Everything Wrong With The Truffle

Shall we wake Terence? asks David.

Absolutely not, says Vello. Just take a photo.

David stops and takes a photo of the picturesque Hospice de Beaune. Its colourful glazed roof tiles etcetera. Built in 1452, by Nicholas Rolin and his wife Guigone de Salins, because many people at the time were destitute, and needed a refuge, with a beautiful exterior.

He will show it to Terence when he wakes up.

Vello and David congratulate themselves.

This trip should be educational.

They stop at a market and buy a Bresse chicken, two Jura cheeses, and a truffle.

And a bottle of Burgundy wine.

They press on to Chalon-Sur-Saône.

Terence is awake now.

They stop to eat lunch by the river.

Look Terence, says David, getting his phone out. This is the Hospice de Beaune. How do you like it?

Terence looks sad. It reminds him of his palace. Which reminds him of his parrot. Which is not here.

What's wrong? says David.

Everything, says Terence.

The two philosophers can well understand that what's wrong is everything.

They nod at one another understandingly, while eating their chicken.

But they are by a river. And there are birds there.

A colourful blue and silver kingfisher darts over the water.

Come here parrot! commands Terence, playing the little princeling.

Ha ha! As if that would happen.

The kingfisher flies away, with its tiny fish dinner, still wriggling.

David understands. Terence needs a distraction.

Have a wee bite of our truffle, says David.

Terence bites the truffle.

Pooh! Stinky!

He doesn't like it. He spits out his big bite of truffle.

Vello is furious. Wasting a truffle!

Calm down, Vello, says David, picking up the spat chunk of truffle. It's still perfectly edible.

But Vello can't come at it now. Everything is wrong about eating that truffle.

They decide to cut their losses and head back to town to visit the local museum.