The original plan was to work for a few hours in the morning and then leave for an afternoon of exploring, but an email from a new reader inspired a quicker exit.

“Google this place: Piano Grande,” I called out to Pete.

Turns out that our planned afternoon excursion would be in that general direction, but we suddenly needed to add a few more hours. And it wasn’t just the allure of the images we found online that spurred us into quick action, but also the pseudo-challenge that our reader issued alongside her generous email of local advice. “Your photos are extraordinary – I’d love to see what you do at the Piano Grande. I hope you make it there…”

Say no more. Pete’s camera bag was packed in record time and perhaps for the only time in our history as a couple, it was his turn to wait impatiently for me at the door.

En Route to Castellucio

Across the plain: the tiny village of Castelluccio perched on a hill. Beyond the open area at the bottom of the hill for parking and souvenir-shelling, the town was nearly desolate. We climbed up and through the tiny streets not accessible by car. We passed two residents only: one hanging out laundry, another sitting on the stoop of his shop, hand-picking through a batch of Umbria’s famous lentils, Lenticchie di Castellucio, to find only the very best seeds to fill his shelves.

We skirted the edge of town to capture views of the Piano Grande below – we basically covered every single street there was.

We wished for more time. We spoke of nights indulging in the pure silence and days of roaming the plain at all hours – hoping to catch it in morning fog and then the golden hour as the sun descends. There would be nothing more to do in the town then that, but we knew we would not be left wanting.