The Italian Lifestyle – Photo of the Day

This Italian woman probably walks up and down these ancient steps at least once every day. I had the chance to speak with her and she proudly told me with a smile that she is 80 years old. Incredible!

Photo by margie Miklas Life in Italy

I’d love to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment.Grazie

20 Responses

  1. Jack Erickson

    It’s a picture that could be a 2000 word story . . . history, drama, family, joys and loss.
    Nice work, Margie. Love your photos that all seem to have a story behind them.

    • imarancher

      That’s why they say one picture is worth a thousand words. Each snapshot is a biography of sorts that allows us to write our own story. We should always be alert to these small vignettes of life that surround us, whether we take a picture or not.

  2. Un po' di pepe

    Lovely vecchietta! Doing those stairs daily is probably what helped her make it to 80. I’d be willing to bet she still visits her ‘campagna’ too. Ciao, Cristina

  3. bonniegm

    I love watching the elderly in Italy, especially the ones that remind us of our relatives- grandparents, aunts and uncles. Wonderful photo! The anziani are so inspiring!!!!

  4. Valerie Rice

    It never seases to amazing me when I see these little old ladies hiking up and down the steep windy streets in Italy with their fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s a way of life to them and it keeps them active and sociable, venturing out daily to get their supplies to create a family feast. Bravissima!

  5. becktours

    Italians are amazing! I love your photo. I met an 85 year old man who lived at the top of the hill in Maiori. He said he walks the hundreds of steps two times a day! I felt ashamed for being out of breath. 🙂

  6. imarancher

    It’s all what you grow up with. If you were raised to start working when your feet hit the ground then that is what you do. I can’t do all that I used to do but I still do the housework, cook for friends, take care of an assortment of animals, amaze people by still throwing around 50# sacks of feed and 80# bales of hay. Yes, with compression fractures up and down my spine and I guarantee you that lady has them too. The point is, you do what you can do and you don’t worry about the things you can’t do. I see this attitude all through Margie’s pictures and I greatly admire the Italian “go get it” attitude. We could do with more of that in this country. Every country could do with more of that!

  7. Susan Hughes

    I love this! Italian’s are such wonderful people. Then again, everything about that country is just awesome. I shared this on Twitter and attached one of my favorite travel pics of a group of women I met when we were traveling through the Cinque Terre area. They were so excited about having their photo taken….though you can’t tell it from some of their faces. lol

    Thanks for keeping my wanderlust stirred up, Margie!

    • imarancher

      You will never see a picture of my beautiful Great Grandmother with a smile on her face although she almost always was smiling. It was considered immodest to smile in pictures. Go back and look at pictures in the 1800’s and even early 1900’s it was just not done. And among older people today many prefer not to smile. Also, it is Americans that are obsessed by smiling. My European friends say that we have locks on bathroom doors because it is the only place we can and not HAVE to smile. (Smiling now, lol)

  8. gene hull

    Fine picture. Seeing the woman on the steps makes me wonder how many thousands of people over hundreds and hundreds of years have walk upon them. Bet those steps could tell a some stories.

  9. maxinemonaco@gmail.com

    She probably has done this all her life and enjoys it and that is why she is still doing it at eighty years old! She goes for her fresh bread and fruits and vegetables each day and some some social interaction with others! God bless her and may she continue for many more years!!!

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