The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine: Stop #8

After two months of voyaging through the bowels of history, the Mad Chemist, Lab Assistant and their growing team are into the final stretch of their adventure. From the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, our favourite explorers have spent only a few drops of fuel to advance forward less than three decades to another momentous occasion - it's the first staging of the modern Olympics!

Overview of Stop #8: Olympics

The world's biggest sporting extravaganza has evolved greatly from its first official event back in 1896, but at the same time some of the sports which feature prominently in today's Games were present even at the end of the 19th century.

The Train Conductor managed to pull himself away from the locomotives of the Old West and has encouraged his fellow travellers to get their sweatbands and water bottles ready to join him at the track, where the discipline most synonymous with the Olympics was in full swing. That is of course track and field.

Athletics track

The very first Olympic Stadium was put together on a slightly smaller budget than we're used to in the present day, with four Athens Pillars the only real structural effort. And the City Sidewalk makes for an unforgiving running surface, but athletes will hopefully be able to overlook the hard ground as they glance up at the Olympic cauldron. Formed with four Tropical Torches, the cauldron stands tall and proud in the centre of the field and burns for the duration of the Games.

Among the events taking place down at the track is the steeplechase. Including two hurdles over Caution Tape Dividers and a water jump over Fancy Wood Dividers into a pit of Water, this is one of the most technically difficult events of the athletics schedule. So the pressure is on for the Life Coach who is getting her game face ready at the start line. And it is here that the Train Conductor can be found, not limbering up for the race, but instead providing the whistle that will get it under way!

But the steeplechase isn't the only race taking place during the voyagers' visit - the rowing regatta is in progress too, and the river is busy with athletes bursting a gut to get the gold medal.

Rowing on the river and table tennis

The rowers get themselves comfortable Down At The Dock before heading out into the deeper water to face off. There seem to be three entrants in the ongoing race, with two Gondola Dates and a Little Love Boat doing battle on the river. In each case there seems to have been a surprising amount of attention paid to outerwear, with all three pairings being rather smartly dressed for such a rough and ready sport. But that's the way they did it in the 1890s!

On the riverbank there are more elegantly dressed souls watching the race - the girl creating the Picnic Painting, the pair shooting by on their Tandem Bike, and the Playful Parasol, who is cleverly using an umbrella to avoid being sprayed as the boats go by.

Next to the rowing we have the Ping Pong Table, which at this time was not much of a mainstream game. That's why there's a tiger and panda have made the final - they're better than any human table tennis player at this juncture in the sport's history, and so are going head-to-head for the right to be crowned Olympic champion.

The action has paused over on the basketball court, where the Halftime Show is the centre of attention.

Basketball court

There are eight cheerleaders performing acrobatics to entertain the crowds, including the mascot. They're bang in-between the Basketball Hoop Lamps, and the Referee Waitress isn't too happy about this - she wants to get the game restarted! However the masses are happy to enjoy the show from Courtside Seats under dangling Bunting, and the Scoreboard suggests there's time yet for the cheerleaders to do their thing!

The cheerleaders wouldn't look out of place in the far corner of this Olympic scene either, with an enthralling parade in progress.

Olympic Parade

Rows and rows of Jolly Jockeys watch on as a Parade Car is led by a Drummer Drumming and Mexican Dancer. Attached to the car is a large float upon which six regimented Trumpet Players are puffing their cheeks out hard. Their regal tunes indicate that the Games are in full flow, much to the delight of the fans. And those supporters will be even happier after they've picked up a commemorative rose from the Rose Seller. She actually joined the crew at the Middle Ages (her absence in the Wild West was because she was away picking flowers in preparation for this stop!)

Another of our own who is getting involved in the parade is the Island Drummer. He fancies that he can outdo the trumpeters, and you wouldn't bet against him! He's taken a position at the very front of the float and is banging his drum like there's no tomorrow. If drumming were an Olympic sport he'd be a shoe-in for gold.

Sadly it's not and before long he'll have to return to the Time Machine as the adventurers move on to their next destination.

Time Machine including addition of Greek Salad

But before they depart, there's a souvenir to bring home with the Greek Salad becoming recipe number nine on the surrounding counters. The first modern Olympics were held in Greece, so it was only right that the dish brought back to the present day was something relating to the Games' birthplace. And it's a healthy option too which is always appreciated by athletes.

We've now got just one more stop until the Chemist, Cat and co have to set their sights on a return to 2016. There's just over 100 years of history lies between this stop and the present, so it will be interesting to see just where our team land up.

To be continued...

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First and foremost I have to admit to a slight oversight. The Rose Seller's absence in the Wild West is obviously not because I had her conveniently scoping out roses in the middle of the desert! I left her out by mistake, but at least she's managed to catch up with her fellow time travellers now. And I've promised her she'll enjoy the final stop...

Doing an Olympic theme was trickier than I first envisaged, since there's not quite as much related content as you'd perhaps expect. Those who completed the World Games goals back in 2012 have access to a fair number of decorations which are perfect, but as I mentioned in Saturday's Suggestions Box this was around the time I joined the Restaurant Story bandwagon, so I didn't fully appreciate the need to get the quest done.

 The Chemist, the Cat and the Time Machine

 09/05/16 Stop #7 - Wild West
 02/05/16 Stop #6 - Middle Ages
 25/04/16 Stop #5 - Ancient Asia
 18/04/16 Stop #4 - Ancient Egypt
 11/04/16 Stop #3 - Ice Age

I've made the most of what I do have, even if that does necessitate some creative thinking when looking at the scenes. Gondolas at the rowing? Tropical Torches as the Olympic flame? It requires some imagination when viewing, but I'm still satisfied with the results. It was especially nice to construct the basketball court since I've never had that stuff out in the two years since the basketball goals.

Finally, let me just make clear that this is TGT production. That is very important as it means that everything is not necessarily as it seems. I'd pay particular attention to the Rocket Fuel Punch that was procured from the very first destination - the team are carrying more fuel than they may realise...

Next: Stop #9 - Summer of Love