Kata and I managed to take our summer holiday last week, first taking a day to put the garden in shape before we left, then on to Budapest, Herend and Lake Balaton. We left the watering duties to our neighbour Attila, packed the bikes and left for a well-deserved and long-awaited week's holiday. In Budapest we had time on our hands before we met up with our hosts Nori and Bandi so we took in a matinee movie at the Müvész Mozi. Most people of our age often went to the movies on their first or second date, but after almost 3 years we had somehow never been to the movies together. Kata suggested it, and we managed to get over to the theatre and buy our popcorn at the last minute. The film was The Second Best Exotic Magnolia Hotel. The film was as enjoyable as the first with the exception of Richard Gere's addition to the cast. I still do not think the man can act.

I saw the predicted storm approaching but Kata was adamant that either it was still a long way off or would not rain at all, so we cycled over to Margit Island under quickly darkening skies. Of course just as we were standing watching the renovated fountain, all the surrounding trees suddenly went horizontal and we had to make a dash for shelter. For the next hour or more we huddled under the eaves of Hold Udvar hoping for a let up in the storm so we could warm up and have some dinner. Nori made a huge falafel meal that left us stuffed almost beyond capacity, and I collected on a couple palinkas I told Kata she owed me for getting caught in the storm. Nori's father makes some excellent plum and mixed palinka. The next morning I went off to the Immigration Office for my residence card while Kata went to IKEA for candles. For some reason Borsod County while not dry in terms of alcohol, seems completely out of matches and candles.

We arrived in Herend in the early afternoon and met up with Kata's former roommate and colleague Zsuzsi. Kata studied and worked at the Herend Porcelain Factory from age 14-19 as a porcelain painter. Kata had only been back once in the last 30 years, and that was to paint the boiler room, not plates. Since then, much had been renovated to the extent that Kata did not at first recognise the hotel where she and other students once lived. Architect Imre Markovetcz had also done his typical magic on the factory and showroom buildings during the intervening years. Zsuzsi got us on a Hungarian language tour, though tours run in a number of foreign languages as well. The tour begins with a 3D movie. The only other 3D movie I have seen was at the Castle Island in Edelény. The Edelény movie was much better in comparison, only because there was an interesting story to follow. While the Herend film was beautiful, I had high expectations for a similar experience as in Edelény. Visitors, even former employees are not allowed into the factory anymore. A special tour centre has been built that takes the visitors through all the steps of the process. The guests gather around 8 work stations where Herend artists demonstrate how plates, figurines and other items are formed and painted. Zsuzsi now works demonstrating figurine painting. A couple people still remembered Kata, and when the tour was over they sat her down at a work station and told her to try her rusty skills on a plate. Even though it has been awhile and the paint is different than what she was used to, the girl still has it. We then had a cup of coffee at the factory's beautiful Apicius Restaurant, of course in Herend cups and saucers. Before heading back for dinner, we had about an hour to visit the museum. We had hoped that someone would be able to let us into the attic where the final exam projects of students are kept so that we could see the plate with a detail from a Rubens painting that Kata had painted for her exam. Unfortunately, while everyone was very friendly and helpful throughout our excursion, no one seemed willing to help with this. Kata's work used to be exhibited, but she has not seen it since her graduation. Luckily Zsuzsi had managed to save the paper version Kata had done before transferring the painting to porcelain for decades and through countless moves so I could at least see that. There is also a temporary exhibition now running at the museum bringing together the paintings of ????, Herend, and the perfumes created by my old friend Zsolt Zolyomy. Herend tried to match the paintings with porcelain designs while Zsolt matched these with scents from his collection at Le Parfum. It made for a very interesting side exhibit.

The next morning we went for a walk to visit sites from Kata's youth, and then wandered into the Herend shop. Unlike many other companies in Hungary, Herend makes an effort to keep up with the times and changing markets. For example, their biggest markets now seem to be China and Russia, so their figurines reflect these changes. One can buy all sorts of things in the shop from crosses, to playing cards, to thimbles, figurines, cups, plates...I find many of the designs kitschy, but really like their selections featuring insects and mushrooms. I would have loved to buy a set of mushroom plates, but one small plate is almost 30000 HUF. Figures start at 60000 for something from the new Turkish figurine collection that Zsuzsi paints, and can be as much as 500000 just for a small tiger. Then we packed up and headed to our friends in Örvényes, a small village just past Tihány.

After the horrors of having to put up the Lengyel's big, comfortable tent last year, we took pictures so that it would be easier this year. It was still difficult, but we eventually figured it out and it was much easier this time around. Their grandkids Concho and Ossian were also visiting from Spain for a few weeks, where we helped pick olives last year. We went down to the beach for a short late afternoon before Jackie made a big dinner at home. The next day the family went somewhere to watch a downhill mountain bike competition while we went on a bike ride of our own through the hills of the Kali Basin and did some wine tasting. Concho and Ossian both compete at a high level in Spain in biking, skiing and snowboarding. In fact, Concho made the longest snowboard jump in Spain this year among all age groups. Kata and I made our way through the forest and vineyards before coming out on the paved road leading to the lovely village of Vászoly. Along the way, I spotted a kétalakú csertapló mushroom (Inonotus nidus-pici) on an oak tree. It was a very steep climb and we were surprised by the lack of any public wells or pumps on the roads. Very thirsty, we followed signs to the Water Stage in Vászoly and came upon the fresh Szt. Jakob Spring. A couple ladies filling up water bottles informed us that a picturesque lake was just around the corner, and indeed it was. Along the road we noticed signs announcing the Vaszoly Summer Festival programme, including a performance of Áron Tamási's Énekes Madar (The Songbird), which we decided to come back for the next evening. A former customer at the bookstore long ago recommended that I read Ábel by Áron Tamási, which he managed to get a copy of for me but I have not read it yet. This is a beautiful little spot which we would never have normally found. It was lucky we stuck around looking for water. Just by the lake there is the Kuti Kerti Falatazó where we bought a couple large homemade ramson biscuits. We packed these and then cycled uphill to the Vászoly Cheese Maker.  Again, we were in luck because it was Saturday, the only day the place is open to the public (10-14). The mini-tour, consisting of standing in a small room and looking through a window at rounds of cheese, was informative and friendly. We bought a piece of their as yet unnamed herbal cheese that we were told had a kind of clover in it that tasted of walnut. I would have liked to have sampled the five cheeses before our purchase, but a tasting was not offered. During the talk, Kata asked if the cheese rinds she regularly chomps on are in fact edible. In fact they are, and in Vászoly the cheeses are regularly washed with a solution of lavender oil made down the road in Dörgicse where we were heading next.

From Vászoly we cycled to Dörgicse and stopped into the Pántlika Vineyard for a well-deserved drink of cold white wine. John G. and I stopped in here in 2011 where I bought a bottle of Prestige Reserve Pinot Gris. They were out of this, but suggested the Kűvölgyi Pinot Gris 2012 (1990 HUF) which left me unimpressed. The Gálickő Sauvignon Blanc 2013 and Sárgamuskotály (Muscat Lunel ) were much tastier and we bought a bottle of the Sárgamuskotály for 1200 HUF. The service was very friendly and informative. The Levendárium was just down the street boxed in by 2 ancient church ruins and a cemetery, which the owner Ildikó Demján says gives her 18 varieties of lavender a special kind of energy. But before we went in, we had lunch! Sitting in the shade we sliced the cheese into the biscuits and had a magnificent lunch. The ramson biscuits were delicious and we vowed to get a few more the next night before the play!

The Levendárium has a variety of lavender products ranging from pillows, to books, to oils and refreshing body sprays. Started in 2003, everything is organic and designed with a great eye for beauty. One of the lavender fields is laid out like a violin clef - only evident if you climb up the convenient observation platform for a photo. The farm/business' products have also just recently earned certification as official Balaton National Park products. One can also taste lavender tea, coffee, and cordial at their shop.  We had a very pleasant chat with the owner, but we had planned a long bike ride and wanted to get back in the saddle. Meanwhile, I also was very much looking forward to getting back to the organic Dobosi Vineyard in Szentantalfa.

We were greeted by Ilonka Dobosi, the mother of the clan, and taken in for a wine tasting. She was very hard to say no to with her infectious enthusiasm, friendliness and energy. Of course we stopped at Dobosi for their wines, but as she lined up the many bottles I began wondering how we would cycle home. We started with an excellent Italian Reisling which we decided to buy a bottle of immediately (1300 HUF). The Dobosi Cuveé (1350), the house wine and one of their most popular products had a great dark cherry nose, but as in 2011 I was disappointed with the flavour. On the other hand, their fresh grape juice was refreshing, and a 2 litre bottle (1050 HUF) joined the Riesling in our bag, along with a  Philippe de Chalendar Barrique Merlot 2011 (2000 HUF). Ilonka is a great character and a great host. Before we left, she gave us both a kiss and said that we are now officially friends. By this time we had sampled quite a few wines in the heat of the day and had not had anything to eat. Ilonka suggested the Fék Cukrázda in Balatonakali where Kata ordered a slice of Rákóczi Túrós which Ilonka recommended, and the waitress brought out a second fork even without asking. Somehow she just knew, or seen the gleam in my eye.  All in all, I think we did 35km up and down some very steep terrain. When we got back, we set to making Tex-Mex tortillas for the family.

The next morning we spent at Lake Balaton. The weather was mixed, with both sun and wind. I finally had a langos - which while absolutely huge, neither the dough nor the flavour was anything special. I read two very good books at the beach: the Chung Kuo series prequel Son of Heaven by David Wingrove and Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. Then we were off to Vászoly for the play. We had an hour before the play and checked out three art exhibits at the local gallery, including an amazing exhibit of tropical insects collected by . I have never been too interested in bugs, but these beautiful creatures, quite a few of which were gigantic, were riveting. The displays were very well done, matching the insects with international stamps issued for the same creature in almost a Kandinskyest collage. There was an exhibit of textile artist Gabriella Kovács' beautiful felt murals, as well as the incredibly intricate pen and ink montages of graphic artist Zoltán Kecskés that would put the makers of Where's Waldo to shame.

Unfortunately, the Kuti Kert was out of ramson biscuits, so I had to be satisfied with a takeaway beer. We found good places in the front row, and I had just commented that we should have brought bug spray when we realised why those seats had been free - we had sat down above a hornet's nest! The Song Bird was performed in 3 parts over three hours by actors from the Forrás Theatre. The play was directed by Roza Juhasz and starred Attila Papp, Brigitta Szlúka, Erika Szőcs, Andrea Simon, Andor Horváth, Tamás Ács, Zsóka Fodor, Zoltán Sárdy and László Lénárt. Tickets cost whatever we wished to drop in the box. The performance was very good, but I had some problems understanding the peasant accent they used. For example, they often used bé instead of be. The lake setting was very special, especially with the babbling spring in the background.

The next day, our last full day at Lake Balaton, was overcast and rainy, but we still decided to brave a long 35 km ride to Badacsonyörs to meet Kevin Sallee at the Folly Aboretum. Kevin has written me a few times over the years concerning things I have written in my blog but we have never met in person. Kevin cycled down from Hegymagas to meet us; I had been at Folly back in 2011 when there was just a picnic table and one kind of wine (Budai zöld) on offer. Now there is a café and about 7 of their own wines available. Kevin and I chatted while Kata went off to explore the trees and the stunning panorama. I had forgotten what an incredibly steep road led up from the main road, but it is worth it for the view and the rare (in Hungary) trees, including Himalayan pines and sequoias. Some of these trees have pinecones a foot long. Entry is 1200 HUF and includes a small glass (0.5 dl) of wine. Kevin and his wife Barbara run a business focusing on lavender products, wine and irises. Their Iris farm has about 300 varieties on offer! Just call or write them if you want to order. Kata came back with a pocket full of flower seeds to plant in our garden, and we suddenly realised that we had talked the day away and it was already 5pm. It is a very nice and interesting place, but I think the bottles of wine are very overpriced starting at 2000 Huf for what is essentially table wine. Having only had breakfast all day and a glass of wine at Folly, we stopped for a fast food lunch in Révfülöp. By this time it was evident there was an issue with my bike. My back wheel was wobbling like crazy, but there was nothing to be done but try and get it home. The family had gone out to a concert somewhere, so Kata whipped up some palacsinta for dinner using some lemon beer since we could not find any baking soda or carbonated water. It turned out that carbonated water was not the only water to be in short supply. Our neighbour Attila had called to tell us that it was likely that the well had gone dry at home. Between worrying about the water situation and the rutting deer being extremely loud in the vicinity of the tent, I did not sleep that well that night.

When we arrived home we discovered that the water pump had been running dry non-stop for who knows how long, and we scavenged bottles to fill at the pump in town. Our neighbour Zoli came by to arrange the loan of his cement mixer for a few days, and also looked at the pump. He re-primed it, but without any luck. Luckily Kata's ex-husband Láci was coming the next day to build our cellar into a place we could safely store vegetables and jams. It turns out that Zoli had the right idea, but he did not use enough water. The well is probably still running dry. There has not been any proper rain in weeks and we have a real drought on our hands. But for the time being we have our water back.

During the week Láci and Klári were with us, Láci cemented the cellar floors and the lower part of the walls to try and keep the mice and snakes out. We will put up some shelving for our jars of pickles, fruit syrups and jams. We hope the room will now also act as a good root cellar. On their last day with us we went on an excursion across the border to Kassa (Kosice) where we discovered the Dobre Casy near the Synagogue. It does not look like much from outside, but if you go in and pass through the large bar, there is a larger beer garden out back. They have an amazing beer menu, including 25 beers on tap! You can choose between a the many domestic and international IPAs, wheat beers, porters, ginger beers, lagers and stouts ranging between 11-24% alcohol. My German Huber Heffe Weizen Wheat Beer was good, but not nearly cold enough. Our Slovakian Ginger Symphony 12° was disappointing, but Kata's Czech Pardubický Porter 19 ° dark special was very good, and the others were very satisfied with their choices. Prices were VERY reasonable, averaging about 1.8 Euro (600 Huf) for a pint. Our young waitress even spoke Hungarian.