And the day is dawning...

Well that was an interesting night! It’s not that the bunk bed is uncomfortable but being on the top you do have a sensation that you may just plummet if you roll over too vigorously. Though you’re not going to be thrown out, it’s a train not a roller coaster but I do take the precaution of keeping the bedding tightly tucked as a convenient restraint. Really the uncomfortable aspect was the over-achieving air-conditioning. I appreciate the train explores the vast arid desserts of Nevada but on this trip we could do with it being curtailed until at least California. The slightly idiosyncratic controls (the keywords are "restored to its former 1930’s glory") don’t always do what's asked of them, and this is a major understatement when considering the wayward shower fittings so it was really rather chilly in our cabin. We are rattling along to the Grand Canyon National Park and have to get our showers in before we’re not permitted to generate ‘grey water’ in the park, that’s water from the taps or showers to you and me.

The view of the dawn sky through our window is very promising; hopefully the purplish sky doesn’t mean rain later.

We abluted and went to check out the fine breakfast Miss MJ and Miss E had rhapsodised over at dinner last night. There’s a choice of omelettes, various meats, toast and of course eggs - scrambled, over-easy or sunny-side-up. Now I know I’m back in the USA! No hash browns for M, unfortunate, being the only potato she would really indulge in but there are some tasty little potato cubes for the non-potato dodgers. And everything comes adorned with strawberries. My toast is fine as I always favour blonde toast in preference to the carbonised version M prefers. She of course felt that the bread had only been waved in the vicinity of the toaster and declared it was ‘raw’!

I adore eggs for breakfast but I always feel I need to finish off with something else, so I asked if they had any pineapple and thankfully Chad was able to conjure a plate of slivers of pineapple Carpaccio dotted with a few blackberries to accompanied the weakest of weak Earl Grey. All very indulgent indeed, and suitably fortifying for the machinations of being a tourist ahead!