Lavender Garden

This is something novel. The last time I visited a lavender farm was in Cheshire, back in 2003. The smell in the air was unmistakeable, let alone able to take a nap in the surrounding area in the cool early summer breeze!

Not quite a nap this time, but the aroma was definitely there. Not as strong and not as fresh, but it was not too bad. Definitely worth the admission fee alone!

This must have been a new addition to the Genting Strawberry Leisure Farm as it was not yet opened the last time we were there. The garden was situated just at the end of the rows of strawberries, and it was something not to be missed.

The place was not really big, but enough to give you an idea what it would be like in the South of France! Even asthmatic Idlan enjoyed the smell and it did not trigger his wheeze.

There were a few benches if you'd like to sit, and of course the customary gift shop. After taking a few snaps, it was already time to head to the next part of the farm. Plus it was already time for lunch ....

The Strawberry Farm

Compared to when we were there last, the number of trees had definitely at least doubled. The strawberries seemed fresher and there were plenty to choose from. It cost RM8 per 100g which I thought was pretty steep, especially when we had five pickers going rampant like maniacs along the rows of strawberry, armed with scissors and baskets.

It got a bit warm in there towards the end as the sun came out. But I was impressed at how well maintained the whole place was.

Got the strawberries in order in the baskets, got them weighted and then we were off to the next leg - the lavender garden!

Lorong Seratus Tahun

In the middle of discovery - or rediscovering The Mall, or now called Sunway Putra Mall - we found out that the old eatery on the top floor was preserved. It used to be one of my favourite eatery and it was themed around the A Famosa. Food was good and reasonably priced. A nice place to meet up with friends.

The place is now different and not all of the cafes were opened yet. The one we tried was surprisingly good however. It was a Penang Peranakan cafe called Lorong Seratus Tahun.

I had the asam laksa and Anita had some curry mee. I must say that the asam laksa was superb. Almost authentic Penang.

Definitely worth another try in the future should we landed at the mall again ...

Return to The Mall

Or should I say, the newly renamed Sunway Putra Mall.

Yes, the place looked different to what I remembered. Gone were the huge glass canopy over the main atrium, replaced by column of shop floors and a central foyer. The old cinema and indoor theme park was also gone, replaced with more shops although the famous eatery on the top floor remained, although there were new restaurants there.

The old Yaohan was replaced with Uniqlo, and still plenty of shops under renovation or practically empty. The parking lots were the same as before. Cramp and damp, but now with the option of valet parking at the main entrance. Access was much better now with LRT attached to the main building.

The place was still yet officially opened, and was still empty even for a Sunday lunch time. Not all the restaurants were opened, but we had a nice lunch at Lorong Seratus Tahun, a Penang-themed food outlet. 

Going there with Anita brought back many memories of the late 80's and early 90's. Sweet ones. I remember going to have lunch there on the days I was due to fly back to the UK and doing last minute shopping. That also seemed to be THE place for meetups when friends come in from out of town during school breaks. The hippest place before KLCC and Pavilion or even One Utama were the rage.

Oh, time has changed. One of the girls at the shop corrected us when we said that "The Mall" looked different. She said, there is no "The Mall", there is only "Sunway Putra Mall". Hipster!!!

Such Lovely Sunday

It had been a longer weekend than usual. Saturday was Nuzul Quran, which was a public holiday for Selangor. Despite having to return to the hospital a couple of times, I still managed some free time. I even managed to go out for sahur with Anita at one of the stalls. Not often that we managed to do that usually.

Ward round this morning was done and the afternoon was a sunny one. The boys had their exams from next week, so they had to have some revision done. Come 4 pm, Anita and I planned for a quick outing to Pasar Ramadan, getting some food for dinner.

I will be on call tomorrow, so it was best to enjoy the weekend while it last .....