Minna at her salon in Llucmajor. | Jessika Ekman

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A friend in Sweden sent me a message this morning – “How is Mallorca doing?” I looked out through my window before I answered. I have a green haven full of flowers, in general the ambience is grounding and sweet here. I can even say Majorca smells amazing now as the orange trees are in blossom. The first years I lived here out in the countryside I never sat down in my orange grove to enjoy this little pleasure, but now I have a coffee table and some comfy chairs out, so it is easier to enjoy. Appreciate the small things. Coffee in my own garden.

Mallorca is doing better because spring is here. Some express that they are offended by all the surveillance and appalled by the behaviour of certain individuals, but for Mallorca it is still going in the right direction.

This week I met with Minna, ‘The Vegan hairdresser’ at Soma Salon that gave up a busy life teaching at the best school for hairdressers in Finland, for her love – Juanjo the tattoo artist in the metropole of Llucmajor, Mallorca.

Their story is so sweet. Minna came to Mallorca with a friend for a week’s holiday in Cala Pi and after enjoying the beach for several days they decided it was time to see something else. The girls jumped on the only bus available and it took them to Llucmajor. The two friends walked around the village centre and even though Llucmajor never will win a prize of being the most beautiful village on the island, they decided it had charm. After some drinks on the cosy square, they met some locals and the late afternoon turned into dinnertime.

Somewhere during the evening, she exchanged phone numbers with what would turn out to be the man of her dreams. The first proper date was at the cliffs in Cala Pi, and the road to move over from Finland was long and not at all easy. Now, a couple of years later they live together with Minna’s two blond daughters and a dog. The girls go to the local school and Minna and Juanjo have side by side businesses/salons on a busy street in the village.

At Soma Salon she receives her clients in a chic colourful environment where she has collected bits and pieces of furniture during the time she has been on the island.
Minna loves her profession and she also loves animals, so the Vegan Hairdresser concept was an easy match. All the products she uses for her customers are perfume free and 100% Vegan. Her passion is creating styles that enhance the customers qualities and that are easy to maintain.

Health is of great importance today, that is why it is essential for her to work only with high quality products, without perfumes and that have not been tested on animals.

Scandinavian Photographer wins the Palma Photography marathon twice in a row

Palma Fotografica Marato is a yearly competition for photographers in Palma. The participants get a special theme to photograph during a morning in Palma. This event has been celebrated every year since 1987. The competition 2020 was the first time in history where the winner was a Scandinavian. Marisa Sakura Dalnäs. Not only that, but she also won again 2021. Sadly, due to the restrictions Marisa’s photos did not get as much attention as they would have on a normal year. This year the photos have been exposed in Casal Solleric in Palma, and despite the pandemic the visitor numbers have been really good. If you missed it here are both photos , 2020, Theme was “The inhabitants of Calatrava” and 2021 “A special book in a special corner of Palma”.

Marisa was born in Tullinge, a suburb to Stockholm where she grew up with her Japanese mother and a Swedish journalist father. She came to Mallorca for a two-week holiday some 20 years ago, and she has never regretted that she stayed.

Marisa is a very popular family and wedding photographer in the Scandinavian community, and she also handles several Social media accounts for businesses, as their social media content creator. The prize she won in the competition is to study documentary and filmmaking with Toni Bestard, one of the best directors in Mallorca.

“The film course at CEF escuela audiovisual Mallorca, is something I am really enjoying. I am excited about the future. There are many film and photography projects that I want to do. Apart from that I really hope to be able to travel soon and be able to go to Sweden this summer.”