The Giro d'Italia bicycle race came through Pietrasanta on Wednesday. There was much pre-race excitement -- headlines in the newspapers and discussions in the pub, streets closed, signs everywhere -- and everyone told us we should be sure to go see it. 

So we did. We parked the car in town and walked over to the edge of town near the big supermarket to be right on the Via Aurelia when the bicycles went by. We got there a bit early in case there were crowds.

It lasted literally less than a minute.