Yesterday was a wonderful day, topped off by a Danube dinner cruise for a late birthday present from my friend Margo, joined by Gica and Mark. Guests meet at the Duna Palota on Zrinyi u. at 6:30pm from where the guides take you to the boat. I have never heard of the Duna Palota before, but it appears to be a kind of cultural and concert center. The inside of the building is very grand, highlighted by the neo-barroque central staircase and pillars. By 7 the boat has shoved off and you are on your way for a 1.5 hour romantic night cruise. The boat was fairly full even in this weather. We were seated right at the bow of the boat and had a great panoramic view through the fogged windows. We were greeted with a glass of champagne, given a short introduction, and welcomed to dig in. The band, 2 violins and a stand-up bass, provided a nice and non-intrusive atmosphere. The buffet table was heavy on Hungarian meat dishes for the tourists, but our two vegetarians found plenty to eat. I had been craving a good salad and began with one, followed by a good tomato or minestrone soup. All of us stocked up on the polenta with rosemary and feta. The paprikas chicken was a bit sweet and overcooked, but the spinach noodles in cream was good, as were the small cups of deserts and strudel. I think my only disappointment was with the Hilltop table wine (the tourists of course cannot be expected to know any better), and would have much preferred a beer if it had been offered as an option. Perhaps it was possible, but the waiters did not mention it and I neglected to ask. There was plenty of water on the table. We took advantage of the upper floor almost too late, but there the windows are not fogged up and you can get an excellent view. You definitely see Budapest from a different perspective: the lights of Parliament, the bridges, Castle Hill... I wish we could have seen the renovated Margit Bridge from below but it was too dark. It seems Fidesz has been busy with more "bread and circuses," because the tour guide said we would travel as far as Rakoczi Bridge which I presume was Lagymanyosi just a short time ago. Unlike other Danube boats I have been on, the toilet was clean. When we were about to leave the boat, we were presented with a free beautiful photo of us at the table. We walked down to Castro's for our afterparty and my day's luck held. The place was packed, but the friendly waitress snagged us a a table. I had a beer, while everyone else had some Pastor wine from Szekszard on my recommendation - Bottlehugger Ben's current favorite vineyard. We serve their Kadarka at Treehugger events. The Medito is a cuvee of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Kekfrankos. It was a bit light for my taste, but my companions were very pleased with it. And of course, the evening was smoke-free.