Episode Transcript
Hello from Lake Garda, located two hours from Venice and one hour 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. And I'll explain why by reading stories from my latest book called the Personal Legends of Piemonte. But how did they become legends? How did they fulfill their destiny? Well, I'm going to tell you today.
We're going to talk about and read from chapter two, which is all about leaving the ordinary world as we enter the lives of 12 Italians from the region of Piemonte and how some say work is the passport for serenity. For the Piemontese, they have a strong tradition of blending the past into the present, and they deeply appreciate the treasure beneath their feet. Piemonte is located in the northwest part of Italy, nestled up against the Swiss, French and Italian Alps. And the mountains form their lifestyle and their personalities. And the interviews in this book help convey the essence of their particular culture. A culture of small towns full of campanolismo. This is the pride and the emotions the locals feel on a daily basis. The way they still celebrate the same festivals they've been celebrating for generations, about their history, their residence, and how they produce some of Italy's finest products, like Barolo and Barbaresco wine, the famous cheeses, the Piemontese beef, the herbs, the truffles, the hazelnuts, and oh, so much more.
This book and their stories mirror the hero's journey as we are all the hero of our own story. And this is why I sincerely believe you will relate to and find ways to apply their lives to your own. And why this book is worth a read. It's kind of about finding your bliss and fulfilling your destiny. But in order to get on course, you need to listen to the call to adventure. And often this requires changing course. In my first podcast, I talked about how important it was to find a mentor, someone to act like a lighthouse, too forewarned to offer clues so we can solve this mystery called life. And life is like a detective novel, as we each become a detective. After all, humans have a natural desire to solve this mystery called life. Once upon a time, the master said, you must write about what you see. But what if you see does not move you? The master said, you must change what you see. So I did, and it changed my life. And the seven years I spent living in Piemonte came to feel like a pilgrimage. Not necessarily one in search of a penance or a blessing, but one full of Lessons I needed to learn. As the saying goes, if not now, when? But I needed to change course. This required serendipity, because I was immersed in my own life, my own aspirations, my own little world. Until a friend named Maddalena asked if I would like to volunteer and teach six small children in the oh so small town of Loazzolo to speak English simply by entering their school. I began to enter their lives, meeting their parents, who seemed ordinary at first, until I realized the ones who had fulfilled their own destiny were worth writing about.
So I began interviewing them one by one, learning about their own aspirations, their motivations and their communities, and how they are so attached to their land they make it appear magical. In this book called Personal Legends of Piemonte, I offer a story before each interview, an opportunity for the reader to get a feel for the people and the place before they dive into their lives. So let's begin by getting into the middle of the story in chapter two, called Leaving the Ordinary World. Our magical tour begins in the oh so small town of loazzolo, located about 60 km southwest of Italy's former capital, Turin, a city renowned for coffee culture and black and white magic. Such was the size and current state of our comune. We didn't even have a bar. But if tiny, our village was not trivial. It's the smallest village in all of Italy to boast its own DOC, a legal certification applied to Italian wines that display distinctive features of superior quality. This is when I suspected the land might be magical. Loazzolo might be little, but she looms large in the mind's eye, situated high above her neighbors, located down below in Bubbio, Canelli and San Stefano, surrounded by vineyards cascading down from every direction.
From within, you'll find about 300 residents, mostly Loazzolesi, a couple of Orthodox Russians and one American, me. Loazzolo is also very old. Its history extends back over a thousand years, ensuring that grudges held long ago may still exist between a few of its ancient families.
In early spring, we watch enthusiastic cyclists who must be strong and determined to climb so high. When they reach Loazzolo, they cruise through the center so fast they miss our little school. Not to mention the magic. This is where we find Rosalinda and Walter, the administrators who both manage the local comune. As if supernaturally, they make paperwork disappear. And I'm convinced this must be done by enchantments, because a Provincia di Asti is renowned for its bureaucracy. One floor above Rosalind and Walter lives the school, and one floor below we find our local doctor, who is available twice a week for residents who feel the need to be seen, which include any one of the 300 loazzolesi, the Orthodox Russians, and me.
I was genuinely pleased. They'd asked me to volunteer to teach the kids English. It was only one day a week and the benefits were reciprocal, albeit out of balance. They learned a little English and I rediscovered my innocence. Certainly enough to erase any cynicism creeping into my soul and enough to break down some defense mechanism stored while living a life. All I had to do was embrace the youth and happiness in that tiny room. It took just six little children to wipe it all away.
The school came with two teachers. Valeria was animated and deeply engaged with the children. She had an older son named Alessandro, who helped weed my rose gardens when he had the time. The other teacher, Madeleina, spoke English, which was rare. She was a practical woman who yearned to travel. In the meantime, she'd spent 35 years teaching the young children along the Bormada Valley. Madalena became a friend, and then she became a bridge to life in Loazzolo and beyond. One day we drove to Aquaterme for lunch, a larger town known for its thermal baths and atmospheric bars, Italian bars that provide rows of elegant appetizers who imbibe with your glass of wine.
It was just a 40 minute drive east, yet the windows disappeared and it felt like we were gliding through each valley on air. Why? Because Maddalena brought the land to life, pointing at each home, every broken down barn, vegetable garden, church, shed and yard enclosed with a faded wooden fence.
She sat in the passenger seat, shaking her head or laughing quietly, connecting with each item, now operating as a sign or symbol that carried deep meaning. No matter the size, the memory remains significant. First Quartino, then Bubbio, followed by Monastero, Bormida and Bistanio, each town in strong possession of an independent dialect or a specific type of trade, like chairs or cheese. Inanimate objects came alive and became familiar to me too, as I learned how everything impacted her life.
Our drive was more intimate and informative than sitting across from one another at lunch. Savvy parents know this and drive their kids to school whenever they can. If Madalina loved travel, she was also Piemontese, therefore attached to the land. I met her son, Ricardo, a student at the school in Loazzolo. He was barely a teen, but a born later in our small group. I'd never witnessed a mother so devoted to her child's development. If I stopped by their home in Cassinasco to say hello. On my way down to Canelli, Ricardo was busy at the kitchen table, maybe learning English or another language or another topic in addition to his regular school lessons. This is when I began to think Ricardo, like some Piemontese I met, was destined to create his own personal legend. Madalina's impact on the children of Piemonte at various schools was understood when I saw her run into a previous student eager to embrace their former teacher with great affection. It happened over and over again.
Without Maddalena's friendship, I wouldn't have ventured outside my ordinary world. This threshold proved as unique as a signpost. If I really wanted to embrace the idea of saving myself by saving the planet, I was about to get a master class in what that meant. Her story introduces us to magic in various forms, the sort people relied upon once upon a time. And some still do. More importantly, her story is about a concept integral to almost every Italian town campanilismo the pride each Piemontese feels towards their own tribe of friends and family, a trait critical to understanding this region as well as Italy in general. One specifically played out dramatically at the heart of small towns. It lends to the very essence of what it's like to live in places like Bubbio, Bistanio, Canelli, and Maddalena's very own Cassinasco.
So that's a little section of chapter two in my book called Personal Legends of Piemonte, and it's called Leaving the Ordinary An Interview with Maddalena. Hey, thanks for listening. I'm going to have a book signing in Rome in the eternal city on April 10th at the almost Corner Bookshop. And please check out my website@ baileyalexander.com for further information, podcasts, book signings and photos of Italy. So, hey, ciao for now. Oh, and also, I did want to tell you that the book is in both English and Italian. The first half is in English and the second is in Italian. So if you are heading to Italy and you want to learn a little Italian, it might be very helpful. So, hey, thanks for listening and ciao for now. Arrivederci.
