I växthuset på PM & Vänners tak gror bland annat tomater och härliga kryddväxter. //In the greenhouse on PM & Vänner´s roof tomatoes and lovely herbs grow.
2015 vann de utmärkelsen Årets hållbara krog på Restauranggalan. Men detta är bara ett av många priser som de har erhållit genom åren. Med årets tilldelade Michelinstjärna i bagaget gäller det att boka bord i tid om man vill äta i den prisbelönta matsalen. World of fine wine har utmärkt deras vinkällare (som för övrigt innehåller över 3700 olika viner och över 15000 viner) till en av världens 300 bästa. Det är med stor kunskap och respekt som deras kunniga sommelierer guidar en genom vinlistorna för att matcha maten som erbjuds på menyerna. Vi fick en fantastiskt fin service av bland andra chefsommeliern Ruben Sanz Ramiro och hovmästare och sommelier Ulrika Bohman. //2015 they won the Year Award sustainable tavern in the Restaurant Awards. But this is just one of many awards that they have received through the years. This year they were awarded with a Michelin star so you have to book a table in advance if you wish to dine in the award-winning dining room. World of Fine Wine has distinguished their wine cellar (that includes over 3700 different kind of wines) to one of the world’s 300 best. It is with great knowledge and respect their knowledgeable sommeliers will guide you through the list of wines to match the food offered on the menu. We got a fantastic service by, among others operative head sommelier Ruben Sanz Ramiro and sommelier and head waiter Ulrika Bohman.
En av PM & Vänners 10 juniorsviter på 40 kvm. //One of PM & Friends 10 junior suites of 40 sqm.
I caféet och baren TAK har man utsikt över Växjös takåsar. //The café and bar TAK has views of Växjö’s rooftops.
//A day in the Maldives
It is early morning and it takes a few seconds before I realize where I am … I’m in the Maldives! I’ve been longing for this for so long and now I am actually here. I have to pinch myself in the arm to really understand that I am not dreaming.
I go out from the balcony and look out over the white sand beach. Then I sit for a while in the shade under one of the palm trees and look out over the turquoise water. I love how the waves have swept away all the steps and flattened the sand so that it is completely smooth. I hope I don´t get a coconut on me! 😉 I peek up at the palm above. It looks good. Puh!
It’s in the morning it is the best snorkeling so it is now or never. The water looks clear and still. But the breakfast buffet is calling..It´s holiday and I just have to have Nutella and a croissant! And I can not miss all the good exotic fruit available. And right there, freshly made waffles! Full and satisfied after breakfast, we head back to our bungalow. We need to rest a bit before snorkeling and get on plenty of sunscreen. Today we hope to see a turtle when we snorkel. It is said that there are lots of 70-year-old green turtles eating seaweed some 20 meters out along one side of Kuredus island.
On the way to our bungalow, we go along the shore. In one place there is a long sandbank that you can go straight into the water when it is low tide. It feels awesome and you get the feeling of almost being able to walk on water.
Time for snorkelling! We jump in the harbor where the boats come in. Who knows if there will be a shark? 🙂 Suddenly an airplane approach us! The water airplane glides slowly toward the pier with a deafening sound. The pilot has full control around him and I wave to the passengers in my snorkel mask. They look wide-eyed at me in the water and probably wonder if you really can snorkel here. It is ok, but you have to have an eye around so it does not interfere with air traffic. Now it is quiet again and everyone has gone off the plane. I can slowly swim out to the reef. There are markers exposed in some places that helps one to find it and it works also as places where you can rest. The currents are strong so you have to slowly float by and not use too much energy. It is important to always be two if something happens.
Under the surface it’s like a whole different world. Large schools of blue and black fish sweeping slowly back and glitter to the sunlight that penetrates through the surface. The corals are not so colorful anymore because of the death of corals which unfortunately hit the Maldives and many other places in the world due to an increase in sea temperature, but it is full of life still on the fish I see swimming around the coral.
It is important to keep track of, among other things trigger fish territories at this time of the year (july), they can attack if they are disturbed. We encounter some but swims rapidly away from them. Soon we approach the coast and the bottom becomes more and more covered with seaweed. Then suddenly it happens. A large turtle swims gracefully past us. We swim a bit beside it. After a while it comes up to the surface to breathe and then you see really how big head it has. It is incredibly beautiful! Once on the beach again, we chill out after the long swim and decide to lie down for a while by the pool with a refreshing drink and a good book. Dark clouds pile up further away so it’s probably rain again. I hope it is only temporary so we can go boating and playing golf tonight.
The rain quickly pull over and the weather gets better. It’s time for a golf and boat tour! Not easy to get in a good outfit for the combo. 😉 A dress can do. After some training on the golf course, we head to the harbor where boat excursion “Sunset Cruise” will take place. If you are lucky you may see lots of dolphins on the boat and cool colors in the twilight. We were not so lucky with the dolphins but the sunset was nice.
Now it’s finally time for supper! There is so much to choose from. Where do you start? I choose a vegetarian pad thai as a main course. We come early to the restaurant and are lucky to get a nice table under the stars on the beach.
After dinner, we go one round to the harbor and meet some other couples who we got to know during the day. We look at the meter sharks circulating in the boats. Now one would not like to swim! 😉 Then we play a game of billiards and talking into the late hours. Time to sleep!