Juliette de Bairacli Levy (1912-2009) was a well-known and well-loved herbalist, traveler, and writer. Many beloved elder herbalists in the United States and around the world knew and learned from her the magic and medicine of plants. As she documented in her many books, including Common Herbs for Natural Health, Traveler’s Joy, The Illustrated Herbal Handbook for Everyone, and The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable, Juliette immersed herself in a truly natural lifestyle to intimately experience the wisdom of plants. During several points in her life, Juliette lived in Greece, my country of heritage.

Visiting Kythera

In July 2021, I took a ten-day trip to the Greek island of Kythera, where Juliette lived for 10 years towards the latter part of her life. While there, I was able to meet with several local Kytherians who knew her and visit the house where she once lived. One of the first things I noticed when I asked about Juliette was the way her friends brightened up remembering her. Juliette was considered an eccentric on the island and lived there with her Afghan dogs in a small stone house on the edge of a small village. Within walking distance of her home was Skandeia Restaurant, where Juliette would sit with her beloved dogs under the shade of the trees. The owner, Evanthia, was excited to hear that I was interested in learning more about Juliette, who was a regular patron and friend. “She was an amazing woman. She was a pioneer,” she said.

Evanthia shared the story of how Juliette came to the island because of a dream she had about living on “thira.” Before coming to Kythera, Juliette had visited Santorini, which was called Thira in antiquity. Not finding what she wanted there, she came to Kythera. When she had arrived, Juliette stopped at Skandeia, where she met Evanthia and told her that this scenery was exactly what had appeared in her dream. “She was brilliant… [and] she had a wonderful sense of humor,” Evanthia recalled.

Evanthia also shared about Juliette’s collection of heart-shaped rocks that she found on the beach near her home, a symbol that paired well with the myth that the island was the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

The Kytherians

Another local who knew Juliette well is award-winning author, photographer, and filmmaker James Prineas. In his book, The Kytherians, James includes several stories about Juliette, including her comical relationship with her taxi driver, “Tarzan.” This is a heartwarming and genuine collection of stories from across the island and over several generations. His delightful book is available on the Pure Kythera website, along with an aerial photography book of all the villages on Kythera and a whimsical film about the island.

James was delighted to share his many stories about Juliette with me and offered much support during my visit, including a complimentary signed copy of his book.

About Kythera

The island of Kythera is celebrated as the birthplace of Aphrodite, where she emerged from the sea foam just off the shore. An eclectic island with 60 villages, Kythera is a hidden gem offering an escape from popular tourist islands. The mountains offer delightful views of the Mediterranean Sea, while the selection of clear blue beaches provides an escape worthy of Aphrodite herself.

The island is located between the Peloponnese and the island of Crete. It is accessible by a 50 minute plane ride from Athens, a 6.5 hour ferry ride from Athens, or a 5 hour road trip from Athens to Neapolis Voion in the Peloponnese, where a 1.5 hour ferry takes you to the island.

Eating Well

One of the best parts about visiting Greece is eating the food. No trip is complete without sharing photos of some of the meals we enjoyed. Greek salads with the juiciest tomatoes, fresh green peppers, and crunchy red onions topped with feta cheese, local oregano, and a bounty of olive oil. Special string beans that reminded me of fettuccini and a fish stew made hours on the stovetop. It was truly a delight for all the senses.

Visit to an Herbal Apothecary

I also visited the herbal apothecary Elixrysos on the island, run by Sara Scopsi. As a clinical herbalist, it is always a joy to walk into an herb shop and see herbs lined up in jars ready to support someone’s health. Her shop also included homemade herbal products, locally made soaps, and handmade pottery. (An interesting side note: kava kava (Piper mysticum) is actually illegal in Europe, so I promised Sara I would get some for her when I returned to the States).

Visiting Juliette’s House

Of course, the highlight of my visit to the island was visiting the house that Juliette lived in during her decade on Kythera. This was a slightly secretive mission, as the property is rented out to a shepherd, but the interior of the house has remained empty since Juliette left in the late 1990s. The house is tucked away, located off a side road that leads to a quiet beach. A friend and I carefully trekked through high grasses and thorny shrubs in the midday heat, complete with scratches on our legs and sweat pouring off our faces, and were greeted by the same olive tree that featured in the film, Juliette of the Herbs. Unfortunately, not much remains of Juliette’s heart stone pathway or her vibrant garden, as the hot and dry climate of Greece makes it hard to upkeep a garden without regular care and water. What does remain of Juliette’s signature house is the green paint on the weathered door.

My inspiration to visit Juliette’s home on Kythera came from a combination of serendipitous connections. The film, Juliette of the Herbs, directed by Tish Streeten, was certainly one of them. I had watched the film a couple years ago, as recommended by a friend, in awe of the Greek island landscape. Then, the same friend connected me with James Prineas, the Kytherian local who had known Juliette well. So well, in fact, that he has a collection of photos of Juliette on his photography website, including a photo of them together at her nursing home in Switzerland.

During the special mission to Juliette’s house, we tried capturing similar photos to the scenes in Juliette of the Herbs:

Sharing Stories

There is something about revisiting the past that provides inspiration for the future. The United Plant Savers, as part of the International Herb Symposium this year, had included the film Juliette of the Herbs for viewing to conference participants, as well as a hosted conversation between celebrated herbalist Rosemary Gladstar and Juliette of the Herbs filmmaker Tish Streeten. Even after so many years, the stories about Juliette continue to spark the memories of her wisdom and eccentricities, as revealed by their delightful conversation.

At dinner one night on Kythera with a group of locals, I re-told the story that Rosemary had shared during this conference conversation — how she had invited Juliette to be the guest speaker at one of the very first International Herb Symposiums and how Juliette had agreed, but shortly before the conference, Rosemary still hadn’t heard from Juliette about her arrival date. As I shared this story, the Kytherian locals were delighted, and not completely surprised, at Juliette’s last-minute change-of-heart to travel and of Rosemary’s last-minute travel to Kythera to bring her to the conference. Rosemary’s adventures — from calling the taxi station to get in touch with Juliette to realizing Juliette’s passport was expired when they arrived at the Athens airport for their flight to the States —were in true Juliette fashion.

Both the stories of Juliette on Kythera and in the U.S. reveal her widespread influence during a time when life moved more slowly, before the internet existed and cellphones ruled our lives. It is these everyday stories of how people got to know Juliette either in-person or through reading her treasured collection of herbal books that continue to keep her brilliant character and plant wisdom very much alive and present.

One last moment of serendipity

If you visit Kythera, be sure to enjoy yourself on perfectly imperfect adventures and leave room for serendipity. In true Juliette style, a couple weeks after I left Kythera for Athens, I learned that Juliette’s granddaughter, Adaya Lancha Bairacli, was in Greece and was visiting the island after 15 years. Adaya and I arranged to meet during the one night she had in Athens before her return to Switzerland with her boyfriend and her son. It was a complete delight to meet her and hear her childhood stories on the island with her grandmother. As a popular folk singer, Adaya sings the lyrics of her grandmother’s poetry, as well as music that captures the treasure and spirit of being human.

During our conversation, Adaya mentioned the unfortunate changes on Kythera that she had noticed, including the lack of seagulls (many of which appear in a scene in the film), the small pebbles of oil on a beach near Juliette’s house (which I had unknowingly stepped on when I was there and had black tar covering the bottom of my feet for several days), and the dilapidation of her grandmother’s house.

There is a certain hope that time can maintain the images from our past, but given the effects of a rapidly changing climate due to destructive human behaviors, nature transforms to reflect the way we treat her.

And yet, time moves us in the direction of our own path. While I can sit and wonder how I was able to visit Kythera and meet the people who loved Juliette, I can also take delight in the mysteries of how time can reveal the treasures that Adaya so often sings about.