意大利的一个小镇上,Irma(阿莉达·瓦莉 Alida Valli 饰)的在悉尼工作的丈夫去世了,而她也决定和她的情人Aldo(史蒂夫·柯臣 Steve Cochran 饰)分开。Aldo苦苦挽留Irma无果,便带着年纪还小的女儿Rosina离开了小镇。Aldo先是去找了一个一直钟情于他的女子Elvia,Aldo却发现自己无法爱上她,又离开了。漂泊的路上,Aldo到处寻找工作。先是在一个加油站,加油站的寡妇Virginia给了他一份工作,两人之间也产生了感情。但不久后Aldo又离开了,找到了一份短暂的工作,认识了Andreina,一个妓女。警察经过,Aldo只能离开,经过加油站的时候,Virginia告诉他,Irma给他寄了封明信片。Aldo又踏上了回去寻找Irma的路......After living seven years with the mechanic Aldo, having a daughter with him, the simple woman Irma is informed that her absent husband had just died in Sydney. She becomes upset when Aldo proposes to marry her and she tells him that she is going to leave him. Unable to explain how much he loves her, Aldo takes their daughter Rosina and travels with her, meeting different women in different places, trying to establish a new relationship and fill the emptiness of his sentimental life. He visits his former lover Elvia; he meets and lives with the widow Virginia, who owns a gas station; he lives with the prostitute Andreina. But these relationships never complete the needy Aldo.