Απόδοση κειμένου στα Αγγλικά από την Καίτη Φούσκη.
Το Ελληνικό κείμενο ακολουθεί.
Updated with an English translation thanks to Katy Fouski.
Greek text follows
Vasilis thank you for a life – lesson
A few thoughts after the departure
of an exemplary restauranteur
but even more, a beautiful man

I remember Vassilis Demerouchis, – ‘sfinas’ as his friends knew him- since I was a child, From Seven Sins, a legendary small bar that made history in the 60’s and a bit more. An Emblematic Mykonos figure. One of the first to create their ‘home’ just out of town, not that far, just about enough to be able to keep a small distance from the noisy town.
Even more though – and this is how most people remember him, he was one of the first to have created –with Kiki- a small restaurant in one of the most beautiful and remote spots of the island. They chose Agios Sostis and it was there, that a small and yet most valuable part of recent Mykonian history took place. Even now, if one wishes to truly experience the essence of the island in its ‘human scale’ as it once was, this is a place to be (unlike most new investors’ vision of Mykonos). A small restaurant which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, with no electricity, that was how we were introduced to Kiki’s , with Vasilis over the charcoal grilling a juicy steak or piece of chicken and Kiki creating her amazing cold salads and a pate full of aromas of local herbs, all from around Agios Sostis – true poetry!
I wasn’t a frequent visitor, yet I would go there ever so often. At some point in the late ‘80s, I remember writing an article about “Kiki’s’ place for a magazine –‘ Epikera’ or ‘Ena’ , which I proudly presented to them. What followed – and became a life lesson for me I will never forget- was their response:
Kiki and Vasilis were deeply troubled, almost sad:
‘ Dimitri do you not understand? now it will get full of people, people who won’t even appreciate what this place truly is, people who don’t share this philosophy, not really our people…we’re just fine as we are. Any more, will create a problem not only for us but also our friends who choose Kiki’s for what it truly is….’
And what it truly is …is: a space where one may enjoy peace, hospitality and good food. They never crossed that line. It was as if they gave themselves a promise which they kept to the end. Even after years passed by, even after the island was transformed, even after another Vasilis (Stihios) would take care of things there, the spirit of Vasilis and Kiki is always present. As if time hasn’t quite touched – or even more, hasn’t spoiled things, or people. One could even say, that the ‘dynamic’ of this place is even somehow imposed on the visitors, who adapt and enjoy the serenity, the freshness, the flavors with all their senses, under the shade of the same old tree, still lying there.
I wonder what would have had become of “Kiki’s” if it weren’t for Vasilis and his wife, if it had ‘fallen’ in to the wrong hands, such as one of those new investors, who can only think of big scale investments, who continually build, destroy, expand and rebuild, creating huge businesses that sometimes even end after a couple of seasons, just leaving behind less and less of the true beauty of the island as it once was…
I come back to the valuable life lesson I got from Kiki and Vasilis. I keep on wondering how different our island could have been if there were a few more of these ‘xenous’ – ‘foreigners’ and if we had followed their path. “Foreingers” who came to stay, who came to live here, who became a part of the island. Who couldn’t be more part of us, more true Mykonians. Which is why I wonder how come we haven’t managed to make an example of this kind, our best choice? And for Vasilis, to have made our praises to him, while he was still here with us, as he truly deserved it!
Vasilis, dear friend, valuable co-islander, fellow Mykonian, we missed our chance to tell you:
How much we Mykonians, needed the example you set for us
What a true ambassador of the beauty of Greek spirit you have been
How important your lesson for tourism
How valuable your contribution, in a new philosophy in catering
How thankful we all are for having made our lives more beautiful (us and thousands more who met you and got to know you in Agios Sostis).
How much beauty you have added to our memories of a place- for all those who met you as a person and as a professional.
How much we need to keep this lesson about beauty, balance and harmony as guides of any ‘growth’. You will be kept alive in our memory. May you rest in peace- the same peace you chose in your life, with your beloved wife, Kiki.
Dimitris Rousounelos
~
Βασίλη, σ’ ευχαριστώ για το μάθημα ζωής
Λίγες σκέψεις με αφορμή που έφυγε από κοντά μας
ένας υποδειγματικός εστιάτορας
και κυρίως ένας ωραίος άνθρωπος.
Ένας χώρος που απολαμβάνεις ηρεμία, φιλοξενία, καλό φαγητό. Από αυτή τη συνταγή, δεν ξέφυγαν ποτέ. Θαρρείς έδωσαν μια υπόσχεση στον εαυτό τους και την τήρησαν μέχρι κεραίας ας το τέλος. Κι αν κύλησαν χρόνια κι άλλα χρόνια. Κι αν το νησί τράβηξε τον δρόμο τον γνωστό, το Kiki’s συνεχίζει, υπό τον νεώτερο Βασίλη, τον Στιχιό, με νέα δηλαδή διεύθυνση, αλλά με πάντα παρόν το πνεύμα των ιδρυτών του, εκείνο του Βασίλη και της Kiki. Εδώ ο χρόνος δεν αγγίζει και κυρίως δεν αλλοτριώνει ούτε τα πράγματα, ούτε τους ανθρώπους. Είναι μάλιστα τέτοια η δυναμική του χώρου, τόσο βαθιές οι ρίζες της φιλοσοφίας με την οποία στήθηκε το εστιατόριο, που φαίνεται πως κατά κάποιο τρόπο επιβαλλεται και στους πελάτες -όσους τυχερούς απολαμβάνουν καθημερινά τη δροσιά, την ηρεμία, την γευστική ευχαρίστηση με όλες τις αισθήσεις τους- κάτω από το γέρικο κυρτό δέντρο της αυλής, που δεσπόζει στον χώρο, το ίδιο πάντα!
Πόσο το Κοινόν των Μυκονίων, είχε ανάγκη το παράδειγμά σου.
Πόσο καλός πρεσβευτής του ωραίου Έλληνα υπήρξες.
Πόσο σημαντικός ο ρόλος σου στον τουρισμό.
Πόσο πολύτιμη αξία υπήρξες στην δημόσια εστίαση.
Πόσο ομόρφυνες τη ζωή τη δική μας και των χιλιάδων φίλων που σε γνώρισαν στον Άγιο Σώστη.
Πόσο εντέλει ομορφαίνεις τις μνήμες όλων όσων σε γνώρισαν σαν άνθρωπο και στο στέκι σου σαν επαγγελματία της εστίασης, πρωτοπόρο στον τουρισμό, ταγμένο της ήπιας ανάπτυξης, της ομορφιάς και της ισορροπίας.Θα σε κρατήσουμε ζωντανό στη μνήμη μας. Και είθε να αναπαυθείς εν ειρήνη, την ίδια ειρήνη που επέλεξες και στη ζωή σου με την αγαπημένη σου Kiki.

Πολύ όμορφο κείμενο. Με συναίσθημα. Μπορεί να βρει κάπου τον θείο μου Μπάμπη Χειμωνά