Note: After the Rain has been updated to become Sous Les Oliviers – read here for more, and the SLurls here have been updated to the new landing point.
Ely (Elyjia Baxton) recently opened a new Full region design entitled After the Rain, and as always with her work, it is an absolute delight to visit, explore and photograph, being packed with detail. It is also a setting with a couple of related venues about to come on-stream, although at the time of my visit, one had only “soft” opened, and the other was still being finalised.
I’ve covered Ely’s work extensively in this blog – all the way back to some of her earliest co-designs, in fact; and it has been an absolute pleasure to be able to witness and share in her growth as a noted and visual region designer in that time, and After the Rain continues to demonstrate her skill in presenting richly engaging and photogenic locations.
This is a place offering everything from a bustling little town through quiet country walks and rural retreats to a coastal fishing harbour, passing by way of livestock farming, natural parkland and cosy homes, all without ever feeling overcrowded or cramped.
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of After the Rain, a place of tranquillity and beauty. Discover a quaint little town, a charming harbour, and welcoming homes. Stroll along trails that wind past picturesque farms and peaceful rest areas. Whether you’re looking for a place to relax, explore, or simply admire the view, After the Rain is the ideal retreat. Every nook and cranny is designed to offer you an immersive and soothing experience, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Let yourself be swept away by the magic of After the Rain; here every visit is a new adventure.
– After the Rain Destination Guide description
The Landing Point sits in the south-east corner of the region, where lies the little town. Small it might be, and with the buildings largely unfurnished, the town still has a feeling of life about it, and (Land Capacity allowing) it might yet see a little décor entering some of the shops. This aside, the streets are certainly decorated and offer nice touches of detail.
Follow the cart track north from the town and you’ll pass by the park offices and the hilltop park with its cosy places to sit. Winding on, the track reaches to a covered bridge passing over one of the many channels and bodies of water breaking up the landscape. It is here that the farmstead might be found. With the house furnished and plenty of little details scattered around the horse meadow and barns, there’s a lot to take in here.
Carry on westwards along the track, and a slightly rickety bridge provides access to another farmstead where sheep and chickens are being raised, prior to the track reaching the little fishing harbour.
However, before carrying on the the harbour, take a moment to wander through the garden of the farmhouse; you’ll find stone steps rising to a rugged and wooded headland carrying on it signs of abandoned use: a broken greenhouse, abandoned furniture and a deserted cabin and outhouse crouch among the trees and rocks, largely ignored by the stream tumbling and bubbling through the headland to drop into one of the region’s larger bodies of water, overlooked by a comfortable camp site.
A second way out of the town lies under the umbrella-hung archway down the steps from the Landing Point. Here, the cobbled street passes an outdoor market and up to an impressive covered square and its nearby stone bridge standing tall over the same body of water as the covered bridge mentioned above. Beyond this stone bridge one might find a cottage with a charming view over another body of water, the region’s lighthouse (again furnished), and walks among the trees and uplands on this southern side of the region.
All of this barely scratches the surface of After the Rain, given I’ve skipped over many of the little touches – from wildlife to places to sit, indoors and out – some of them on the water or tucked away – to cats and horses and sheep, to a richness of flora throughout. However, two I really should mention are the café and music venue, both of which, at the time of writing, had yet to formally open – although the café is available for visits.
The Loulou Café sits on the north side of the region on square of land which, but for the two short causeways reaching out to it, is close to becoming and island in its own right. Presented within a wild garden and offering its own indoor and outdoor seating, the café is available for people to visit, and its terraces and ivy-hung walls, welcome visitors who find it by watch of the parkland or the horse farm. I understand from Ely that it will be used for a music event venue in time.
Located in the sky over the café, Loulou club. Yet to open to the public, this presents a fusion of avant-garde and art deco stylings with a fusion of techno and retro in a manner which both captures the eye and reflects the kind of music it will offer once open: deep house, prog house and electro, and will feature DJs and live performers.
I’m not sure when the club is due to open – the best way to find out is perhaps to visit the region and see when the club is accessible (or ask Ely – there is no Group to currently join).
That said, whether or not you’re interested in joining events at the club, After the Rain is a must-see setting for anyone who enjoys exploring Second Life; you’re not going to be disappointed. My thanks to Cube Republic for the pointer!
SLurl Details
- After the Rain (Ely, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 