What goes up must come down. Or in our case what goes down must come up. You see, we live on top of a rock. And in Troina, there is no shortage of hills. And stairs.

Fitness has always been part of our daily routine. It started in high school when Steve wrestled and I ran cross country and track, continued while we were in the Army, and has carried over into our civilian lives since we ended our service almost 30 years ago. Whether it was running, lifting weights, yoga, walking, whatever the activity, we did it together. We even ran a marathon the year we turned 40.

When we were young, we made fitness goals for ourselves, improving times, reducing body fat, etc… These days, we aren’t running races or trying to achieve personal bests. We still exercise multiple times per week, but our goals have changed. What we want, most of all, is to stay healthy and move every day. Walking is great for several reasons. It’s a great way to digest meals and thoughts, to exchange ideas, to break a sweat when it’s very hot, to get sun, to forest bathe. You get the idea. Walking is also easy on your knees and other joints, and as we age, we want to make sure we don’t get injured. Mobility is key.

Walking is our favorite mode of transportation. We go to the bread shop, the vegetable stand, the fruit stand, the butcher shop, the market on Saturdays, and to our favorite coffee shop/gelato shop/bar. We have kind friends and neighbors who see us on the street and from their cars they ask, “Volete un passaggio?”--do we want a ride? By now, most of them know that we’ll say “No, thank you, we want to walk,” and they honk and wave (unless it’s raining). We do this to cut down on emissions, to keep ourselves fit, and also to save our sanity because driving in a small village built during the middle ages with its narrow streets and cobblestones isn’t easy, not to mention the fact that once you arrive at destination, there usually isn’t any parking available.

Sicily is full of hill villages similar to Troina. They’re usually built on a promontory (you know, to look out for invaders) and the houses seem to be built atop one another. They’re full of charm and beauty and spectacular views. And also hills, with stairs on stairs. So, it’s easy to understand why so many people here are well into their 80s and 90s.

There is no shortage of places to walk, in fact, when we leave the house to run our daily errands, we mentally map our route so that if we are too tired or carrying too much, we change it so as not incorporate the massive staircase that leads directly to our house from the street below. Because, of course, if we go down, to return home, we have to go back up!

Stairs on Stairs

Lo Zingaro (The Gypsy)