Our ship is docked in the middle of Budapest. Because the river is so low (looks like 10 to 15 feet low) the ramp to the shore is very steep. We left via bus for a city tour. We walked up to the Fisherman's Bastion for a great view of the city. The truth is that every tourist in Budapest was up there and it was body-to-body. We travel in off season to avoid such experiences. Anyway, I bought a book of good pictures of Budapest highlights. Budapest is very beautiful with architecture similar to Paris with the Danube separating Buda (hilly) from Pest (flat). After lunch we visited a huge green market across the street. The street level had stalls with all kinds of meat, produce, spices (mostly paprika), honey, etc Upstairs had stalls with souveirs, embroidery, eggs, etc. Made some purchases. At 4:15 we left for a concert by the Danube symphony. They played a wonderful selection of favorite Hungarian composers. We arrived back in time for dinner at 7:00 pm. Dinner started with Hungarian goulash (actually soup). Enjoyed good conversation with Platteville friends. After dinner, they repositioned the ship to a spot where it would be easier to disembark tomorrow morning. Of course, there was champagne. The city was beautfully lighted and we glided along with the tour guide telling us what we were seeing. It was the first time we were able to be on the top deck--no rain!! A great ending to an absolutely idyllic evening. Oops, it didn't end there, we still had to pack.
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