We’ve all seen and felt different kinds of vendors and artists near any tourist attraction. You have the roses, selfie sticks, laser lights, caricature artists and what not. They are all trying to earn a living. I probably couldn’t make it.

Here in Rome we’ve met Indians and Pakistanis selling tours, roses and laser lights. Those of African origin are selling wooden items and it seems the Italians or maybe Albanians have the monopoly of begging on the church stairs. The best deliver-on-demand service I’ve ever seen was at the Coloseum, when the selfie sticks disappeared and umbrellas appeared with the first drops of rain. And vice-versa when the sun came back. I was just awestruck by the speed, and just couldn’t make out where they kept their stores.

Since we are in Rome, even the homeless do it in style. You might think this lady pushing the stroller is just another stylish mother. Nope. Her stroller was filled with her possessions, and underneath were the cardboard boxes and pieces of foam that you sleep on. In this shot, she had just stopped poking at the tangerine trees, with only a couple of ripe ones falling off. Her face showed all the wear and tear of life on the street.

You might feel like you’ve had a tough day, but since you’re reading this at the moment, it can’t have been half as bad as this lady just a stones throw away from the Pantheon. She was strategically positioned by the road leading to Piazza Navona. Guaranteed to have hundreds of tourists passing by.

I am sure that the artist life is tough as well, but these guys seem to be enjoying life anyway, And it seems they have an idea and the ability to go through with it often enough.

In stark contrast to these guys by the river.