Rehabilitation and magic

Rehabilitation

On castle walls Budapest

After the tortured night I suffered following a carnivorous lapse into meat eating (see Confessions), I have resolved to give the poor old kidneys a chance for recuperation. I did not dare stray too far from the hotel with its salvation of a toilet at a time of urgent need, so I remained behind while Ann and Edwin explored the great metropolis of Budapest.

In perfect weather, I strolled the gardens below the hotel, looking back on the castle walls for which it is famous, then ended up in a little street cafe where I had a modest meal of cheese and salad, washed down with home-made lemonade. Delicious, and hopefully it will prove to be restorative. Passing water is still extremely painful and too frequent, but hopefully there will soon be improvement in the poor old pissaroo.

Yesterday, we all explored local attractions, including the Houdini Museum. This contained a potted history of his birth in Hungary and his fame in America in the early 19th Century. The highlight of the visit was a performance by a stage magician, who asked if we all believed in free will. Most of us shouted back "Yes", but Edwin insisted on shouting "No".

The conjurer asked him his name: "Edwin".
"Do you like shopping Edwin?" - "Yes".
"What shop did you go to last?" - "Tesco's."
"What did you buy?" - "Jackfruit."
"Did you have free will to buy it?" - "No. I was influenced by advertisers."
The magician shrugged and nodded as though agreeing. Then, just as the rest of the show was finishing, he said "It's strange, I had a strong urge to write a note to myself just before the show started," and he fished from his pocket his wallet, opened it and took out a tightly folded piece of paper. This he handed to Edwin and asked him to read it.

Edwin took the paper, unfolded it and read, "A man called Edwin will go into a shop called Tesco and purchase some Jackfruit." Naturally, we all applauded wildly and – having seen Edwin's face – I couldn't stop laughing all the way back.