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Remember how I said there would be no bunching on this leg? I was wrong. Ernie & Cindy arrive at the train station where they discover that the next train doesn’t leave until after midnight. All of the participants are likely to wind up on this same voyage. And remember how I said this would be an eventful ticket purchase for Ernie & Cindy? As they express their frustration about the unexpected bunching, they leave the ticket area. The clever camera operator notes something that neither of them does. Their tickets have fallen to the floor, meaning that they do not have the appropriate travel documents for this train ride. Remember how I was hoping Ernie & Cindy were eliminated this week? I may get my wish.

Back at Legoland, Bill & Cathi are the last team to arrive. We the viewers know what they do not. They are about to be in a five way tie for first, whether they deserve it or not. And speaking of people who deserve to lose, Ernie & Cindy have recognized that they are missing the one item that all people riding on a train need: train tickets.

There are two phases of this journey. The first is from Hamburg to Cologne, Germany while the second is Cologne to Brussels, Belgium. They still have their tickets for the first half of the trip but not the second. They cannot afford to buy new tickets, so they get on the train anyway, hoping that the conductor can verify their purchase. When informed that she cannot, they are left to hope that the conductor does not ask for them during the trip to Belgium. In a twist that seems like producer meddling, this is exactly what happens. The question becomes whether they will suffer a penalty at the pit stop as punishment for their mistake. They should.

When they depart the train station, there is a mad scramble for a taxi. This also may yet prove to be a violation of the rules. There is a clear line for all train station customers to wait for a cab, at least 25 of them. All of the participants in this competition become Ugly Americans for a moment by running into the streets and flagging down a ride before they drive to the waiting line. Bill & Cathi switch from last to first as they reach the intended destination, the European Parliament building, a gorgeous looking piece of architecture.

The clue states that in honor of Jean-Claude Van Damme (?), they will participate in a professional bodybuilding competition. After learning a series of roughly a dozen poses, each team will have a pose-down where judges will determine whether they have scored the requisite 12 points in composite scoring needed to pass.

While the banana hammocks the men sport are absurd looking, the good news here is that all of the contestants are a lot more muscular than we had realized. Bill & Cathi are self-conscious throughout the competition as they stand near their much younger peers, but I think I speak for North America when I say that I hope I look as good as they do at their age.

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