This was another great leg with plenty of classic AR drama, thrill and stunning backdrop. Last leg, the teams finished the leg over a pretty wide time period. The starting clue instructed teams to travel by bus to the port of Split, Croatia for a ferry ride across the Adriatic to the Italian port of Ancona.
Teams found Fiats waiting for them in the ferry parking lot and clues instructing them to drive to the city of Empoli and find a small airfield. Natennifer really lucked out and got directions at a nearby gas station that provided the best route to Empoli. The other teams got directions from other sources and ended up taking longer, more difficult routes. TK and Rachel discussed a unique route via Rome with some locals at an outdoor cafe in Ancona but took off leaving their clue sitting on the table! Fortunately, they realized they did not have the clue relatively soon and after a frustrating, unsuccessful search of the car, decided to return to the restaurant. To their great relief, someone had set the clue aside for them. During their long overnight drive, teams were treated to messages from home delivered on special Blackberries provided with their vehicles.
Using their greater route, Jenn & Nate arrived first at the airfield in the early hours of the morning to find a “take a number” board and the news that the facility would not open until 7AM. Once back on the road, TK and Rachel also had a relatively quick route to Empoli via Rome and arrived second. I was so happy.
The two teams found that the next clue was a Roadblock requiring one team member to fly in an ultralight and direct the pilot in a 30 min search of the surrounding area for a clue to the next destination. Nate & TK did the RB. Nate quickly saw the clue – the word “VINCI” written in large white letters on a nearby field - and directed his pilot back to the airfield. After revealing this to an airfield official, they were given the actual clue instructing the teams to drive to Vinci and find Leonardo’s birthplace.
Around this time, Nick/Don and Ron/Christina both arrived at the airfield after their conflicting takes on the road closure detour. When learned that they had to “take a number” for the next task.! The smooth TK was in need of his own chill pill as he was unable to find the area with the “VINCI” letters and had to return empty handed for refueling prior to going out again for a second search. Christina went up next for her team and found the clue on the first try. However, Nick and Don decided to take the Fast Forward option.
FAST FORWARD: They were instructed to go to a nearby “studio” to participate in a typical “seafaring tradition.” To their surprise, this turned out to be getting a tattoo! The tats were quickly done and the team received their clue directing them to the PIT STOP in the Boboli Gardens in Florence.
Meanwhile, the overnight drive had not worked out well for the Goths. Vyxsin had done all the driving due to her higher manual driving skills.They arrived exhausted at the airfield in last place. At this point, TK had taken another ultralight flight and still not located the VINCI clue. Vyxsin went up for the team and found the clue on her first flight. TK was extremely bothered at this point but went up one last time and finally saw the clue allowing their team to move on to Vinci in last place.
At Leonardo’s birthplace on top of a beautiful Tuscan hill, they found the next clue indicating a Detour with the choice of “Invention” or “Tradition”. In the Invention task, teams had go to a nearby area of the birthplace grounds and assemble a working replica of a Leonardo-designed crane. They would then use it to lift a stone 1 foot off of the ground allowing a Leonardo mirror box to be placed underneath to reveal a clue on the bottom of the stone. In Tradition, teams had to travel down to a piazza in the nearby town to learn and correctly perform a traditional complex flag twirling/tossing routine.
Jenn & Nate decided to go for the flag tossing. Meanwhile, in nearby Florence, Nick and Don arrived at the mat after using the Fast Forward to achieve an outstanding Phil welcomed them and rewarded their first place finish with a Travelocity trip to Cancun, Mexico.
Back in Vinci, I find the flag tossing so difficult but using her innate cheerleader skills, Jen very quickly mastered the routine and coached her cute Nate in his performance. They went through it earning a “Si!” from the lead flagman who provided them with the next clue directing them to the mat at the Boboli gardens. Ron and Christina also arrived in Vinci and also decided on the flag toss. Nate & Jenn finished second followed by Ron & Christina. They headed on to Florence for a third place finish as the Goths arrived in Vinci. After checking out the crane, the Goths decided to try the flags and headed for the plaza as TK/Rachel arrived in town in last place.
Unfortunately, at this point, things began to go incorrect for both teams leading to a spectacular race to stay out of last place. I love the Goths & the Hippies. I want them to stay in the race The Goths’ bad direction-luck continued with a very tired, frustrated Vyxsin at the wheel trying to make it down to the plaza. This led to a their first real argument. Kynt told her to “stop the car”. Things went from bad to worse as Kynt attempted to drive and the car’s transmission failed. Vyxsin got back behind the wheel but they realized that the car was dead and nothing to do but head out on foot to reach the plaza.
TK and Rachel were the only team to decide on the TRADITION task and with cautious, quiet teamwork managed to complete it quickly. They headed away from Vinci for the mat, unfortunately the had flat tire! As they stopped to fix this, Kynt and Vyxsin easily completed the flag toss and headed back to find a replacement vehicle waiting for them.
The last few minutes of the race was really exciting.
Who will be the next & last team to step on the mat.
Both teams now raced for Florence but TK and Rachel managed to arrive first at the mat in fourth place. Of course I was happy to hear it. The surprised, exhausted Goths arrived shortly afterwards to Phil informing them of their last place finish. However, he informed them that this was the first non-elimination leg! He went on to describe a new non-elimination scenario in which they would be subject to a new twist “Speed Bump” task in the next leg.
No comments:
Post a Comment