The Peasant People have been sick. Peasant Woman and her Peasant Brethren all down for the count, all those years of cigarette-smoke-smothered rooms taking their tolls on chests and lungs and bodily parts and things. Because in Eastern Europe, where Peasant Woman is from, there's no talking or eating or visiting if it's not in a smoke-filled room. Eyes burning, you visit each and every relative for a full day of sitting and talking, alternating shots of plum brandy with sharp little cups of Turkish coffee for eight hours at a stretch, no escape in sight.
And that's just Day 1. Multiply this by the number of extended relatives you must visit (89) in the short time you've set aside during your trip to the Mother Land. God help you if you're hoping to sight-see on your own. It is simply Not Allowed.
Rule #62: Peasant People Travel in Packs
You see, Peasant Relatives function under the belief that you must be together at all times, probably to generate body heat. So be prepared to set aside that hotel room you were coveting. Somewhere, there's a six-year-old whose shared bed has your name on it.