April 23 Budapest

I woke early enough to catch the rosy sunrise over the Danube out my window, as we cruised towards Budapest ...opening the window/door to enjoy the crisp morning air, water lapping against the hull, and the call of birds on the shoreline...very peaceful. By 7:30 I was showered and up on the sundeck to catch the views as we sailed into Budapest, in particular the imposing neo-gothic Parliament Building that overlooks the Danube, The city is made up of two parts divided by the river - Buda (the hills) and Pest (the flatlands)
After breakfast it was time for the city tours and I opted for the Classic City tour where we started by crossing the chain bridge, the early 19th century bridge was the first to join Buda and Pest, and on to Heroes Square and the Millenial Monument that honors Hungary's greatest historical figures.
From there we headed to a church in a "castle with moat" that was originally built out of papermache for a special event but people loved so much that they had the architect rebuild it out of mortar and brick to become a permanent part of the city and parks.  We were treated to an organ concert at the church before boarding the bus to continue our tour of the Jewish quarter, and the high security area around and to get into the Great Synagogue (the guide noted security screening is higher than airport security screening), by the state Opera House, St. Stephan's Basilica, and around the Parliament before heading over to Buda.
The Castle Hill area is another designated UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 170 buildings dating back to the 13th and 14th century.  We walked the streets to St. Matthias Church with the statue of St. Stephan, the founder of Hungary (first king who was later declared a saint). Due to Easter weekend services the church was not open to the public, so we climbed up to the turrets and ramparts of the Fisherman's Bastion. Built in the 19th century the fairy-tale inspired architecture honors the fishermen who defended Buda from the Turks during the middle ages. From the top of the Bastion you have a panoramic view of the city and the river below.
Then it was back to the ship for lunch and an afternoon at your leisure.  I opted to take advantage of the thermal spa waters of Buda at the Gellert Spa...unfortunately I laid down for a few minutes rest and woke too late to make the trek to the spa. So I took in the on-board Danube fine art lecture and art exhibition, while doing my laundry.
We were then entertained by a Hungarian folklore and operetta show by the "Melody Group" in the lounge.
Great gypsy music, singing and dancing to get our toes tapping before our last dinner together.
The last dinner is a last chance to say farewell, exchange addresses and emails as well as reminisce about favorite highlights of the cruise (along with planning for the next river cruise). Then it is time to pack for the early morning disembarkation as the rooms have to be vacated by 8:30 a.m.