Original subtitles

♪

40, 41, 42, 43, 44...

Both: 45, 46, 47.

I'll get the shovels.

Yeah. I'll be right back.

♪

you might be wondering what I'm doing

out in the middle of the night in the french countryside

with this random woman, and short answer is,

I'm hoping to earn a half a million dollars.

Josh! Yep, coming.

Okay.

♪

definitely hit something hard.

It is...

♪

♪

you know how, when you tackle a puzzle,

you just can't wait to start the next one?

Well, that's exactly how I felt after our recent investigation

into a maddening book of riddles called "the secret."

but it turns out there is more than one book

that leads to buried treasure.

Ladies and gentleman, I give you "the golden owl,"

a contest I knew nothing about until a young fan of our show

suggested it might make for a great expedition.

And once I started researching it, I was hooked.

That's because, right now,

a 10-inch owl statuette made of silver, gold, and jewels

is hidden somewhere in France.

Oh, and did I mention it's worth half a million dollars?

Awarded to the first person who can find it.

In 1993, puzzle mastermind max valentin

and artist michel becker

created the statue as the prize to a mind-bending contest.

They published a book featuring 11 devious riddles and paintings

that form a cryptic road map to the owl's buried location.

Decode the clues, and you win a fortune.

Over the years, thousands of so-called owlers

became obsessed and raced against each other,

only to come up empty-handed.

Now, on the 25th anniversary of the bird's burial,

new interpretations of the clues and new technology

have treasure hunters believing they're on the cusp

of winning the prize.

So now I'm joining the most driven puzzle fanatics in France

to crack the code of the golden owl.

♪

my name is josh gates...

Look! [ laughs ]

...Explorer, adventurer...

That is it!

...And a guy who ends up in some very strange situations.

Ah, ah, aah, haa!

With a degree in archaeology

and a passion for the unexplained,

I travel to the ends of the earth,

investigating the greatest legends in history.

Okay, let's punch it.

This is "expedition unknown."

-- captions by vitac -- www.Vitac.Com

captions paid for by discovery communications

now, where were we?

♪

definitely hit something hard.

It is...

...A rock.

Oh, no!

No, no, no.

[ speaking french ]

interpreter: I was sure this was the place.

I'm sorry.

I thought you had it.

I was sure it was here.

All the solutions were right.

Well, maybe it's close.

Let's dig some more holes.

Okay. Okay. Okay.

We'll keep looking.

40, 41, 42...

Gates: Welcome to the world of pain and suffering

that is the search for the golden owl.

Many so-called owlers, just like tina here,

have searched in vain for the buried bird.

As for us, we dig a few more empty holes,

and then I return to my hotel to dream of gold.

♪

I wake up to make a fresh start in the medieval city of bourges.

To tackle France's ultimate puzzle,

I'm in a town that couldn't be more french if it tried.

It has a soaring gothic cathedral,

picture-perfect cobblestone streets.

There are even people sitting on benches,

waving baguettes, for heaven's sake.

It's the kind of place that makes you want to find a bistro

and spend the entire day drinking tiny cups of coffee.

♪

what do you want? It's France.

♪

but I can't linger long because I have an expedition to start.

Tina, the woman I was out digging with last night,

has invited me to a secret meeting of other owlers

who claim to be close to finding the prize.

♪

the invitation brings me to a modest château near downtown,

but I have no idea what I'm getting into.

Definitely the right spot.

♪

I descend into the depths of the mansion,

toward a clandestine gathering that appears to be

the world's most paranoid book club.

Okay.

Nothing spooky about this.

In the cellar of this 18th-century castle,

it looks like the owlers are preparing for battle.

Here are some of the brightest

and most determined puzzlers in all of France,

brought together by the 25th anniversary of the game

and the common goal of winning it once and for all.

Tina. Hello. Oh, josh.

Oh. [ laughs ]

hey. How are you?

You get some sleep?

Yes. Good to see you.

Wow. This is like a war room.

Amazing.

This is my kind of group,

and to join them, I need to know what they know.

[ speaking french ]

ah, hello.

So tina invites me up for a crash course in owling 101.

Hi, everybody. Tina, thank you so much.

I'll try not to take too much time.

Let me start with an easy question.

Where's the owl buried?

[ laughter ]

you guys are the best of the best here.

I want to know how long each of you have been looking.

21.

21 years? Yes.

Anybody else can beat that?

Anybody from the very beginning?

24. Wow.

We've got some long-term lunatics here.

[ laughter ]

I'm here to understand this.

Here's what I know.

This book is a treasure hunt,

and there are 11 puzzles inside the book,

each one with a riddle and a painting.

We start at the beginning with the first one?

-No, no. -No.

It's not so simple.

Gates: Okay, so, why don't we start at the beginning?

They are out of order. Okay.

So, how do we know what order to put them in?

Because there's 10 riddles with numbers...

Uh-huh. ...On the title.

And one is a letter b.

So start with b.

Okay. We begin with b.

The riddle reads,

"there are none so blind as those who will not see,"

and sits opposite the enigma, or painting of a rainbow.

Clearly the solution has something to do

with seeing color.

We see 1 equals 530.

3 equals 470.

5 equals 600.

And these are the numbers we see

at the tops of some of the other riddles.

Does that mean that the first riddle is 530?

Exactly. Aha. Okay.

The riddle shows us clearly the order

of the odd-numbered puzzles,

but what about the even numbers?

So, how do we know where to put the other riddles?

There's a rainbow, yes.

The rainbow is the key.

Each of the numbered riddles is accompanied

by the picture of an owl,

each one a different color.

The owlers figured out that the riddle numbers

refer to the wavelengths of the corresponding colors

on the visible spectrum.

♪

uh-huh.

Go to the clue labeled 530.

At the top, there's a green owl. Yes, it is.

They also realized that to figure out

the order of the missing puzzles,

you have to look at the opposite color on the wheel.

I see. So, on a standard color wheel,

if 530 is green, directly across from it is...

780. 780.

So, 780 is a kind of magenta color,

and that matches the owl...

Exactly. ...At the top of that page.

Exactly.

With the color wheel guiding them,

the owlers have determined the correct order

of all the riddles.

So, by solving this puzzle,

it sets the order for the whole game?

Yes. And so, does everybody agree

this is the right solution?

-Yes. -Yes.

Gates: Okay. So 1 down, 10 to go.

Man: Yeah, exactly.

All right. I'm feeling confident here.

I'm feeling good. This is great.

I have to say, I am seriously geeking out inside,

and I eagerly move on to the next clue,

the one numbered 530.

So, this is where we really start?

Man: Yes. Yeah?

Unlike the first riddle, this is a language-based puzzle.

A french language-based puzzle.

The owlers walk me through the lines,

each of which leads to a letter.

So, it says, "my first,

first half of the half of the first age."

so, the first age meaning?

Together: Baby. Being a baby.

So, in french, "baby" is "bébé."

b-e-b-e. Right?

So the first of the first half is...

-B. -B.

Gates: B. Okay.

The puzzle uses more wordplay to reveal other letters.

"my second and third, seeking their way"

alludes to the french word for "where"

and gives us the next two letters --

o and u.

"my fourth is inhaled" --

air, which, in french,

is pronounced like the letter r.

The other lines of the riddle fill in the rest --

b, o, u, r, g, e, s.

Bourges.

Man: Yeah. [ applause ]

ha!

The city that we're in. Man #2: Yeah.

-So that's why we're here. -Exactly.

Because this really is where the puzzle begins.

-Exactly. -I get it.

Like the first clue,

the illustration works with the riddle.

In this case, the rooster is a symbol of France.

Its head is mounted against an outline of the country,

and its eye is located in the center -- on bourges.

That's 2 out of 11.

We're doing great.

Does everyone pretty much agree on the first two puzzles?

Man: Yes. Yeah?

Does everybody agree on the third one?

Man #2: No. [ laughs ]

this is where the fistfight breaks out.

Okay, our first major roadblock.

From this point, the owlers all go their own ways.

The riddle seems to refer to sites all over France.

Even looking at the owlers' maps is enough

to make your head hurt.

It all comes down to interpreting the clues.

Ask 100 different owlers where the riddles lead,

and you'll get 100 different places in which to dig.

Thank you all so much for giving me a huge education

in a short amount of time.

I have a lot to think about,

and I'll let you get on with the meeting.

Thank you guys very much.

Thanks.

The impressive group here is only the tip

of the owler iceberg.

Some of the top puzzlers in the game couldn't make it

because they believe they're on the verge of victory.

Now I'm heading to the heart of France to join them.

It's a big country out there,

but somewhere underneath it is the golden owl,

and my hunt is just getting started.

♪

♪

gates: 25 years ago, french author max valentin

buried a statue of an owl worth half-a-million dollars,

awarded to the first person

to solve some of the most fiendish puzzles ever conceived.

It's one hell of a game, and I'm driving into the alps

to meet one of its most outspoken

and passionate players,

who's convinced that he's right on the verge

of unlocking the answer.

♪

in the charming town of lus-la-croix-haute,

I meet ivon crole and his son francois.

-Très bien. Hi. -Hi. Francois.

Francois, nice to meet you.

Please. Thanks very much.

[ speaking french ]

interpreter: So, you've come here to learn

all of my secrets about the golden owl?

Yes, I want to learn some secrets.

What is this? In the box?

What is this?

What am I looking at here? It's a secret.

So, this is a cylinder, and here are all the paintings,

and here are all of the riddles,

and then is this your solution? Yes.

How long have you been working on this puzzle?

Oh [speaks french]

20 years? 20 years.

So, if we follow your line here all the way through,

what I'm really interested in is this.

This. The ending.

Right. Yeah.

Where is this? I can explain.

Explain, please. Go ahead.

Yeah, go ahead. Okay.

Gates: Crole pulls out a large map

that contains his owl-hunting research.

This, I'm pretty sure, is not what a hobby looks like.

Here we go. Oh, my god. Look at this.

This is, like, what a conspiracy theorist

would hang on the wall of their house.

This is -- if the police saw this,

they would arrest you, crole.

Yes. Right?

So, I see bourges, which is the beginning, the opening.

Yes. So, walk me through it.

[ speaking french ]

gates: Crole begins to explain his solution.

Let's just say I'm glad that I ate before coming to the café.

Carignan? Right, yes.

The sword of roland? Francois: Yes.

Okay. In this illustration with the shovel, we see numbers.

And this shield is the family shield of león?

Yes. Hmm.

The opening, you can see the light?

That's where napoleon landed. Right.

[ speaking french ]

it's three-dimensional?

Right.

Francois, are you following this?

Ah, yes.

I'm just nodding a lot and pretending I get all of this.

All right.

Oh, boy. More maps.

Complicated, huh? Okay.

[ speaking french ]

the two is smaller,

so what do you do with it?

Oh, boy.

Okay, more maps.

The meridian and the altitude.

I thinks that's all right, yes.

[ speaks french ]

gates: Okay, everyone got that?

Crole, we need to get you a hobby.

Golf? Have you thought about maybe golfing?

Honestly, it would take a 10-part television special

to explain crole's elaborate solve.

So let me just cut to the chase here.

He's convinced the owl is buried

on the summit of a peak just outside this town.

Here, at the top of the mountain?

And then how do we get up here?

Okay.

How confident are you that it's here?

[ speaks french ] 100%?

Not 100%. 1,000%?

Yeah. Okay.

Okay?

I'm willing to go with 1,000%.

♪

gates: Crole and francois take me to connect

with filippo barsuglia, a geophysics expert

who's going to scan the soil at the search site.

He's here with luc, who's going to drive us into the mountains.

Gates: Should we do it?

Let's go. Come on. Here we go.

Five fully grown men climb into a vehicle with room for four,

and we set off for the owl.

Okay, I'm in.

Come on over.

Come on in. Come on in.

Oh, my god. Okay.

We made it. We're in.

Whoo.

We're in. Very roomy, very comfortable here.

I usually don't like to foreshadow,

but this is gonna turn out to be

one of the least pleasant rides of my life.

♪

it's gonna be like that. Okay.

In our search for the golden owl,

our driver has a lead foot.

Hang on.

Now, luc here is licensed to drive a vehicle?

Is that... Man: Yes.

Do we know that?

[ man singing in french ]

♪

okay.

Luc, the owl's not going anywhere.

It's buried.

There's no rush.

He speeds up the mountain.

My life would be playing before my eyes,

but luc keeps blowing past it.

Oh, now he's gonna start texting.

This guy is really bold.

Luc, if you could just update my facebook status

to "[bleep] terrified,"

that would be great.

♪

he finally slows down as the road goes from paved to unpaved.

This is not an improvement.

[ engine revving ]

♪

yi! Aye-yi-yi!

At least we're not on a cliff...

Overlooking a 1,000-foot drop.

Eventually, the road gets too gnarly for even luc to drive on.

Fini. Finished.

Finished. Right?

Yeah, I'm finished.

Okay? Okay.

Let's get out of this thing before it explodes.

Come on.

Good god.

So, we climb out and prepare to hike to the grassy summit

and owler immortality.

[ thunder crashes ]

okay, everybody in the 4x4. Let's go.

Trails are flooding. We got to go.

Whoa!

[ thunder crashes ]

in case you just joined us during the title card,

halfway up to the summit, the skies suddenly darkened

and unloaded a torrent of lighting, rain, and hail.

[ thunder crashing ]

now we're running under thousands of tall trees

during an electrical storm...

[ thunder crashes ]

...While carrying hundreds of pounds of metal.

Not good.

♪

we try to protect the gear, then ourselves,

rushing to get back downhill to the truck as soon as possible.

[ thunder crashes ]

and just when I thought it couldn't get worse...

Go for -- go for josh.

Hey, josh, I think we have an issue.

I'm sorry. Who's lost?

Crole is missing.

♪

[ thunder crashes ]

♪

gates: In the foothills of the french alps,

my host, ivon crole, has brought me to dig

at where he believes the fabled golden owl is buried,

but a violent electrical storm

has scattered us into the woods and into danger.

[ thunder crashes ]

go for josh.

Hey, josh, I think we have an issue.

I'm sorry. Who's lost?

Crole is missing.

The search for the golden owl

has suddenly turned into a search for a golden owler.

He probably tried to start coming down out of the rain.

He probably just took a different path down.

Let's see if we can find him.

Our treasure hunt is now a rescue mission.

Everybody keep an eye out for crole.

He came down. We're not exactly sure what path he's on.

[ thunder crashes ]

the crew fans out into the woods to try to find crole.

Crole!

[bleep]

the rain and hail keep falling

until we find our real prize.

[ thunder crashes ]

hey, hey.

You okay?

I, uh... You okay?

Okay, but... Yeah.

Where were you? Where did you go?

Where did you go?

Interpreter: I was looking for the owl.

You went for the owl.

Did you find him?

Let's get you down to the car.

Come on.

Yeah, maybe. Huh?

Yes. We will return. Huh? Ah.

[ laughs ]

I thought we lost that guy.

With everyone finally present and accounted for,

we make a run for the car.

Okay, everybody in the 4x4. Let's go.

Okay, let's drive.

As we flee the mountain,

I'm stunned at the lengths that the owlers go to,

the risks they'll take to solve the puzzle.

It's impressive...Or crazy.

Maybe both.

♪

[ thunder crashes ]

♪

the next morning, the sun breaks through.

I've lost a day, so to stay on schedule, I'm pressing on.

Crole will head back up the mountain and update me by phone

if he hits pay dirt...

Or gets hit by lightning.

Yesterday was pretty miserable.

It was a tough day at the office.

But I'm trying to stay positive,

and I am more determined than ever to figure this thing out.

And so to crack the case,

I'm actually taking a bit of a detour to meet with a man

who, ironically, isn't looking for the owl at all,

even though he might be the one person

who actually knows where it is.

I drive across the country 410 miles

as the owl flies to the town of rochefort.

The puzzles in "the golden owl" were created

by a man named max valentin, but the cryptic paintings

were the work of an artist named michel becker.

He's agreed to meet me, and if I'm lucky,

I'll get him to drop a few hints on the owl's location.

♪

I meet him at his studio,

where he leads me into a very special gallery.

Oh, my word! Look at this!

These are the paintings from "the golden owl."

yes, the original paintings of "the golden owl."

wow. So many people

have been driven crazy by these paintings.

How did all of this start?

How did you and max come together?

It started as a promotion for a jewelry line.

For a jewelry line? Yes.

The golden owl began as a marketing stunt.

The riddles and paintings had already been made

when the jewelry line backed out of the campaign,

but max and michel had created a riddle for the ages

and were committed to unleashing it on the world.

Michel used his own savings to forge the golden owl,

along with the brass replica that max would bury,

which the winner could turn in for the real thing.

And with that, the hunt was on.

I have to ask you, do you know where the owl is buried?

Do you think I know?

I don't know.

I think you might. I don't know.

You don't know? You don't know.

I don't know. Really?

We don't know. You promise?

Yes, I promise you.

Michel, it appears, doesn't know the location of the owl.

Only max valentin knew the puzzle's solution,

but in 2009, he died tragically in a car accident,

leaving the prize undiscovered

and the treasure hunt very much unresolved.

What was your belief about people solving the puzzle?

Did you think that somebody would solve it quickly?

I thought maybe two or three years, and even today,

I'm surprised, because I can imagine now

maybe I will die, myself, before knowing the solution.

For 16 years, max valentin stayed out of the public eye,

but in close contact with the community

that sprang up to solve his masterpiece.

He even fought to preserve the game against outside meddling.

A 2006 lawsuit by some of max's creditors

tried to repossess the owl and melt it down to repay debts,

but a judge refused to end the game,

citing the integrity

and cultural value of their creation.

So the owl remains out there

until someone finds it fair and square.

Are there any paintings where you feel like people

haven't figured it out at all?

Any of the 11 paintings where you feel...

I think the most difficult for people

is that one, behind you.

This one? Yes.

♪

gates: Uh-huh.

Uh-huh. You just --

max told you to put something in here?

-Aha. -That's it.

But are you saying that the only thing

that matters in this painting are the numbers?

There's no hidden other things I need to look for?

Or it's just the numbers?

Becker: The only part of the clue are the numbers.

Okay? Uh-huh.

That's an information for you. Okay.

I never told that to nobody in France, you know?

Okay. It's just the numbers. That's true, that's true.

It's just the numbers. Just the numbers.

The thing that I'm getting from you, I have to say,

more than anything else

is a simplification of this whole puzzle.

People are making it too complicated.

Infinitely too complicated.

Infinitely too complicated.

That's my message to them.

Keep it simple? Keep it simple.

Gates: Easy for him to say.

He's not looking for the owl.

But he's gonna throw a bone to one weary traveler who is.

♪

since you're so curious,

and you came all the way from america,

I will show you something no other owler has seen.

Okay.

♪

he brings me out of the studio and out of the town

to a forest at the edges of rochefort.

What is this place?

Just follow me.

I'm getting used to these guys dragging me into strange places,

but these tunnels are special.

They're the quarries for the stone

from which rochefort was built.

So, watch your head.

It becomes a little bit difficult.

Okay.

What is this?

[ laughs ] okay.

Oh, my word.

Gates: Whatever I'm here to see, it's heavy.

♪

here.

Okay.

Should I open it? Yes.

You can open it.

That's a strap, yeah?

♪

oh...My god!

♪

♪

gates: Underneath the town of rochefort, France,

illustrator michel becker is about to unveil something

that I hope is the key to solving

the half-million-dollar puzzle of the golden owl.

Oh....My god!

That's it?! The owl?

Yes. The real owl?

The real, true golden owl.

May I touch it? Yes.

Do it, please.

It's heavy.

Wow.

It's long been public knowledge

that the bird max valentin buried 25 years ago

is actually a bronze replica that can be turned in

for this -- the real thing.

So, this is all gold? Yes.

The wings are made with more than 6 pounds of gold,

and this part is made of silver.

And you have also a part in gold

on the face of the owl with 500 diamonds.

500 diamonds? Yeah.

500 diamonds. [ chuckles ]

wow. That's a treasure.

That's a treasure. That's a real treasure.

A real treasure, yes.

This wondrous prize, this piece of art

has almost never been seen by the public.

Like every owler in France,

I've been dreaming of holding the golden owl in my hands,

and now I have it...

If only for a moment.

I appreciate you showing me this.

Yes, of course.

Back in the box.

I reluctantly relinquish the golden owl.

If I want to see it again, I'll need to earn it.

And my next shot at the prize is coming right up.

♪

500 miles to the northeast,

one of the owlers I met at tina's meeting in bourges

is about to make his latest assault on the treasure.

Code-named kaspius, he's one of the most experienced

and respected owlers out there,

and he's requested to meet, of all places, at an airstrip.

Good to see you.

First of all, your ride is much cooler than mine.

Interpreter: A little bit, yeah.

So, I have to ask you the same thing

that I've been asking everybody -- why here?

[ speaking french ]

save your questions till after we get going.

Let's get in the chopper.

Okay. All right. No questions asked.

This side? Sit down.

Okay. Here we go.

Man of mystery.

Gates: For all you kids watching at home,

do not get into a helicopter with any stranger

who won't let you ask questions..

Unless, of course, there's a half-million-dollar golden owl

in it for you.

♪

♪

once we're airborne, kaspius opens up a little.

We're here because he believes the chain of puzzles

points toward the nearby town of dabo.

Okay, we're going to dabo.

Wait. Wait. What's in dabo?

La spirale.

La spirale, la spirale.

The spiral. La spirale.

Spiral? Okay. La spirale. [ speaks french ]

so we need to find a spiral in the town of dabo?

Yes, sir.

Is there a spiral in the town of dabo?

Interpreter: We have to look. Okay.

Gates: My meeting with the puzzle's artist

taught me a valuable lesson --

keep it simple.

If the puzzle demands a spiral, find a spiral.

♪

this is dabo?

This is dabo.

Okay, I'm looking.

I see a beautiful french town.

I see lots of trees.

I see -- is that a church?

Ah, I see a church on a hill.

So far, no spirals.

The chopper swings around for another pass over dabo.

It's great sightseeing, but we still haven't spotted

the spiral we're looking for...

Until...

Look down. Look down?

Look down. I'm looking down.

That's it!

The road is the spiral.

The road is the clue.

Look at it!

La spirale. [ speaks french ]

♪

okay!

Okay, yes.

Nice job, man!

That's definitely it.

Man, I love this puzzle.

This is what kaspius was counting on,

and so far, he seems to be on the right trail.

[ speaking french ]

interpreter: Let's land and get going.

Absolutely. Let's get this thing on the ground.

We touch down and immediately hike toward dabo chapel.

♪

okay, so, there's the church that we saw.

We're at the base of this big spiral road.

Now what? [ speaks french ]

okay, we have to look at another enigma.

Okay, so, which one do we need to look at?

This. This one?

Okay, it's puzzle time again,

and this one is ridiculously complicated.

But, trust me, it's worth it.

The next clue is titled

"the good way is the opposite way, and vice versa"

and has 10 lines of numbers.

The numbers, kaspius figured out,

were part of a conversion code.

So, we need to convert each of the numbers into letters.

So 1 is a, 2 is b,

3 is c? [ speaking french ]

that kind of thing?

But, of course, the right way is the opposite way,

so we reverse the string of letters.

If you're confused, don't worry.

It just means you're paying attention.

Next, we look at the corresponding painting

which shows a series of letters that are a match

for the english music-notation scale,

but in France, the musical scale

is represented by syllables --

do, re, mi, fa,

sol, la, si.

When we find the french syllables

in our reversed cipher and substitute

the corresponding english notes,

it makes a word that seems awfully familiar.

Bourges. Bourges.

The town of bourges, where it all started.

And then we can do this for every line.

[ speaking french ]

got it.

The result of all these substitutions

is 10 cities in France,

each of which starts with a letter

that is assigned a numerical value,

which gives us the key to solving the next riddle.

So, the next clue is...

The key. Okay. Literally the key.

Now, using the code from the previous clue,

the letters in this riddle become numbers.

So, what are these numbers meant to be?

Interpreter: They relate to the scientific periodic table.

The periodic table? Voilà.

These are atomic weights?

Gates: When we match the atomic weights to the periodic table,

we end up with a series of 21 elements,

each of which has a one- or two-letter symbol.

When we put them all together in order,

they spell out a hidden clue,

which is, of course, in french.

So, once you decode it and then decode it again

and then decode it a third time,

and then once I translate it into english

so that I can read it, it says,

"the key is hidden on a black perched ship."

okay. So we're looking for a ship in a town

that's 100 miles from the ocean.

Look behind you.

Look behind me.

Oh, my god.

The church.

That's the ship.

♪

♪

gates: As I crisscross France in search of the golden owl,

I have some time to reflect on the odd relationship

that my home country shares with this one.

I have to say, I am very pro France,

and I think everybody should be.

It's so weird in america.

We seem to be much cozier with England,

even though our whole country was founded

because we were trying to escape England,

and the french were the ones who helped us do it.

And they gave us that cool statue.

Plus, think about all of the great french contributions

to american culture --

the french fry, french kissing,

the croissan'wich.

Words like "rendezvous" and "déjà vu,"

all the "-vous."

mimes.

All right, mimes are lame,

but the rest of it's really good.

♪

gates: I'm on the outskirts of the village of dabo

in northeastern France,

where my search for the golden owl has us hunting

for what one of the riddles calls "a black perched ship."

so we're looking for a ship in a town

that's 100 miles from the ocean.

Look behind you.

Look behind me.

Hmm?

Oh, my god.

The church.

That's the ship.

The church on the rock is the black perched ship.

[ speaks french ]

it's silhouetted, and it looks exactly like a steamship

on the ocean.

Until you said it, I would never have thought of it,

but look at it. That's it.

Interpreter: Shall we go up?

Yes. Come on, to the top.

This guy's right. It's great.

That's totally a ship.

Gates: We make a long walk up the spiral

to where the ship is perched,

aka saint-leon church on dabo rock.

It's dedicated to a local kid who made it big --

pope leo ix.

♪

so, this is the end game for you? Right here?

Interpreter: This is where it is.

Okay, and I see a lot of cement up here.

Where do you think it's buried?

There's a grassy area over there.

I think it's buried in the corner.

In the corner? [ speaks french ]

gates: To the side of the chapel is a patch of grass

the perfect size for our golden owl.

The golden owl is right here?

Uh-huh. You're sure?

I'm sure. Very sure?

Very, very sure.

Okay. All right.

Let's get the equipment. The man is sure.

He's very, very sure.

♪

we dig for gold in a moment of truth.

This is what kaspius has been waiting for

since he first picked up max valentin's book.

But we make it 3 feet down,

and nothing is there.

Fortunately, I brought a metal detector to be sure.

Here we go.

♪

no. No?

Okay, it's not there.

Not there. [ speaks french ]

maybe your calculations were off just a little bit.

So, we've got the metal detector. I'll keep looking.

We'll go around the whole peak, see if we find anything.

Okay. Okay. Good.

And let's fill that in.

♪

I sweep the area as the sun sets on our search.

Nothing here.

It could be buried behind this, though.

So I guess we should check in here, as well.

Up until now, I had assumed

that the owl would be buried underground,

but here is a second tantalizing possibility.

[ detector beeps ]

something. That's big.

Under this? Buried under this maybe?

♪

ah. You got something?

What is that?!

What is that?

Wait. What is that?

Cist.

A cist? Cist.

The cist, or compartment, is actually a geocache.

Geocaching is a relatively recent phenomenon

where people hide small markers at exact gps coordinates

and challenge others to find them.

And it turns out one of the earliest proponents

of geocaching also hid a golden owl.

Interpreter: Max valentin introduced these to France

a couple of decades ago.

The puzzle creator? Oui.

I love this guy.

He's just obsessed with puzzles.

Gates: Like all geocaches, this one offers the chance

to learn who has been here before.

It has notes in here.

Oh, my french is bad. So, what does it say?

"the joy is in the seeking"...

"the joy is in the seeking and...

[ speaking french ]

...The reward is to be here."

yeah.

"the joy is in the seeking, and the reward is to be here."

hmm. I like that.

Ain't that the truth.

That's beautiful. [ laughing ] yeah.

So, not the golden owl,

but a little piece of max valentin's magic.

Should we sign our name?

Okay. Yeah.

Kaspius.

And I'm just now realizing I do not have an owler code name.

I'm gonna go with this...

Because I am obsessed with this puzzle,

and I know that, one day...

"owl" be back. ...'owl' be back.

And so, with the signing of the geocache,

I leave my own mark

as one of max's treasure hunters on the trail of the golden owl.

Okay, back in the wall.

Okay.

♪

good.

Okay.

Another treasure waiting to be found.

Come on. Allez.

This is when I learn what kaspius

and all his fellow owlers already understand.

The search for the golden owl is not a solitary activity.

By going out into the french countryside

to find max valentin's prize,

I became part of something larger than myself --

a community, one that has banded together in pursuit of a goal

that others might view as impossible.

That's why, despite 25 years of searching,

the enthusiasm for the golden owl

isn't just undiminished --

it's bigger than ever.

I've had a taste of victory alongside owlers

cracking new clues,

and I became one of the only people

to hold the owl in 20 years.

One day, I know the owl will be found,

and when it is, I'll pop a bottle of champagne

to toast the winner, grateful that, for a brief time,

I was an owler, as well.

♪