Moving to the countryside, a family’s mission in the Vértes mountains – “On a hill, in the dark, the little house is like a lantern”

Many mothers with young children start a similar business, what motivated you? Did you have a long-standing dream to start a guesthouse? 

A lot of people misunderstand this because they think I had a dream and then I got confirmed to do it. But that's not what happened. When two of our three little boys were born, I looked for opportunities to do something that would fit in with my family. I asked for advice, I went to a coach, and various ideas came up, from running a café to organizing walks in the city, but none of them was the right fit. My husband and I looked for solutions together. Our questions were answered in a day.

How?

Five years ago in the summer, we spent a holiday in a lovely, friendly place, where we were welcomed by lovely hosts. I thought this was something I'd like to do myself. From the holiday, we went to my in-laws in a village. I was waiting for the egg delivery in the summer morning sunshine, and I was thinking how good it must be to live here. Then, in the blink of an eye, the picture came together: what if we moved to the area from Budapest and opened a guesthouse? I believe I got the answer "from above", I had a thought that it was a good idea and we had everything we needed to make it happen. But inside myself I protested: should we really leave our comfortable and familiar lives, our friends, our Reformed congregation in Fasor, and venture into the unknown? When it comes to big decisions in our house we always base them on whether we agree with my husband. So I asked Dani, who said it was a good idea. We saw the opportunity, and the vision, and we felt confirmed that this was our way. A week later, we looked at the little house in Csókakő, and knew right away that we had to buy it. In the autumn, we sold our apartment in Zugló, Budapest, and wanted to move to Mór, three kilometers from Csókakő.

We ran into obstacles, Covid hit, and the deadline to move out was looming, when by some "coincidence" – our car unexpectedly broke down – walking through Mór we saw a handwritten ’for sale’ sign on a property. It turned out the owner had just put it up and hadn't even started advertising yet. 

We liked it, and within days we agreed. We built our house there and that's where we live now.

What concept was behind the design of the guest house in Csókakő?

I contacted Eszter Őrfi, who is an environmentally conscious interior designer, and together we designed and transformed the old house. It's an "Affordable Luxury Bush" project, and I learned a lot about its approach and good practices. For example, we didn't lift ready-made solutions off the shelves of department stores, but brought what we could from close by, used natural materials, had a lot of refurbished furniture, made partitions from laths, our decorator painted the wall coverings and we avoided over-decorating. It was hard work, but worth it. We are proud to have been featured in an interior design magazine.

Image

Photo: Réka Sámson - Simples Studio

Is this a job for you? Do you like doing it?

Yes, I can't imagine a better job than that. I realized that as a landlady, I was doing all the things I always wanted to do: decorating, tidying up, organizing activities, meeting people, and working in the garden. I'm interested in people's stories and they are often happy to share how they are, and where they come from. Otherwise, my two main qualifications are German teacher and international relations specialist, and I have previously worked in business school, publishing, museums, and a large multinational company. Now I am in my place, it is a personal gift and I live it as a vocation. My husband, Dani, worked on this with all his might when the house was being built, but he has taken a back seat since the start. He works for a software development company, mainly in a home office. He stands by my side, brainstorming together, and takes care of the kids when I need to be at the guest house.

What's the story behind the name?

We wanted to have a name that implied that we were Christians but not too forced. Lídia Draskóczy has a beautiful song, the lyrics of which describe our story in a nutshell. "Lantern on the road, light in the darkness, In the night You are the hope (...), where You set me, there I'll give myself over, there I'll shine for You!" 

So we go where God places us. The little house, as it stands there on the hill, lit up in the dark, really is like a lantern. 

Of course, not everyone will have biblical associations, and that's okay.

Your website says: "A city on a hill cannot be hidden..." Is the "good news" also reflected in your hospitality?

On the website and in my blog, I write about the values that are important to us. And on social media, I post a picture or two and a Bible verse that is on my heart every Sunday. Some people understand these as more of a pithy quote, but others contact us for just that. We also meet people who draw strength from them, or we draw strength from them. In the living room, there are posters with Bible verses on the walls, and there are novels, poetry books, and Bibles on the shelves. I sometimes put János Lackfi's poetry book 'Jóéjtpuszi' ('Goodnight Kiss') on the bed, in which I put a bookmark for the poem of my choice. During Advent and Lent, I share the front pages of a devotional book online, so that anyone interested can write and I will gladly send them the devotions daily. Many people have signed up. Some asked for books, others contacted me with questions. My priority is to be hospitable in love, and I am happy to talk to anyone open to that. Most of the time, the topic is not necessarily the gospel or Christianity, but that's not the goal in such short meetings.

"When you come to us, do not be in a hurry," you write to visitors. What does the "no hurry" attitude mean to you?

The guesthouse is run on the principle of quiet, slow, and sustainable tourism. It is set up as if we were lending you our weekend home, so it's not a sterile, perfect place, but a semi-home away from home. The textiles, the freestanding bath, the fitted kitchen, the bookshelf, and our typewriter are all designed to do just that. We don't have a TV, but you'll find board games, books, a wonderful view. 

Behind us is a forest, the blue trail, and a pilgrimage route at the end of the garden. From the terraces, there is a beautiful view of the Bakony. For us and our guests, it is important to have silence, nature, and slow-down. 

Someone once said in feedback, "It was good to listen to each other, not in a hurry like at home, just reading, relaxing, and talking to each other". Local delicacies are also popular.

You mentioned the initial difficulties. How do you deal with success and failure?

My task is not to make a successful business but to light the lamp until and as the Lord wants me to. My main goal is not success in the worldly sense, but a place set aside for Him, and that is how I think of it and plan for it. I used to be told I was anything but the entrepreneurial type, but I realized if this is my calling, I can do it and I'm happy to do it. There's no script on exactly how to do things, the obstacles don't roll away, but we get help all the way. In four years we have wanted to give up many times, and we have had many failures, but the moments of joy have carried us through the difficulties. "Will this ever get done?!" - I asked the question one night, at a low point. Then I read the daily scripture, including chapter 4 of Zechariah about the golden lampstand, the finished building, the ministry, and the two olive trees. We also planted two olive trees in our garden to remind us of this. 

The author is a student of journalism at the Faludi Ferenc Jesuit Academy.