Sunday afternoon, we're sitting on the porch of the house in Kővágóörs, it's 39°C in the shade and we're peacefully sipping mint-raspberry sodas. Tomi is talking about his adventurous hikes, and we think that we'd love to try those - when we'll have flats on, more clouds on the sky, and warmer waters in Lake Balaton. But after a few travel stories, tour photos on the phone, and perfectly placed adjectives, we set out at once. This is Tomi's credo as well: do or die.
The first part of our tour takes us through the cultural heritage of Kővágóörs: the three church buildings. Standing between two churches in the centre of the village, we listen to the story of their construction. The Catholic church was the first to be built, but local Evangelists felt they could not lag behind, so this is one of the church hills where two church buildings were constructed one right after the other. After a battle of constructions, the local judge decided that the space required for a farm wagon to turn around must be enough between the two buildings so everyone can go to church in peace.
I you believe you cannot top this miniature religious war, you're wrong. There is yet another church hill in the village - in a more romantic setting where the above mentioned flats come in handy. The synagogue of Kővágóörs is but an abandoned ruin in a lush garden today. The hole (the size of a man) on the fence marks the entry points of previous visitors, and the old lady rushing to our help from the neighbouring house introduces the story of the place from the year of her moving in to the present day with such dynamism that would but any Oscar-winner to shame.
After the tour of the village, we embark on exploring the beauties of nature. Tomi earned his diploma in geology, which is a sort of a guarantee for the quality of the tour. He has something interesting to relate to every stone, path and plant that we come across, and he also knows when to leave you some time so you can absorb the peace and quiet of the Káli-medence.
Tomi's wide range of adventures included an exploration game for a group of students. While hunting for treasure chests and solving riddles, the kids slowly discovered the wonders of the Káli-medence. As a practicing dad, Tomi knows well that the ice-cream or drink at the end of the day is also a motivation that is essential to the success of the adventure.
The range of Tomi Balogh's tours is constantly expanding and the tours are tailored to the participants' needs: you can bring foreigners or slow-stepping grandmas and children along, you can ride a horse or a bike, climb volcanoes, follow living waters and stroll among local ruins.
Tomi is a captivating, dynamic and funny tour guide and he knows no impossible. His hobby is to organize community runs and orienteering events, and to discover small lakes on Fekete-hegy.
