Dorka Mesterházy ; English text: László Tucsni
Káli-medence is one of the most beautiful areas of Hungary. At least I agree on this one with the traveller books. This is 9000 acres of pure wonderland in Balaton-felvidék. Yes, we can put a label like this on Hungary and on Balaton's area as well. Káli-medence possesses the country's bittersweet charm, while its climate is quite unique: even the oleander and the fig-tree can lay roots here, despite the fact that they are very problematic plants. They can only survive at our Croatian neighbours in the Eastern European area.
Káli-medence is the part of Balaton-felvidéki Nemzeti Park. This area contains several villages: Kövágóörs, Kékkút, Salföld, Mindszentkálla, Szentbékálla, Köveskál, Balatonhenye and Monoszló. From the geographical perspective, there are the salföldi major, the mine lake, the bitter fountain of Kékkút, the Kőtenger (Stone sea, which is the remain of the Pannonian Sea), Hegyestű, the basalt plateau and so on. Each and every village has its own story to tell, so opening a bottle of wine sounds like a proper decision.
Livin' large
What is it like to live here 7 days a week? The title was not a random choice, because we automatically thought about the television-series called Northern Exposure from the 1990s. In summer we visit the market in Káptalantóti with our neighbours from Budapest, or we shortcut to Kapolcs through the secret path. The real action begins after autumn though. Your mission is to survive the winter exactly like in Game of Thrones. The modern days and the internet have reached this area as well, but it feels like this episode was written by Gerald Durrell and we are his characters.
Me Myself and I
I remember quite clearly my first memory about Káli-medence (Mindszentkálla, to be exact). I was trying to ride a BMX for the first time. Then a downhill suddenly appeared in front of me and the classic twist happened: an 8-year-old with broken teeth lying on the ground. Help came right away, and the guy asked the first "káli" question of my life: "Did the nettle hurt you?" I told him it wasn't the nettle, and somehow crawled out from the nettle field. Stupid Budapestian.
Along came a bus
In Káli-medence, autumn is as exciting as it is beautiful. Even though the bus to Révfülöp is filled with school kids in these days, the best ride goes at 7.15 AM. The animals grazing near the road are the part of the view; I wouldn't miss them for the world. Taking the bus here requires exact timing, because if you missed your ride, you're stuck for some time. It's not like in the capital, where you get angry if you have to wait five minutes for the next tram. It should be the last thing on your mind: Káli-medence is good for your skin and precision, too.
Childhood living is easy to do
Every childhood has its own charms, but this is the perfect place for growing up. Yes, the products of modernity (like SUVs) are starting to appear here as well, but Káli-medence still looks untouched, and it will remain like this for some time.
Winter is always full of excitement, so when only landline phones were in use many years ago it was just natural on the afternoon of any given day in January,to walk home peacefully after your bus broke down a few miles before Köveskál. It can be fun if a bowl of warm and delicious soup is waiting for you at home. How does the picture look like now? The wines are good, the tomatoes are enormous, and you can listen to music or play the drum set in the house or up on the hill in the evening. No one will say a word. And if you want to exchange a bottle of homemade fruit syrup for a puppy, the local market is your place.
The untold adventures of the animals
You can enjoy a real safari experience after you take the turn from M7 motorway in the direction of the villages. And in the daylight, be prepared for basically every kind of animal to appear in front of you if you decide to ride the bike. I can clearly remember that one time my father put a billy goat on the passenger's seat on his way to Keszthely. This is how we do it in Káli-medence.
