When I first moved to Hvar back in 2003, I was a little exotic. Not many foreigners were living here full-time through the winter.
I met a lovely local girl and got married, thus entering a wider family network as I became a Brusjki zet (a Brusje son-in-law). My foreignness helped me avoid the finer sides of Dalmatian life that I would prefer to avoid - working in the family field, eating blitva etc. The family accommodated me because I was a little eccentric - all foreigners were, surely - and life was pretty good.
And then my younger brother-in-law came home one day with a lovely young Russian lady, who recently became his wife. Suddenly I had competition. And not only that, but this Russian was good - she LOVED blitva and all things Dalmatian, and her husband reciprocated, declaring his wife's borscht the best food in the world (it is VERY good).
And it seems that Julia and I have more than this crazy family in common, as it looks as though our two countries will be facing each other in the World Cup semi-final after a couple of games today. I asked Julia about Croatia and today's game, and I look forward to hearing her prediction for an England v Russia semi-final in a few days.
