Madrid

The previous day the temperature had dropped very fast, from warm in the morning to snowing and freezing in the afternoon. Most mornings I'd been eager to get up early and go out with me binoculars to see what birds I could find before breakfast, but on this occasion there was snow on the ground so I had a lie-in. I think I needed it too after three weeks of early mornings, high excitement, and also high altitude, the effects of which S and I had both noticed. Santa Fe is I believe the highest city in the US at 7,000 feet and although we had got acclimatised, and had grown used to going up hills at a snail's pace, we both felt a little odd this day, and were glad to be going downhill to Albuquerque.

We chose to go by the so-called Turquoise Trail', following the route taken by miners and traders in the 19th century. The old mining towns fell into disrepair but some like Madrid were extensively occupied by hippies in the 60s and 70s and many have been restored and beautfied.

The coal mining museum includes an old theatre with this ancient locomotive as its star performer.