Amazingly both of us slept through most of the night despite the noise of the train and its constant irregular movement.
The beds themselves lacked any comfort but if we managed to sleep I guess they did their job. We managed to get the bunk bed back into place with Donald’s help.
We made our way along the corridor to the dining car and our surly waitress told us the grill has stopped working. She gave no apology for this and continued that we could have the continental or the French toast. I choose the French toast with sausage. Again it proved edible, no more.
The outside scenery continued to inspire with mountains, fir trees, winding , cascading rivers and ravines. We walked along to the observation car but didn’t stay long. We had just as good a view from our room.
I continued to exercise my Achilles.
I lay down while Maggi took a walk and I fell asleep for 40 minutes. When I awoke the landscape had completely changed. We had left the mountains behind. We now started to cross the plains, no more dramatic landscapes, just slightly rolling hills, grasslands wheat and rapeseed.
Lunch, another disappointment, again a cut down menu. I choose the chilli vegan option with various sides including cheese and sour cream. It arrives without the sides. I ask for the sour cream and that arrives in a plastic tube.
So far none of the catering staff have apologised for the short menus or not bringing the full contents of the order.
Donald who also operates as the chef (I use the term very loosely) stands at the table and asks “how was the lunch?” The two elderly ladies sitting at the table opposite to us, reply in unison “great.” Maggi and I keep our mouths shut.
The train drives on and stops in Havre MT and I walk down to the Main Street for a picture. The weather is hot, probably in the low 30’s. During the afternoon we receive a somewhat garbled message over the crappy loudspeaker system to say that we now have to proceed at a maximum speed of 40 mph. Apparently railroad law prevents trains travelling any faster when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees F.
The scenery has really deteriorated this afternoon. We see either rolling hills, dry flat landscapes with little or no activity. Sitting in our carriage watching this countryside and the few Hicksville towns roll past bores me silly and I’m beginning to go stir crazy.
Montana seems to go on forever. I guess the speed restriction prolongs the boring outlook. Whenever we see signs of human habitation we also see wrecked cars and fallen down shacks.
This evening the fridge had gone so neither of the starters could be served. I had the vegetarian pasta. God knows what it contained.
At all meals the waitresses place us with another couple. This evening we sit opposite two people who met on the internet 10 years ago. We didn’t mention our forthcoming 50 year anniversary. He told us all about his 30 odd years in the marines and suggested that we visit the warship that sits in the dock in Chicago. I replied that the destroyer would be useful for the forthcoming invasion of Canada. He just didn’t know what to say to that remark.
By the time we returned to our cell the sun had begun to set and the shadows lengthen. We started the routine of making up the bed. Fortunately at that point Donald turned up and did a much better job for us while we left the room.
As we settled down for the night and closed the curtains on the last rays of the sun we finally left Montana and the time changed from 9 to 10 pm as we crossed the border into North Dakota.
We hadn’t left the train to stretch our legs since the morning. The train had now speeded up and rattled along quite smartly rocking the carriage back and forth making it difficult to get undressed and into bed.
Maggi climbed into the top bunk again under protest and we both fell asleep despite the noise of the train horn,the rattling of the rails and the swaying of our beds.