs. Inside, all four walls are lined with books. And in between and beneath the window and in front of the low table situated here and there, sit icons and images from all over the world. Tibetan medallions, katana swords, and some of the largest and most carefully positioned crystals my eyes have ever seen. Anna isn't just a hunter and gatherer. She is a sophisticate and a learned soul. Her books are read and worn, and I suppose after becoming sufficiently advanced in the world's religions, she has Realized that energy and spirits are key, or key, as they say in Japanese. Anna's curious about everything, and everyone gravitates towards her. She refers to herbs as superheroes, underlying her belief as to their healing powers. I also sought Anna for homeopathic treatment to explore the concept. Combined with their hikes, I assumed all bases were covered when it came to balancing out my body. I was beginning to incorporate meditation into my daily routine. This approach felt like a natural extension of my new lifestyle. And her library is serene. Anna fits right in. She is small in stature, with straight, long blonde hair tied at the back of her neck. She sits behind a grand wooden desk. The dimensions are perfectly scaled to its occupant. Somehow, as she folds her hands on top. We look at one another as I talk away until it's time to look out the window or focus on the crystals as she methodically combs through her expansive encyclopedia of herbs. When a solution is found, she writes them down on a white piece of paper, one after the other. Once my prescription was complete, I considered it a collection of potions, one that could boost my immune system and make any minor complaints disappear. Whether or not it was the placebo effect, it always worked like magic. Perhaps a combination of faith in Anna's knowledge as well as feeling the faith to heal thyself. Maybe they really are superheroes and very much alive, letting their influence impact my body in the following days. Anna's walking tours are famous. Friends and students arrive from far and wide to take part in these two hour adventures. They begin in spring and continue through late autumn. Some people carry notebooks and take copious notes, while others prefer a refresher course on what they were taught growing up. It would appear many Piemontese are aware of their land's biodiversity. Trundling along my daily errands, I'd see the locals on the side of the road, their knees deep in high grass, happily exploring and picking herbs and flowers while on a casual hike or when walking off lunch or dinner. No matter our motives, we are a happy gang following Anna, exploring the forest with its pungent smells. Rosemary in abundance, along with mint, strawberries and cherries. And maybe a whiff of Genope floating down from above. Anna stops constantly. She prefers to inspect everything below lest she miss one of her precious superheroes. And this gives us time to pick more specimens. As she talks, we smell and listen, then carefully place our newfound herbs in brown paper bags like precious jewels.
[00:07:51] Anna's passion is contagious and we meander for hours. But she knows when the Exploration is over and it's time to sample our rewards. Animal disappear as we linger on the large patio below her library, patiently awaiting a sumptuous lunch full of herbal concoctions, carafes full of tisanas containing various herbal teas, soups full of vegetables, and breads flavored by homemade oils and vinegars. They're all laid out on the long wooden table. We can then relive our walk and discuss items picked and studied along the way. One time I ate a small pink rose on the table. It filled my mouth and made me laugh. It was light and delightful and it made me feel like a kid again. One of the main reasons people gravitate to Anna must be her ability to see such potential in the world. She holds high hope for humanity and makes you wonder why you were ever pessimistic. Anna taught me how to travel a distance. From appreciating an expensive meal to knowing what benefits my body. Even better, I was beginning to feel like I was on a pilgrimage. Hiking with Anna, I could both enter the forest and the Piemontese culture. Anyone could. And she was a rare find. Time was never wasted and each moment was savored. When she calls her precious herbs the superheroes of Piemonte, she throws her head back and laughs with true joy. If I fell under her spell, it's easy to imagine that Anna's a good witch and one who continues the traditions and folklore concerning the masque, the witches of Pimonte. Anna is another superhero of Pimonte. So that is chapter three from my book Personal Legends of Pimonte, which is in both English and Italian. The first half is in English and the second half is in Italian and I did have it professionally translated. I worked very close with the translator and the Italians approve, so I'm very grateful for that. So, hey, I'm happy to tell you that I have a book signing in Rome in the eternal City on April 10th 10th at the almost Corner Bookstore. Actually, I think it's called the Almost Corner Bookshop on Via del moro. That's on April 10th. And please check out my
[email protected] for further information regarding my book and podcasts and book signings etc and lots of photos of Italy. So hey, thank you so much for listening and ciao for now. Arrivederci.
