His mission, accomplished

Author Konstantinos Kalimnios set out to tell the story of his grandmother and his family's connection to Kalypso, Greece.

For Konstantinos Kalimnios, it still feels like yesterday when he walked through the doors of Neos Kosmos in preparation for his face-to-face interview with journalists Nick Psaltopoulos and Kathie Kambouropoulos. Dressed in a black suit, and having travelled from Hobart, the then 25-year-old remembers not only being nervous, but overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation, as his story would be made public and known to thousands of readers across the country. It was Monday 29 April 1996 – and only weeks later the successful and detailed article was published in the Generation Extra edition of Neos Kosmos on Monday 13 May 1996.
“I then received countless phone calls and congratulatory cards from so many well wishers from across Australia,” states a very proud Konstantinos, “they were impressed with what they read and acknowledged my work in having researched the history of the place of my father’s birth, Kalypso, Greece.”
In 1991, Tasmanian-born Konstantinos Kalimnios travelled to Greece for a summer holiday with his lifelong friend. Little did he know that this particular ‘summer vacation’ would alter the direction of his life forever and propel him into commencing a legacy that would take him almost a quarter of a century to unfold. One particular evening, a ‘blackout’ darkened the island. Being concerned for his grandparents, who were home alone, Konstantinos quickly left the café he was sitting at, adjacent to the family home, to check on his Yiayia and Papou. Upon entering the house, he noticed his grandmother Eleni sitting alone on the balcony – his grandfather had earlier retired and gone to bed.
“I asked Yiayia if she was all right, and she said she was. Yiayia then told me to go back to the café and enjoy the rest of my evening. However for some reason, I stayed a little longer and told Yiayia how beautiful Kalypso was in darkness – without electricity – only lit up by star and moon light.
“Yiayia then responded indeed it was beautiful and this is how it was for her growing up as a little girl on the island with no electricity. I then pulled a chair from the table and sat next to my grandmother as she told me the next sentence – a sentence that would change my life forever. ‘This is what it was like for your ancestors, the generations that lived before ours. Kostaki, your great-great-great-grandfather, together with his brother and their families, were the first people to settle the island of Kalypso. They are the pioneers that set foot on this beautiful island so many years ago, this is our history, it needs to be recorded.'”
And from that moment on, Konstantinos vowed and promised his Yiayia Eleni Makris Vagianos to embark on the life changing journey to commence recording the invaluable memoirs and recollections of the people of Kalypso that was at that stage the unrecorded history of the beginning of Kalypso’s history. He was determined to accomplish his mission and above all make his grandmother proud.
By 1996, the bulk of the book was completed, hence the initial interview with Neos Kosmos to promote the soon-to-be-published book. But the journey did not end there, as Konstantinos returned to Greece several times after that and continued his research.
Now after 22 years, the much awaited and highly anticipated book – named Kalypso 1820: The Secret Garden Unveiled, written by Konstantinos Kalimnios, is finally completed, has been professionally edited, and is ready for publication and available for you to purchase.
“It’s a story over 280 years old, about the pioneers of the island of Kalypso, Greece – the silent heroes and heroines who were granted their much deserving voices, almost lost forever in time,” states Konstantinos. “It’s about the bravest people imaginable, and how they suffered before fleeing Crete to re-locate to a destination unknown. And when they were offered the freedom to settle on the island of Kalypso, once they set foot on the island they never looked back. This book is the rebirthing of their stories, ancestral accounts, extraordinary truths, triumphs and jubilations. It’s about their strong political beliefs, family feuds, outrage, love and hate, war and peace. Shameless revelations handed down to the generations that followed theirs, almost lost, and silenced for eternity. But thanks to fate, and the ‘blackout’ I was gifted during the summer of 1991 on ‘Lipsi’, I was determined to save the island’s history from ever being forgotten. This unforgettable journey is the history of the island of Kalypso, since the beginning, when the Dasimanakis family’s boat scraped the shores of Liendou Beach in 1820.”
Konstantinos is more than proud to have accomplished his mission. Since 1991, he invested the determination, passion, hunger and commitment needed to accomplish a task on such a grand scale. A labour of love bloomed, and throughout this time, he kept his promise, to present his Yiayia Eleni – the purpose and reason behind this lifelong mission – with the first book off the press and hand it to her with sincere gratitude and appreciation.
Sadly though, Eleni Makris Vagianos passed away in 2011, aged 95 years.
“I’ve kept my promise. I know how proud Yiayia Eleni was and believe she still is proud of this achievement. Based on this, I promise to take the first book that is printed to her beautiful place of rest, in Arta Greece.
“There I will pay my respects, and read my favourite passages of the book to her. I will leave the book on Yiayia’s grave; and only then will I be content that my job is done. I miss my grandmother very much. I love her dearly and thank her for this incredible gift. I can’t wait to celebrate this special story with the late matriarch of our family. She was my inspiration – the reason as to why I joyously spent over 20 years committed to this cause. I loved this journey incredibly, and now that my mission is accomplished- it’s time to share the story.”
If you would like to order a copy of Kalypso 1820: The Secret Garden Unveiled, orders must be placed and paid no later than the 30 June 2013. For orders and more information, please contact the author Konstantinos Kalimnios directly at kon.kalimnios@bigpond.com