Isidora and Pepa: the centenarian Malaga residents linked by their children's marriage

Isidora is the first to arrive for the interview. Accompanied by her daughter, she walks slowly. From a distance she seems fragile, but as she approaches, her eyes and smile convey vitality. "Are you here for me?" she asks. "How wonderful!"

Pepa appears behind her, using a walking frame because she had hip surgery a couple of years ago and still experiences some discomfort. And yet, she was on her feet the day after the surgery and walked out of the hospital six days later. She's dressed in beige trousers and a shirt, a pink cardigan and her completely white hair is styled in a youthful way. She's quite the flirt, you can tell from afar.

Who would guess they're both 104 years old... Well, Pepa turns 104 in July. Both were born in 1922 and they met in Malaga, although Isidora is from Salamanca province and Pepa is from Jaén. Fate also decreed that Pepa's son and Isidora's daughter would meet and eventually marry, which made the two family.

They have their ailments, but these don't prevent them from walking or climbing stairs. Has fate led them to reach 104 years in good health and with their memories intact or is it the way they have faced life?

Both belong to a tough generation, one that went through the anguish of the Civil War and the bloody post-war period in their youth. They have managed to maintain their joy of living despite these obstacles.

When asked about the secret to their longevity, they answer simply, as if surpassing 100 were easy. "I think it's because you get there, because that's your destiny and that's it," Pepa says. For Isidora, it's eating well: "A good stew does the job."

While many associate old age with dependency, Pepa is a clear example of self-sufficiency. She lives alone, cooks, does laundry, hangs clothes out to dry, cleans her house and greatly values that independence.

"It's what I've always wanted, to do what I want. If I want to turn on the TV, I turn it on. If I want to turn it off, I turn it off. If I want to go to bed, I go to bed." Proudly, she concludes: "Do you know what it's like to be your own boss? I thank God every day. It's very important. That's what life is all about."

Pepa is the daughter of a miner who decided to change course and made a fortune in business, first with a restaurant in Jaén and later by opening a churro shop in Malaga where he sold the typical Madrid-style churros.

She describes herself as a "poor little rich girl", because she didn't come from wealth, but she "lived very well".

At 19, she married a soldier who was frequently transferred, so she lived for three years in León and about 15 in Seville. Her husband died at 59 and she never remarried because she highly values her independence.

She has two children, several grandchildren, "who love [her] very much", and great-grandchildren. Pepa also enjoys a group of friends to chat with and her seven brothers- and sisters-in-law, who have always treated her like a sister.

Her great passion is reading, especially books that make her think and that she can discuss. She doesn't wear glasses, not for reading, not even for sewing. She likes to look good: it's innate to her, she says. Not just out of vanity, but because "it brings joy to others". "That's what I try to do, not make anyone feel sorry for me," she says.

Although she initially attributes her longevity to fate, Pepa reveals at the end of the interview that going to bed at peace with herself and not letting her mind prevent her from achieving her goals is fundamental. "Having faith in others, looking at people with affection and smiling in the morning at everyone, even yourself when you wake up," she says.

For Pepa, "conscience plays a significant role, because if you've treated others well, you're very happy".

As for not letting obstacles stop her from doing what she wants, she says with a smile that she has another Pepa by her side who doesn't leave her alone. "When I say I can't do something, the other Pepa tells me yes, go ahead and off I go."

Now that everyone seems so preoccupied with living longer and better and science has focused on studies to extend healthy longevity, Pepa, who has reached 104 years of age in enviable health, says that "reaching this age isn't as great as it seems". She doesn't mind leaving, she says.

"I've reached this age, well, let's see how far I can go," Pepa states. Her only fear is mental illness. "The important thing is your mind. If you lose it, you're dead."

If Pepa breaks the mould by living alone and being completely self-sufficient at 104, her son-in-law's mother, Isidora, is no less remarkable. She's a bit more frail because she has vision and hearing problems, but her memory is intact.

When we ask what her best memory is, she says all of them. "Everything was good. I haven't known anything bad." It might seem like everything has been handed to her on a silver platter, but nothing could be further from the truth.

As a young girl, she would ride a mule to fetch milk because, "the goats were taken to Pajares", an old hamlet within the municipality of San Esteban de la Sierra, in Salamanca. As was common at the time, she would wash her clothes in the river, but she remembers it with a smile.

She describes her childhood and youth in the village in Salamanca as a very happy time. "My father was very good and we never lacked anything."

While we take photos of her for the interview, sitting on a bench next to Pepa, Isidora keeps humming. She's always loved a good party, especially carnivals.

"I used to make dresses for everyone, for us to dress up. I was the most rebellious," she says, adding that she "loved dancing the most".

She married one of her childhood friends in San Esteban de la Sierra at the age of 24 and their wedding lasted eight days, with never-ending music and dances. It's no wonder she can't sit still for long now.

Her father, a bookseller, decided the whole family should move to Malaga because of its pleasant climate. Once settled in the province, Isidora showed ample evidence of her restless and enterprising spirit. She ran a grocery store in Cruz de Humilladero, across from the old provincial prison.

Her daughter Trini recounts how her mother would go to Mercamálaga (the main wholesale market) and fill aluminium buckets with fish, which she would then carry herself.

Isidora also worked at a restaurant in Fuengirola known for its "counter full of tapas". She was in charge of 14 waiters and ran the kitchen herself. On days when there were bullfights, the establishment was packed, not because it was nearby, but because her specialties were so popular.

When someone lives past 100, one might think it's due to good genes or even an easy life, but listening to these stories, perhaps the secret lies in the vitality and energy with which they face life. Isidora has plenty of both. So much so that she didn't hesitate to travel around Spain by car with her husband and two children, a boy and a girl.

"Wherever we stopped, we looked for an inn and slept there. If there wasn't an inn one night, we would sleep in the car." Simple as that. Why complicate things with unnecessary problems?

Her daughter Trini says that her mother "has always been a force of nature in everything". "One of those people who are always around you and before you know it, she's already done everything," Trini says.

Isidora only regrets that, since her eyesight and hearing have been failing, "she's declined a lot".

Trini says that both her mother and Pepa have lived good lives. "They've eaten and breathed differently. Above all, they've never stopped," she says. Isidora even says she wants to live many more years. "Whatever God wills, I don't know how far I'll go, but I'm not in any pain and I always have strength."

Pepa and Isidora perfectly embody the secrets that have helped five places join the list of the so-called 'blue zones', known for their high concentration of centenarians. They have a purpose in life, a good diet and a desire to keep moving.

The conclusion is: never back down from anything and face your long lives always with a smile.