When we were young and beautiful

Oh I was never beautiful, so I can't relate to that! ?

However, when we used to visit our favourite restaurant in Rome, I was always greeted by the owner with a lovely smile, a hug and the words, Cara bellissima
He always made me feel beautiful!

They’re good at that Italian men and you don’t become invisible at a certain age either,

However I don’t quite know how to phrase this properly but are we really being asked to boast about how pretty we once were ?

I don't think so Lucca. Simply remembering how good it felt to receive a compliment. I can relate to that and remember the days of being young and carefree. I recognize that was not the experience of everyone, but for me they were days that I recall with great nostalgia.

Lucca, I'm not quite sure how to take your comment! ?
I should have added, he was always so kind to me and became a good friend to us.

We used to go to Rome in the October school week and in conversation, he asked if I would be back at school on the Monday. I mentioned I had been hospital and wouldn't be going back to school for some time.
DH said that Franco had approached him, when I went to the loo and was very upset that I had been so ill. He was such a lovely man!

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Another thread about love songs made me quite nostalgic. Not about being pretty etc. but just about being young, carefree, such simple, easy going times.

And those songs just transport you back to being 17 and in love!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

A devotee once told me when he listened to Maggie May be always thought of me. ( back handed but well meant.)

My brother sent me a postcard of the Birth of Venus from Italy because it reminded him of me. Now more like one of Van Gogh's old ladies I fear.

When I was young I didn’t have any confidence in my self , never thought I was a looker, When I got compliments or got chatted up I used to blush like fury as I didn’t know how to react to men, , looking back at photos I suppose I was quite pretty but just didn’t know I was , but my husband to be told me I was and that’s all that mattered ,

We definitely didn't appreciate the beauty of youth. I remember an ancient relative ( probably aged about 60 ! ) Saying "Oh, your neck is so beautiful " I didn't understand. I do now !!

Marydoll

*Lucca*, I'm not quite sure how to take your comment! ?
I should have added, he was always so kind to me and became a good friend to us.

We used to go to Rome in the October school week and in conversation, he asked if I would be back at school on the Monday. I mentioned I had been hospital and wouldn't be going back to school for some time.
DH said that Franco had approached him, when I went to the loo and was very upset that I had been so ill. He was such a lovely man!

.

What I mean is, they appreciate women at any age ! I suppose it is charm ?
I didn’t mean you were not beautiful Mary !

Italy here I come! ????

Ah, but I'm not Lucca! I know my limitations!

A devotee once told me when he listened to Maggie May be always thought of me. ( back handed but well meant.)

Oh dear, I’d have had to dump him for that. I used to cringe when I had it played in my honour by people who’d never listened to the creepy lyrics.

I was never beautiful, but being young, slim. with long hair, and gorgeous hippyish clothes made me feel good about myself.
I was never the girl everyone lusted over, but I had a few admirers, and yes, it felt good!

French men are pretty good at it too!
(I once left a devastated French fiancé behind in France!)

I agree with others that it wasn't about being pretty or beautiful, but about being attractive.

Many years ago, I did a supply job in a school, where the Depute Head was the sister of an old school of friend of mine.
She said, that her brother had had a thing about me, but could never pluck up the courage to say so! She was a bit late telling me, I was married by then! Damn!!!

The Italians have got making a woman feel special down to a fine art. I once spent a few hours exploring Taormina on my own and had some lovely compliments. A restaurant owner offered me a free meal, another gave me a flower as I sat outside a cafe and a handsome young man wanted to whisk me off on a Godfather trail on his motorbike - I may of course never have been seen again, but hey……

I was in my fifties at the time and certainly no oil painting.

Maggie May was a prostitute in Liverpool!

I showed my grandson a photo of OH and me in our finery at a ball in the mess about 30 years ago. He assured me with great authority that it was not me in the photo!

Maggiemaybe

The Italians have got making a woman feel special down to a fine art. I once spent a few hours exploring Taormina on my own and had some lovely compliments. A restaurant owner offered me a free meal, another gave me a flower as I sat outside a cafe and a handsome young man wanted to whisk me off on a Godfather trail on his motorbike - I may of course never have been seen again, but hey……

I was in my fifties at the time and certainly no oil painting.

I trust you have seen the lovely film "Letters to Juliet". Stunning Italian setting too.

I’m struggling to recall any compliments from those days, apart from a backhanded one…….

My sister was always regarded as the pretty one and much less troublesome than me, according to Mum! A friend's grandmother remarking on my sister's good looks must have seen this thirteen year old's face fall as she quickly added,

“Well, you're not bad looking yourself!”

I trust you have seen the lovely film "Letters to Juliet". Stunning Italian setting too.

I’d not heard of it, Ellianne, but it looks like one to look out for. Thank you.

My GD found a photo of me with my late father she sort of guessed who he was from other photos but me not a chance.
We all wore minis so our legs appeared to go up to our armpits,had long sunstreaked hair and were always heavily tanned in summer.
Now most are at least a stone heavier in my case more and all that sun has taken its toll.
I fell for the one who wasn't a flatter still isn't.