We crossed the border into Hungary, making it our third country in one day, and saw lots of flat plains and sunflower fields. After crossing the Danube and seeing lots of people on the little beaches enjoying the river, we arrived into Budapest city late afternoon. Petr drove us straight up Gellert-Hegy to the Citadella for great views over the city. We saw the river, the Parliament building, all the bridges and Margit-sziget. The Pest side of the river is very flat compared to the Buda side.
The highlight for today was an evening cruise on the Danube with dinner and drinks. We had to rush to finish dinner before dark so we could get our photos of all the buildings lit up for the night. Dinner was lovely - beautiful salads and cold cuts, followed by goulash and paprika chicken with pasta/rice, and cake for dessert. Sights included the Parliament, stage for the opening ceremony FINA world championships (a rehearsal was taking place, so we saw fountains and fireworks), Royal Palace, Gellert Hill with Liberty statue, Fisherman's Bastion, river cruise boats, and all the bridges - Liberty (green bridge), Elizabeth (suspension bridge), Szechenyi (chain bridge) and Margit Hid. A wonderful experience!