Monday 22 September

Viterbo (It) - Rome (It)

The last day of the Rally and our steeds have carried us safe and sound to our destination.....well almost, after receiving today's challenge we were informed that the final destination would definitely be Rome and not Naples. Staples to Rome doesn't sound quite as catchy, but it was bloody good fun !

It was a rather reserved convoy that departed the beautiful walled city of Viterbo on Monday am, perhaps it was the thought that our trusty chariots that had carried us so very far, were now so very close to the junkyard.  Both our cars were still running almost faultlessly and would have made great little runarounds.....but, fate would decree otherwise and they have a date with the crusher on Wednesday morning.  We have all really, properly, sadly, bonded with the cars to the point where taking them to the junkyard is eliciting similar emotions that would be like taking a favourite pet to be put down, or seeing the last episode of Top Gear in a series for example!

Monday's challenge involved going to 3 of a list of 12 Italian towns/villages and taking a photo of the car in front of a public building......that clearly showed the town name.......with all members of the team in the photo......and a local ! As a twist there would be more points awarded for going to a town that the least amount of other teams visited....so, did you opt for the furthest away or most inaccessible towns or would everyone be doing that.....should you go for the closest ones, assuming that nobody would chose them as they're too obvious ?

This was a great challenge and it was completely gutting to spend half an hour winding your way up a mountain pass to a tiny Italian village.....and then see 3 other teams coming down the other way, having already got their photos! Some of the villages we went to were just incredible places, mountain fortresses with houses hanging over the edge of the precipice and walls with battlements looking down on the valley floor 2000 feet below. The challenge was really difficult today as finding the public building.....and the town name in shot......and a local.......and someone to take the photo was really challenging.  But it made you make the effort to talk to the locals and as ever, the Italians were overwhelmingly enthusiastic and keen to be part of the action.  At one tiny village we stopped at we were surrounded by a huge group of Godfather rejects, who all wanted their photos taken on top of the car and then insisted on buying us a beer at their bar before letting us go!

Some of the villages were almost unchanged from medieval times and getting a car through their narrow streets was a real challenge, getting a family size car into the multi-storey in Shrewsbury, is a relative doddle by comparison!

With the days challenge completed, we set off for Rome and managed to get pulled over by the Italian police...again.  This time they initially weren't quite so friendly and we got the full 'rubber-glove' treatment.....once they saw some of the promotional photos and realised we were military, they mellowed, the smiles appeared and we departed best of friends, with an escort onto the motorway with blue light flashing.....perhaps they just wanted to get rid of us ?!

Once safely installed in our hotel we all set off for the Piazza Navona in central Rome, where the final meet of 'Staples2Naples' 2008 would be held. Once we had tallied up the totals and the results were announced....Team Orange had come third ! They were awarded a tiny plastic trophy each, that was worth at least several pence, however they also got a cheque for £150 which will go straight into the Air Ambulance fund.  Job done !

Well, we will round off this final blog by saying a huge thank you to all our supporters, friends + families and donators.  Thank you all and we will be back with you soon, sadly without the Orange horror and the Spitfire, gone to a better place !

And like they say in Rome

 Chao

'Till next time ??????????????