Category: Exploring Second Life

It’s no secret that I have an island home within Second Norway; I’ve written about the estate on numerous occasions in these pages, both pre- and post my move to it. Some of these posts covered the estate’s near-closure and subsequent recovery while others have highlighted some of the public spaces to be found within Second Norway. It is in reference to the second category of Second Norway that this little piece belongs.

At the end of August 2025, I received a message from Gian (GiaArt Clip), a region designer whose work I’ve also covered on multiple occasions in these pages, informing me about their latest project – the overhauling of what might be regarded as the “gateway” to Second Norway when approaching it along the water corridor from Blake Sea: Bryggen.

The region is named for the eastern side of Vågen harbour in Bergen, Norway, once part of the centre for Hanseatic League commercial activities in that country (Bryggen meaning “the dock”, and also being known as Tyskebryggen – “the German dock”). It is particularly famous for its  Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings, marking it as a natural tourist attraction as well as being a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. In respect of this, Bryggen in Second Life has long offered a reproduction of those famous houses on its waterfront.

Under Gian’s reworking of the region, reproductions of these famous building have been retained. They straddle a waterway running west-to-east through the region, those on the north side of this waterway forming a double row of properties, most (all?) of which appear available for rent, the gay colours of the front row lining a pedestrian waterfront much like those so often photographed in the real Bryggen also do so).

The units on the southern side of the waterway are a little more constrained in terms of space, being partnered with a part of Second Norway’s road system – notably the local bus station / terminus, which sits behind the local working docks and Get the Freight Out hub and fish market. Movement between these two waterfront areas is facilitated by the broad pedestrian / road/rail bridge spanning the waterway. All of the brightly-painted Hanseatic style units are occupied by local businesses, adding more colour and life to the setting.

As well as the Hanseatic buildings, Bryggen in Second Norway was also home to a distinctive stave church. At one time in Bryggen’s history, this stood on a rugged headland overlooking the main channel leading into the estate from Blake Sea. With Gian’s remodelling, the church has been retained, but it has been relocated into an expanded recreation of a Viking settlement.

The village is located on a rocky plateau in the south-east quadrant of the region. Here it overlooks the southern precinct of Hanseatic commercial buildings. Cut through by a road tunnel, the plateau for the village sits at the same elevation as a large neighbouring commercial / business district in the north-east side of the region. However, the two are separated by a narrow gorge – home to the Bryggen central rail station – which appears to leave the village isolated on its plateau.

Solving the mystery of accessing the village is a matter of taking the footbridge over the rail station from the bus terminus (itself alongside the landing point), then following the cobbled footpath along the edge of the gorge towards the local courthouse. Here visitors will find a sign directing them down to a grassy path leading to the main entrance to the village.

The business district itself is home to a range of properties, including the courthouse mentioned above, the local hotel and pub and the local nightclub – Club 25, which will be (at the time of writing) hosting DJ Noir from 00:00 SLT on September 19th, 2025.

It should be noted that there are a couple of private residences within the setting – notably in the north-west corner, on the far side of the bridge relative to the double rows of Hanseatic units on that side of the waterway, and also on the raised headland sitting above the Viking village. Other than these, I think the rest of Bryggen is open to exploration, and has plenty of detail and touches in order to make it an interesting and attractive backdrop for photography.

Overall, this reworking of Bryggen brings a real sense of life to the region and offers an engaging visit. My thanks to Gian for the invitation to drop in and explore, and my apologies for taking a little time to get to the point of writing it up.

SLurl Details

• Bryggen (rated: Moderate)

Back in July, I visited Lost Place of Norbu, a marvellous sub-tropical Homestead region design by Miri (SilentChloe). It was a place I found more than lived up to its the English version of its name (“jewel”), as I noted in Lost Place of Norbu: a sub-tropical jewel in Second Life.

More recently, I came across Cold Moon in the Destination Guide and saw it carried a Japanese theme – something which immediately caught my attention and causing me to add it to my list of places to visit. When hopped over to grab a landmark and saw the designer was Miri, I knew I’d be in for something special, as would anyone else paying the setting a visit, and decided to go ahead and write about it immediately.

As with Lost Place of Norbu, this is setting with an Adult rating, and which does include items which can be used for adult and BDSM activities. However, and again like Lost Place, these items are cleverly placed and designed to blend in with the overall design of the setting, and when not in use appear to be part of the overall décor, blending with the rest of the setting.

Cold Moon is a small island surrounded by the ocean. Discover the wild nature and enjoy the sound of the sea and the whistling wind. Enjoy your stay in this beautiful and mysterious place. This place is dedicated to Japanese pearl divers.

– from the Destination Guide entry for Cold Moon

The Landing Point is located on the southern and largest of the five islands making up the setting. Low-lying, somewhat rugged in nature, a fair portion of this island is itself flat, rain-swept rock, the water suggesting it has been subject to a recent downpour. An open-sided pavilion overlooks the Landing Point and provides one of several places to be found throughout the region where visitors might sit and pass the time.

Facing the pavilion from across the puddle rock is dedication to Japanese pearl divers in the form of the story of Lady Tamatori (Tamatori hime), the “jewel-taking princess” and legendary Ama (pearl diver). Just touch the dedication to receive a notecard to read her story.

Close to this dedication board, a path winds down to a long bridge spanning the waters to the second largest island. This is marked by high cliffs over which water tumbles and large statues. The low-lying part of this island offers a further place to sit and a shrine to a fallen warrior.  Stepping stones also reach out over the shallow waters to one of the smaller islands in the group, this one dominated by another structure offering a further retreat in which to pass the time.

The remaining two islands lie between to two large islands and tucked into the south-west corner of the region respectively. The former is home to statues of a samurai and a geisha, whilst the latter is a rocky sentinel watching over a nearby floating bar and boat dock.

All of the above is little more than a physical description of the setting; what is harder to convey with words is the overall beauty waiting to be found in Cold Moon.

As with Lost Place of Norbu, this is a setting brought to life be the level of detail Miri has brought to it, from the birds and waterfowl, through the plants and trees to the décor and furnishings found within the various buildings and across the islands. On the water are little boats and a raft carrying with it the suggestion someone might be pearl diving), together with floating lanterns, the latter offer a sense of romance as they sit on the water around the statues of the geisha and samurai on their little isle.

All of this is captured under an ideal environment setting which brings both an edge of fantasy / mystery to the setting and a hint of autumnal days. Combine this with the sense of tranquillity within the setting, and Cold Moon makes for a genuinely engaging visit.

SLurl Details

• Cool Moon (Ruby Rigid, rated Adult)

For her latest region design based on a physical world location, Jade Koltai offers a personal take on the scenic beauty of Lake Bled, Slovenia.

Located close to the Julian Alps, Lake Bled has a long history, with links to Christianity, cults, healing, and – in more modern times – recreation and sport (it has been the location for the world rowing championships no fewer than four times).

Perhaps most famously, the lake with its forested surroundings is best known for Blejski otok (Bled Island), the home of a church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. Dating from the 17th century, the church was a pilgrimage location, and includes Gothic frescos dating to the 15th century.

With her Lake Bled, Jade offers many of the highlights of its physical world namesake – the surrounding mountains, the forests and sense of peace – and, most obviously, the island and church – but take things in places in a slightly different direction to offer a location that carries with it an element of mystery mixed with the natural beauty.

The Landing Point is located on the expansive deck of a lakeside cabin now converted into a cosy café-come-rest-stop. With plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, the café offers its own alternatives to the culinary speciality of the Lake Bled region, kremna rezina (or kremšnita), in the form of a range of pastries and other delights.

The waterside length of the cafe’s deck offers a command view of the setting’s island and the shadowy form of the church thereon, but no actual way to reach the island directly.

For that, visitors should strike out southwards from the café, following the edge of the lake around to where a small wooden jetty offs boats to rez. These can be used to cross to the island and church, or to putter around on the water and perhaps visit the rafts floating out between the island and the lake’s southern shore.

Placing the boat rezzer a short distance away from the café encourages exploration, and it s possible to completely circumnavigate the lake by either setting off to the south towards the jetty, or heading north and following the steps and trail in that direction.

Which route you take is a matter of choice; neither direction out from the café holds any particular advantage (unless heading out on one of the boats is your particular aim!). As the route do circle the lake, effectively forming a single path around it, you will pass pass by or through all the points of interest along the lake’s shores, including a raised platform with its burning brazier offering an artificially elevated view over the lake; the little cabin tucked into a corner of the the setting and a peaceful hideaway; the paved overlook above the lake that is slightly suggestive of the remains of an ancient road, and more besides.

Given the limited space within a region, Jade’s Lake Bled offers a different take on the island church to its physical world namesake. While the latter offers a number of buildings as well as the church and its separate bell tower, the majority with whitewashed walls and tidy red-titled roofs, Jade’s small island presents a single chapel standing at the head of steps rising from the single small dock.

With its darkened walls, and seemingly abandoned interior coupled with the overgrown nature of the little island, the church offers that sense of mystery I noted, bringing a possible narrative twist to the setting: why was the chapel set here? Why is it now deserted? Is it a place of romance or something else? The crows gathered on the island perhaps add to the mystery present on the island, their dark plumage certainly a contrast to the more gaily-coloured birds to be found around the shores of the lake.

When visiting, I do recommend using the local environment settings. Whilst these place the Sun to west, suggesting that the day is ending, the fact that mist is in places hugging the waters of the lake and drifting through the grasslands at its edge conversely give a feeling of an early morning, and that time of day between first light and the Sun actually taking a peek over the horizon. It further adds to the romance of the setting, as well as that sense of mystery one might feel when visiting, the church and its island rising as silhouettes from the waters of the lake, guarded on either side by the tall peaks of the haze-softened mountains.

In all, and as ever with Jade’s work, a beautiful and evocative setting; definitely not one to be missed.

SLurl Details

• Lake Bled (Overland Hills, rated Moderate)

Designed by Philippe Brora (brutal), the Lost Swamp is a Homestead Region recently added to the Destination Guide, where its description attracted my attention as a place to visit and explore.

Surrounded by off-region mountains caught in a distant mist when seen using the region’s default environment settings, it presents a rugged setting rising from east to west; one in which water has played a role in its formation.

Lost Swamp is a quiet and atmospheric destination where misty waters and whispering trees create a backdrop for reflection and photography. Visitors can explore its calm paths and find inspiration in its timeless setting.

– from Lost Swamp’s Destination Guide description

The Landing Point sits on the eastern extent of the region, atop a small dock with a motor launch alongside. The latter gives the impression that those teleporting in have in fact just arrived aboard the old but functional boat. Close by is the mouth of a narrow river, exiting the land after flowing outwards from the uplands to the west.

A large tree house sits across the river. It is not the only structure on the island, but it is the largest and best-kept, the others looking a little more careworn in nature. Open to the public, the house sits close to the tower of an old brick-built lighthouse which has seen better days – although exactly what has befallen it is open to visitors to consider for themselves.

Both sit on the edge of the swamplands which presumably give the setting its name. These lie to the north side of the region, between the river and the open waters surrounding it, although neither appears to feed into it.

Mist-wreathed, home to mangroves, swamp pines and dead and rotting vegetation, the swamp is the populated by crows, bats, snakes and vultures. An aging shack and barn clearly suffering from the swamp’s damp air sit within it, but again, who might live here is up to the imagination to decide.

South of the river the land is partially flooded; channels of water cutting it into small islands sufficiently high above the waters so as to be dry rather than swampy, but perhaps damp enough to cause the corn here to rot as it grows (or perhaps it has simply been abandoned).

Bridges and wooden walkways offer the means to cross the various channels, making for multiple routs of exploration, including the boat shack on the southern coast. The latter has again seen better days, but is again open to the public.

To the west, the uplands are rugged, the home of high waterfalls and largely naked in terms of flora. The northern hills are home to stairs rising to a plateau where more ruined and makeshift buildings stand. These offer table-top games and the area appears to be a possible events space – with the latter promised as “coming soon”.

Southwards, and hidden by surrounding hills and cliffs, lies something of a secret heart to the setting – but I’ll let you find that in a visit of your own and determine what its story might be.

With multiple places to sit scattered throughout the region, coupled with enough to encourage the imagination to start conjuring possible backstories for the setting, the Lost Swamp offer a lot to see and plenty of opportunities for photography.

SLurl Details

• Lost Swamp (Glimpse of Eternity, rated Adult)

To the English-speaking world, Bruchtal might not be immediately recognisable when it comes to references to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien – perhaps most notably in The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. However, German aficionados of Tolkien’s mythology will likely immediately recognise it as a reference to Imladris – or Karningul in Westron, the common tongue of Middle Earth. Also known as Rivendell, it is the location of the House of Elrond Half-elven.

Within Second Life, it is the name Sharon Neiro has selected for his utterly stunning personal adaptation of the mythical lands of Eriador (and beyond) within Middle Earth, and which encompasses the Shire and Rivendell.

And when I say stunning, I really do mean exactly that; Tolkien world has oft be reproduced or used as inspiration within Second Life, and as someone with a deep love of all of Tolkien’s work and world-building, I’ve enjoyed many of them down the years.

However, Bruchtal is perhaps the most captivating for its sheer beauty and for the skill and love evident in the way this single Full region has been beautifully sculpted to present two vastly different aspects of Middle Earth separated by many leagues, within a single location whilst allowing both to maintain its own unique identity and offering a sense of genuine journey from one to the other.

Immerse yourself in the magic of Bruchtal, hidden among high mountains, surrounded by deep forests and the gentle sound of mighty waterfalls. Stroll across romantic meadows in the valley, past colourful flower fields and along clear streams. Let your soul unwind to the music of the Elves and find peace beneath ancient trees – or at the riverbanks, embraced by the one you love. Discover the Shire, celebrate with the Hobbits, and enjoy its joyful, romantic charm. Follow the old paths to the Wood Elves, explore their mysterious tree houses, or wander through the deep, enchanted forests.  

– Bruchtal Destination Guide entry

The Landing Point sits on a sky platform high above the region. It offers a choice of destinations – the setting itself, a trip to the J&S and Ink’n’Shape stores and teleports to Pususaari (which I last visited in April 2025) and TheNest: Sunbird (which I also last visited in April 2025).  These are all reached by touching the requisite mirror teleport – which will also require the acceptance of the Sauvagess Experience by Walton Wainwright (the creator of the teleport mirrors), if you have not previously done so.

Touching the mirror for Bruchtal will deliver you to one of the elven halls of Rivendell. This offers information relating to Tolkien’s mythology. For those not familiar with the likes of The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, the board can make for a useful read.

Beyond this hall lies an interpretation of Rivendell which appears to draw particular inspiration from Peter Jackson’s vision for the House of Elrond. It hugs the step sides of the dell within which it lays, trees climbing the steep slopes to either side and waterfalls dropping from on high. With the region surround of high peaks suggesting the lofty heights of the Misty Mountains and the region EEP setting adding a particular beauty to the setting, it is hard not to believe you haven’t been transported to Middle Earth.

Across the dell, and reached via a winding path, a choice of trails wind downwards. One offers the way to the floor of the valley. This is a place of serenity and natural beauty and offering multiple places to sit and pass the time.

The second path continues on down the side of the valley before crossing one of the outward flowing streams and entering The Shire. Here the path winds through a Hobbit village. Whether you opt to see this as Hobbiton itself or not, is up to you; certainly, there is a large Hobbit house on a hill and, below it a field set out for what might be A Long-Expected Party – and towards which a cart and horse is making its way, carrying a certain grey-cloaked wizard…

Beyond the village and the party meadow, the track continues, passing through a pastoral setting and under a stone arch hung with lanterns. As it does so, it takes us further into Middle Earth and to the realm of the Sindarin, the wood elves. Here, among the woods, the great Mallorn trees rise, stairs rising around them to open-sided talans, open for people to visits (as are the Hobbit holes from the village). More places to sit and pass the time can also be found down on the ground and under the shade of the trees.

All of this just scratches the surface of the region – there is much to discover and appreciate. Gandalf, for example, is not the only notable Tolkien character waiting to be found; Galadriel waits (for Frodo?) before her mirror; Elrond stands high up on one of the Talans, whilst his daughter Arwen stands somewhat pensively within Rivendell. Further rounding-out the region is an audio stream featuring arrangements of Howard Shore’s music from the movies, together with pieces by Enya (who, of course, wrote May It Be).

In all, a genuinely engaging, rich setting, beautifully put together and executed – and more than worth spending time exploring.

SLurl Details

• Bruchtal – land of the Elves (Star Light, rated Moderate)

Yoyo Collas is back with another Homestead region design he has called Sunkiss, a late summer / early autumn setting described thus by Yoyo:

Summer has lost its strength, the air is warm, the wind is gentle, the rustling of the leaves announces the change of seasons. Sunkiss offers peace, adventure, and a connection to nature—perfect for those eager to explore.

– Sunkiss About Land description.

Presented as an island with a north-south orientation, the setting features a wide swath of beach to the west, backed by grassy slopes rising to form the backbone to the island their eastern side a rugged line of cliffs dropping back to the open waters.

It’s a simple but effective design, the simplicity of approach making it a welcoming environment with a sense of peace and opportunities for relaxation and sharing.

A single house occupies the setting, sitting with its back to the cliffs towards the island’s north-eastern extent. With a roof insulated by turf and mounting solar panels, it is open to the public and offers a commanding view out over the beach to the west.

An old motorboat sits up on keel blocks alongside of the house, although how it might be safely lowered down the steep slope to the beach below is entirely open to question. Fortunately it appears that when the tide comes in, it does so over a fair amount of the beach – as evidenced by the fishing boat moored to a floating buoy but itself stranded high on the sand as if deposited there by a retreating tide -, so getting the motorboat from the foot of the hill and into the water might not be too hard a job.

The beach extends practically the full length of the island, offering several places to sit as it does so. A houseboat sits mired in the sand at its southern end, again open to the public and perhaps best noted for the cats that appear to have claimed it as their residence. Only one of these feline “owners” appears to be showing some interest in the episode of The Twilight Zone being shown on TV (1961’s It’s a Good Life, which also marked actor Bill Mumy’s second appearance in that series), which is a shame, as it is widely regarded as one of the series best segments.

The main house on the island appears to be an attempt at a degree of self-sufficiency. As well as the solar panels on the roof, energy appears to also be provided by way of a wind turbine located on the island’s southern headland.

This is reached by way of a meandering path-come-trail running along the island’s spine. Along the way, the path passes a semi-rundown barn with further signs of self-sufficiency: chickens watched over by a cockerel, together with goats, while sheep graze on the nearby scrub grass.

The path is not the only route of exploration around and across the island, as it is entirely open to simple wandering. Throughout all of this are many places to sit and pass the time. There’s also a rich soundscape to help bring the setting to life, while birds and small animals add their own touches to the island.

In all – and as one would expect from Yoyo – an engaging visit, rich in detail.

SLurl Details

• Sunkiss (rated Moderate)