“Travels to a Different Time” : 5/6August1973: Dubrovnik and Drevnik Yugoslavia: My Thoughts about Germans: Is it Time for Forgiveness?

August 5^th:  Up early and avoided the barking of the beanshaved man and plaintive complaining of the maid. A breakfast of Fructal cherry nectar, orange jam and bread. Read until noon and off to the beach until three. Met a guy from Vancouver and since I had no food left ate at the hostel cafeteria. Walked around with the Vancouver guy and he had 4 ice creams to my two. Stopped in for a beer and headed back to the hostel.

August 6^th:  As will be on the move enjoyed a long hot shower which I think deleted the meagre hot water supply. Went to the store to buy food for a huge breakfast. Sometimes you just don’t know when you will eat again. Hitchhiking sucks in Yugoslavia so after a couple of hours picked up by a bunch of young Germans in a VW van. We got along so well they asked me to go to Hvar with them but as I have already been there I stuck to my mission to get to Bled again and then up towards Germany. They left me off at the ferry and I hitched further north with a guy from Alsace and we both had tents so set up tents at a campground and went to a spectacular beach for a swim. We had a beer before heading back to the campground and he prepared supper which was quite good.

I have been thinking about how I see Germans. I was born ten years after the Second World War ended. My uncle was shot down in France and killed by German pilot. My Dad flew in the Battle of Britain and many flyer friends of his were killed in combat. Do I have anything to forgive? I am not sure but I will say generally speaking Germans of my vintage are friendly and I get along well with them just like the Germans that just picked me up. They had nothing to do with the war so there is nothing to forgive. Some of the older generation are not so friendly but then again how many of their friends and relatives were killed in the war. Assuming I have some right to forgive I might say I can forget and co-exist but forgive not yet. I remember the German POW I met last year very close to where I am now. He was forced to join the army. Let’s just say life can be more complicated than you think or are required to think. Having been recently in Greece and now in Yugoslavia the German army committed many atrocities which must be fresh on their minds. They have more to forgive than I.