Our first full day aboard the Avalon Passion began in Budapest, where the ship stayed docked for the day. We started with a buffet breakfast on board, which was a welcome and civilized way to begin after several days of travel, walking, and heroic laundry management.

At 9:00 a.m., we joined the group for a hike up to the Citadel. Kirsten’s foot was still sore from her ankle injury, but she made it all the way up like a champion. She may have been limping slightly, but she was still going. There are different kinds of travel heroes. Some lead armies. Some discover continents. Some climb hills in Europe with a sore ankle and still manage to make jokes on the way up.

There was plenty of joking along the way, some of it family-blog-appropriate and some of it probably better left safely in the family archives.

The hike took about an hour and a half, and the views over Budapest made the effort worth it. From up high, the city opened up below us — the Danube dividing Buda and Pest, bridges crossing the river, and the Parliament building standing out along the water. It was a great way to see the shape of the city from above.

After the hike, we returned to the ship for lunch. The afternoon was slower and more relaxed. Some of us spent time on the top deck sunning and enjoying the river views, while others worked on computers or rested. There was also time in the hot tub, which felt especially nice after the morning hike and all the miles our feet had already carried us through Europe.

Later in the afternoon, around 4:00 p.m., we took a train to Margaret Island, a large green island in the middle of the Danube. There, we rented one of those four-person pedal bikes with four wheels and four sets of pedals.

It was beautiful, chaotic, and hilarious.

A four-person pedal bike sounds charming until you realize it requires four people to agree on speed, steering, effort, and bell usage. This is not transportation. This is family counseling on wheels.

We pedaled around the island through trees and paths, ringing the bell, steering through the park, and trying to keep everyone moving at the same pace. Zakary liked going fast, which made it slightly challenging for everyone else to keep up. Normand steered us through the forested paths, and there may have been at least one near-crash moment, depending on who is telling the story.

After Margaret Island, Normand stopped to buy Voltaren and KT tape for Kirsten’s sore foot. While he was doing that, Teyauna and Zakary started walking back to the boat. They had been told it would be about a half-hour walk.

It was not a half-hour walk.

They kept walking and walking along the river, thinking the ship would surely appear soon. But there was always another bridge, another boat, another stretch of riverbank, and at least five moments where they nearly convinced themselves they had found the right ship. The walk became much longer than expected, but also unexpectedly scenic.

The Danube, the bridges, the evening light, and the ongoing search for the actual Avalon Passion turned it into a funny little adventure — the kind that is only funny once you are back on board and no longer wondering if your ship has quietly sailed away without you.

Eventually, Teyauna and Zakary made it back to the ship and collapsed onto their beds. About ten minutes later, Kirsten and Normand knocked on the door, having somehow caught up despite stopping for foot supplies. Normand had considered taking a train or bus back because everyone’s feet were tired, but he did not want to beat the kids back to the boat after they had gone ahead on foot.

That evening, we had another delicious dinner on board the ship. After a day of hiking, hot tubs, sunning, island biking, sore feet, river walking, and accidental scenic routes, dinner and bed felt well earned.

It was a full Budapest river-cruise day — active, funny, beautiful, and just tiring enough to make sleep come easily.