The Larger Family Unit

The lack of emotional security of our American young people is due, I believe, to their isolation from the larger family unit.  No two people - no mere father and mother - as I have often said, are enough to provide emotional security for a child.  He needs to feel himself one in a world of kinfolk, persons of variety in age and temperament, and yet allied to himself by an indissoluble bond which he cannot break if he could, for nature has welded him into it before he was born.  ~Pearl S. Buck

Did I already mention that we met  up with my cousin Tali in Budapest?  A series of fortunate events took place and made this all possible.  I hadn't seen her in five or six years and when we found out we were all going to be in Europe at the same time, well...

It's great to travel and see new things and try new food and all of that but when you do it in the company of those whom you especially love, its just that much more marvelous.  So here we are: Dan, Marcy, Tali and Anand (no, not Johnny Depp) being drug all over Transylvania by the Traveling Ionescus (plus Silviu) and for the most part, having a ball (I think. I hope).
And by the way, I've discovered I am far less adept at taking decent photos of people than I am of buildings which tend not to move or stuff food in their mouths at just the wrong moment so, er, sorry.

Silviu wondering to himself why he ever agreed to be the extra driver in the second car...

Ye gotta git yorself some ceramic busts...

Heading to the river for an afternoon of swimming and relaxing.  It was a nice break from driving and traveling.

Someone turned 13 while we were in Sighisoara.  A teenager and he's not ashamed to be seen with us yet.

Tali and Anand are off for a great adventure in India and elsewhere.  I definitely think they should do a blog, don't you?