Kata had some money on her SZÉP Kartya, and after some late night discussions about where to go on holiday with it, we hit on the idea of Tokaj. Then in a flash I remembered I knew a few wine producers in nearby Erdőbénye and it was settled. It took quite a bit of research to find affordable accommodation (limited by the amount on the SZÉP Kartya) within walking distance of the vineyards we wanted to visit (Abraham, Karadi & Berger...). We finally settled on the Benyei Fogado at 4000 HUF/person/night plus tourist tax. We loaded up the Napsugar Szeker and took off on the small road past Rakaca Lake, through Rakaca, Rakacaszend, ...Baktakék...The road is in horrible condition and not well sign posted. Google and Bing Maps indicated it was 73km and about a 1.5 hour journey, but not on those roads. At times, I thought we might bottom-out the car. A particularly poorly signposted stretch led us by accident to the smallest village in Hungary - though we did not know it at the time.

According to our Cserehat Guidebook, Szanticska has often had a maximum of 3 residents, and at one point was down to a single person. In the 1990's a development plan was initiated and a number of houses were renovated and converted into workshops and artist studios. This plan apparently did not work out; because by the time we were there, it was clear the potter's and beekeeper's workshops had been whitewashed and put to alternative uses. In fact, the village has re-invented itself yet again. Virtually every house has been transformed into a guest-house or bed & breakfast. The gorgeous houses and stunning views, awash with flowers and the constant hum of bees completely won us over. There is also a very pretty little church. I do not know what their business plan is because the village was virtually empty except for a small group of kids at one of the few private houses, and an older couple that kindly offered us accommodation if we were looking. Still thinking we were on the right road, we started out of town, only to hit a dead end. We were quite off the track, but it was a very pleasant mistake. I hope their new business plan works - the place is certainly worth a visit. The next post will cover our stay in Erdőbénye...