My colleague, Eamonn Butler, and I were due to attend a conference in Vancouver. We thought it might be quite an experience to take the train that crossed Canada and went over some spectacular scenery in the Rockies. The full journey took 5 days, over mostly flat country, so we opted for the last leg, catching it at Calgary to enjoy the scenic day and a half ride through the mountains. We flew direct into Calgary and enjoyed breakfast at the top of the tower before catching the train next morning.
After we'd settled into our cabin and enjoyed some spectacular scenery, we headed to the bar for a pre-lunch drink, only to be told that because it was a Sunday, the bar would not be open. Oh dear. This looked as though it might be a long journey, but the waiter helpfully told us that they could serve drinks with meals in the dining car. We spent most of the day in the dining car, having lunch there, then afternoon tea, and then dinner. The scenery was awesome, as were some of the gradients we climbed, but at least we had something to do as we watched it unfold. We reached Vancouver early next morning without a trace of jet-lag.