Wow, what a fabulous final day on our cruise. This morning, we were given a guided tour as our ship cruised into Budapest. Hunor Nagy, our Hungarian tour director, spoke with pride as he pointed out the attractions that can be seen from the Danube and gave us the history behind them. Our ship docked across from the stately and stunning parliament buildings. He deserves a lot of credit for securing that docking space ahead of everyone else.

We spent the afternoon at the spa, enjoying the hot springs. My knees and back were grateful. Back on board ship, we experienced an hour of Hungarian traditional music and dance. Four young dancers and three musicians filled with exuberance entertained us with their artistry and agility.

Tonight, the captain sailed from our docking place down the river and back so that we could experience Hunor’s daylight tour of magical Budapest after dark. High above the city, their statue of liberty holding the olive branch of peace looks down with love. She is free. After World War II, the Russian Communists had put a red star upon her. In 1990 when the Russian soldiers left Hungary, the star was removed. Once again, she is a Hungarian symbol of integrity, peace, and strength.

The short evening cruise brought a perfect ending to a dream holiday. Now, I am sitting on our little veranda. I am looking across at the parliament building. Totally illuminated against the dark sky, this bastion of new democracy outshines any prince’s palace. My heart is filled with joy and gratitude.

Tonight, we gave a copy of my book, Spectacular Stella, to one of the young women who served us all day and evening for the last two weeks. She has a four-year-old son at her home in Croatia. Our small gift obviously brought her joy. She fetched her phone from her cabin to show us a picture of her beautiful son with the sparkling blue eyes and long eyelashes. Her love and pride in her little boy touched my heart. This day has overflowed with joy.