We woke up knowing it was transfer day—time to head to our cruise ship. That morning, we found a lovely breakfast at a small, upscale restaurant right around the corner from where we were staying. Linda ordered what they called Hungarian French toast. It was French toast topped with sour cream and cheese. Our waiter was so excited that she had ordered it that he began telling us stories about growing up and how his grandmother used to make it at home. His version sounded even better because he said they added bacon. They would also pick it up and eat it with their fingers. I had shakshuka, which was excellent. It had just the right amount of spice.

​We returned to the apartment, finished packing, and called an Uber. This time, using Uber was much like it is in the States since we were not at the airport. The ride to the ship took about 25 minutes, and we arrived around 11:00 a.m. Our cabin wasn't ready yet, so the staff offered to store our luggage. We decided to head out and visit the Shoes on the Danube Memorial.
"If you look closely, you see that the shoes are rusted, made of iron, and set into the concrete of the embankment. They are a memorial and monument to the Hungarian Jews who, in the winter of 1944–1945, were shot on the banks of the Danube River by members of the Arrow Cross Party." Throughout our visit to Budapest, we were amazed to learn that 600,000 Hungarian Jews were killed in the very last few years of WWII.  

​As we continued exploring the area, we found ourselves wondering about many of the statues and monuments we passed. I tried using Google Lens to learn more about a few of them. As it turned out, we would hear all about the area during our tour the next day.

We had heard that lunch was being served on board, so we headed back to the ship. At lunch, we discovered that our cabin was only about fifteen steps from the restaurant. By the time we finished eating, our room was ready. I can say this about the Trafalgar Reverie: it's a very nice river cruise ship. The design is sleek, with lots of mirrors and black-and-gold décor. The staterooms are quite small, with just enough room to walk around the bed. The bathrooms are an even tighter squeeze, but they still have all the comforts of home. There is plenty of closet space, a small desk, and electrical outlets of every variety.

​After our light lunch, we returned to our room to unpack. Once I was finished, I took a lap around the ship to learn the layout and see what amenities it offered. The ship has three interior decks plus a sun deck on top. In addition to the restaurant, there is a library stocked with books and board games, a coffee bar offering not only coffee but all types of tea and a well-filled cookie jar, a small boutique, and a gym. The piano bar serves as the gathering place for daily port talks and evening entertainment.

At 6:00 p.m., we gathered in the piano bar for the captain's welcome and the usual safety briefing. Afterward, we made our way to the restaurant for dinner. Linda and I chose a lovely table for four with a wonderful view of the water. We were joined by Annette and Kathleen from Australia. We thought it was a funny coincidence that another Kathleen was on this trip. Our server was Petra, and she asked if we would sit at the same table each evening. We told her that our Kathleen would be joining us the next day.
Dinner was pleasant, and the conversation flowed easily. Since the ship was repositioning, the evening's entertainment was simply watching the Reverie leave port and cruise farther into the city. The highlight of the evening was seeing the Parliament building illuminated against the night sky, along with the beautifully lit bridges of Budapest.