Presidential elections, second round. Mesić versus Kosor. Sunday. And a gorgeous day, too, as the day’s name would suggest. Mirko Gabler arrived in Motovun only a day earlier, and quite by chance, from Red Hook, New York. However, he had no idea whether or not he was on the electoral roll here. As it turned out, he was, and rightfully so. He is a Croatian resident, too. “It’s so much more civilized here,” he told me on the mobile phone a few minutes later, having cast his vote already. “Yeah,” I agreed, “no flags, no traps, no bullshit.” We were comparing Croatia and the United States, of all countries.