Category: Exploring Second Life

Athenaeum – click any image for full size

Athenaeum is an Adult-rated region we were pointed toward (once again!) by Shakespeare and Max. The name piqued my curiosity for two reasons: the school for promoting literary and scientific studies founded by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, and the Athenaeum Club in London; founded in the 1820s for those of both sexes with intellectual interests encompassing the likes of science, engineering, literature and the arts – although it is not necessarily exclusive to these disciplines.

A full region designed by Dema (Dema Fairport), Athenaeum also caters for those with a specific grouping of interests, albeit those of a distinctly adult nature, and offers a welcome to all visitors, no matter what their gender preference or sexual orientation.  It is also, and more particularly, a quite breathtaking region in its design and execution.

Athenaeum

Within her Profile, Dema offers a description that builds on the limited space within the About Land Floater to perfectly encapsulate the aim of  region, making it clear that while adult in nature and leaning towards more Adult-oriented interactions, Athenaeum is not in any way a “sex sim”; far from it. The emphasis is on a refined, cultivated approach to adult activities within Second Life.

Artistic, adult environment focusing on the kink friendly community. Come with an open mind and relax with your special someone by the pool, the veranda, library or the many relaxing areas along the beach or in the woods. Meet others of like minds. who enjoy the kinkier aspects of SL in a safe loving environment free of judgements.

Athenaeum

The landing point sits towards the centre of the region, and is located on a stone bridge reaching over one of two river gorges that slice through the land, splitting it into three major parts. To the southern end of this bridge steps rise to a shelf of rock on which sits an ageing hunting lodge, now converted into a place with an ambience – on the ground floor at least – of a private club. Within its rooms are leather arm chairs, great bookcases filled with tomes awaiting reading, fires in the hearths, bottles of port and cigar humidors on some tables, coffee and After Eight mints on others, and just the most subtle of hints as to some of the activities that might follow conversations in these rooms; activities which themselves might be enjoined in the rooms above, going by their décor.

The swimming pool mentioned in Dema’s description is to the found to one side of the flagstone terrace sitting behind the lodge,  which also offers a place for dancing under open skies and further hints of the more adult pursuits visitors might engage in. The house and terrace overlook a small finger of an island just sitting off the coast to the west, with a ribbon of beach awaiting explorers, somewhat curtained from prying eyes above by tall fir trees. Reaching this is a matter of backtracking to the bridge and then finding your way by steps and cinder track down to the foot of the plateau, and then around it to where a little wooden bridge connects the island to a second sliver of sand in the lee of the cliffs.

Athenaeum

Travel north along the stone bridge of the landing point, and the way is open to reach a broad, shallow cove on the north side of the land. Here time can be spent on the beach or in the water or resting in the tree houses sitting to one side of the cove, overlooking another DJ spots and ground-level seating areas.

Between the steps from the bridge and the rocky arch leading to the cove, the way is cut by a cinder track. Follow this downhill to a surfaced road, and you’ll find yourself passing buildings offering some unique perspectives on fetishism. There’s a celebration of the physical world photography of New York’s Darque, sitting alongside the Kink History Museum that traces the history of kink from ancient through to modern times, before the road ends at a cosy waterfront café.

Athenaeum

And all of this barely scratches the surface of the region. The landscaping is rich and natural, with cinder tracks and trails winding inland and to various points on the coast or overlooking it, with numerous secluded spots and settings with an edge of romance to them for couples and groups to enjoy. To the south-east, reached via paths leading under trees and across meadows can be found more contemplative spots, complete with Buddha awaiting those who will visit; further west, horses graze alongside their barn, while vine-draped trellises offer arched invitations to perhaps step off of  the tracks and paths and just wander, and a small headland offers a camp site overlooking the cove and its beach.

Gloriously photogenic (visitors are invited to share their images on the Athenaeum Flickr group), with its adult twists tastefully presented, Athenaeum makes of an interesting and potentially engaging visit.

Athenaeum

SLurl Details

• Athenaeum (Athenaeum, rated: Adult)

Bellefleurs – click any image for full size

Bellefleurs is an Elizabethan-styled grand manor house, the grounds of which occupy an entire homestead region. It is a location I’ve visited on several occasions in the past, but it was its recent re-appearance in the Editors Picks section of the Destination Guide that prompted me to suggest to Caitlyn we pay it a further visit.

The house is the design of Indy (India Canning); it is both the seat of the Canning family and home to the Duchess(es) of Ominum. There is an architectural beauty to the house that puts me in mind of Montacute House, the fabulous Elizabethan Renaissance house in Somerset, England, now operated by the National Trust. I gather from speaking to Indy and Lynn Mimistrobell – who is also involved in the region’s operation – this is intentional; Montacute having been one of several places Indy drew on for inspiration.

Bellefleurs

The house – and the Canning family – is the subject of a richly detailed backstory which is a simply marvellous read, and speaks to deeper elements associated with the region I shan’t go into here. Suffice it to say, never have I come across such a piece for a Second Life location that is so richly interwoven with real events from England’s history. So much so that the text reads not merely as a scene-setting piece of information, but a scholarly review of the genuine history of a noble family, one  – as so often was the way at the time – in which intrigue, politics and religion are deeply interwoven. Such the the quality of the writing, I’ll go so far as to say that a visit to Bellefleurs is incomplete without the time taken to read it either via the website or via the book presented in the entrance hall of the house – particularly if you have a knowledge / fondness / love of Elizabethan history.

Whilst Elizabethan in origin, Bellefleurs incorporates elements from other periods – notably the Victorian. This reflects the natural means by which family seats acquire elements and furnishings through the ages, and the Victorian influences mix easily with Elizabethan. There are also more modern influences to be found in both the house and the grounds, none of which are in any way out-of-place.

Within the grounds of the house are formal gardens to the north and south, with a grand water feature pointing to the west from the rear of the house. Broad paths guide visitors through the grounds to places such as the En Garde fencing area, an outdoor dance area and a walk overlooking the western coastline of the region.

Bellefleurs

To the south of the house, beyond the gardens, sits a mausoleum containing the “tomb” of India Canning. Not that she has passed or anything; it was originally a piece for a Halloween party. But in remaining in place, it offers a hint to some of the deeper aspects of the region and its backstory. However, what these may be is perhaps down to your imagination, how you look upon the portraits of Duchesses (are their likenesses purely down to familial resemblance?) or how you look upon classical / romantic themes around love, loss, life and death. I’ll say no more here, but leave you to your own ruminations;  if only for the fact one of the quotes on the capstone of the tomb had me barking completely up the wrong tree, although Lynn and Indy quickly corrected me on that score! 🙂 .

Sharing the region with Bellefleurs is the House Sakura Companion Guild, which also has its own backstory.  Located in the sky over the house, it encompasses the more adult aspects of the region – with an emphasis on refined elegance.

It is based upon an amalgamation of the Firefly Companion Guild concept, the Venetian cortigiani oneste and the Parisian demi-monde, House of Sakura is located in the sky over Bellefleurs, where more adult encounters might be had – at the discretion of the Companions of the House (who refer to themselves as Blossoms).

House of Sakura

Both Bellefleurs and House Sakura host a number of open social events people are welcome to attend:

• Sunday –  19:30 SLT: Classical Music Salon at Bellefleurs, followed at approximately 20:30 by the After Salon Party at House of Sakura – cocktail attire requested for this event.
• Alternate Tuesdays 19:00 SLT: Toxie Darkmatter sings live at the House of Sakura – cocktail attire requested for this event.
• Thursday 19:00 or 20:00 SLT:  the Thursday Dance at Bellefleurs –  alternating weeks DJ Dee (19:00) or DJ Maddie (20:00); semi-formal attire requested.
• Friday 13::00 SLT: the Friday dance with DJ Ellie  at House of Sakura – casual attire.
• Saturday 14:00-16:00 SLT: DJ Dee’s time hopping weekly party – details via the in-world group; parties are come dressed for the period / theme or as you are.

Bellefleurs house makes for an intriguing visit, and offers a lot of scope for photography and for contemplation. For those with a sophisticated approach and outlook, House Sakura offers a unique environment for more Adult related activities, although as noted, it and Bellefleurs are also both settings for relaxed social events. For those who enjoy a place that give pause for thought and which offers its own story to tell, Bellefleurs can also be just the ticket.

Bellefleurs

SLurl Details

Twist of Fate is rated Adult.

• Bellefleurs House landing point
• House of Sakura landing point – please read the arrivals notecard

Kekeland – Bardeco – click any image for full size

Update: Kekeland – Bardeco has closed. SLurls have therefore been removed from this article.

It’s been nigh-on a year since our first visit to Kekeland – Bardeco, and while the titular bar served as an inspiration of me to remodel Caitinara Bar, after we visited the in the latter half of 2017,  we hadn’t been aware of any move or make-over in the design – until, that is, Shakespeare dropped a new LM on me. Intrigued, we hopped over to have a look, to discover Kekeland – Bardeco has moved from a Homestead to Full region, and undergone a make-over in the process.

We tried to recreate a quiet, sunny and peaceful fishermen place, inspired by an Italian village. You will find a little harbour and a coloured village, and hillsides of vines, with camping and mountains.

– Dandy Warhlol (terry Fotherington) and Belle des Champs (Bridget Genna)

Kekeland – Bardeco

As recreations go, the “new” design for Kekeland is impressive, and succeeds in imparting the feeling of being within the kind of setting that inspired it; but the success might come at s slight cost to some visitors: this is a place where there is a lot going on, particularly with textures, so some adjustment to viewer settings might be required to compensate.But this should put you off visiting; after all, that’s what graphic presets are for!

The harbour described in the land description sits on the south side of the region, a walk down through the streets of the town surrounding it on two sides. Protected from the sea by a breakwater and watched over by a lighthouse, it is fairly bustling with boats: sailing boats, yachts, motorboats, RHIBs – so much so that the fishing boats tied-up at the wharves must have to fight their way out to the freedom of the sea in order to ply their trade each morning!

Kekeland – Bardeco

These fishing boats are tied-up on the east side of the harbour, which is clearly the “working” side: a busy waterfront road where a lot is going on. Behind it, and climbing the stepped cliffs, tall, modern-looking apartment blocks vie with  an ancient fort that once commanded a strategic view over the bay, to claim the skyline as theirs.

The town continues round to the north where, set back from the harbour is a plaza – surprisingly overgrown and with more tower blocks and houses climbing up the inland slope behind it. Along the plaza the predominant business appears to be entertainment and refreshment. The coffee houses, bars, boutiques and open-air music area, together with the more modern apartment houses up on the cliff-top, suggest why the harbour is so chock-full of boats: once a working coastal village, this place has now become a holiday destination.

Kekeland – Bardeco

A further attraction lies on the west of the harbour. Here, sitting atop a rough table of rock, sits Bardeco. The last time we saw this (also the occasion of our first visit to a region design by Belle and Dandy), it was imaginatively placed at the foot of of the region’s cliffs and built back into them, offering an entirely “covert”, so to speak, setting that was both part of yet separate from the rural setting above. Seeing it out in the open in this “new” location did take a little getting used to, I admit, but it has not lost any of its shabby-chic appeal.

North of Bardeco, beyond the slip of water and beach dividing it from the town, the buildings quickly give way to open, rugged land. Here can be found trails, old ruins and signs that not all the locals have been driven away by the maddening crowd on the waterfront. Goats are being reared and grape vines cultivated on some of the lower northern steps of the island, while old farmhouses hide among the trees or sit aloof from the trails on their own shoulders of rock. There’s also the ruins of a much grander property sitting forlorn and alone, whatever story of times past lying within its broken walls fading slowly as nature takes up a greater and greater residence.

Kekeland – Bardeco

In its Homestead iteration, Kekeland – Bardeco offered a wonderful sense of rural living, complete with its discrete and neatly tucked away bar. With its move to a Full region simulator, it presents a more urban setting, and marries these with some of the feeling on open spaces that made the “original” so appealing. It is very different to the “old” design, but sports a unique look and charm nevertheless.

Summers Wind – click any image for full size

I’ve recently been drawn back to travelling to places in Second Life I’ve not visited for a while, and one of the places that sprang to mind – even though it has only been a couple of years since I was last there – is Summers Wind. The hub of Mexi Lane’s three “Wind” regions, the others two being Winters Wind and Autumns Wind, both of which adjoin it, but are given to private residential properties.

The major thing that drew me to Summers Wind the first time around was the extraordinary manner in which landscape designer Rumegusc Altamura has blended landscape and architecture in the public regions of the region to create something truly memorable: a great plateau of rock rises from the middle of the island. And I’m delighted to say that, but for a few changes, it is still very much the centrepiece of the design, with the region as a whole still a marvellous and eye-catching visit.

Summers Wind

Pitted and sculpted into to great sweeps and curves as if by wind and water, the plateau is worlds away from the usual tables of rock seen in Second Life. At the foot of that massive upthrust of land is a series of deep caverns, each fronted by marvellous Graeco-Roman architecture: ornate lintels supported by great Doric style columns. All bar one of the caverns is home to a small store, the exception being offered as a conference space.

Running northwards from the southern coast of the region, the plateau splits Summers Wind roughly in two. On its west side are private rental properties – so please keep this in mind when visiting. To the east (and atop the plateau) are the public areas, albeit it with a couple of private residences.

Summers Wind

Nestled against the eastern coast sits the Café des Arts. Maintaining Mexi’s patronage of the arts in Second Life – she has supported the arts in SL for most of her in-world time, most notably through her former arts region, MIC- Imagin@rium – the café regularly hosts informal exhibitions set out along its wooden decks, and at the time of my return, it featured a display of physical world art by Italian artist Giancarlo Petrini.

Just to the north of the café are little bumper boats that can be use to explore the waterways around and through all three of the Wind isles – but again, do please remember Winters Wind and autumn’s Wind are primarily residential in nature. These can be accessed overland via a stone footbridge in the north-east corner of Summers Wind, which links it to Winters Wind, with more private residences scattered long the north shore of Summers Wind to face Winters Wind across the intervening water.

Summers Wind

When we first came to Summers Wind, there was a glorious underground club space beneath the north reach of the great plateau. While the entrance remains, the club has now gone (sadly, as the design was exceptionally well done), a spa now replacing it. There was also a way up to the top of the plateau – a winding trail and steps, which also seems to have been removed at some point. Now, so far as I can tell, the way up to the top of the plateau is via the signpost near the landing point. Clicking on the various boards on it indicating the various public locations – including the cliff-top conservatory – will deliver a landmark to the destination, allowing visitors to teleport to their desired destination.

In writing about Summers Wind back in 2016, I used a stanza from Summer Wind, the 1965 classic by Johnny Mercer and made famous by Frank Sinatra. I did so both because the name of the region put me in mind of the song, and because the song’s source, the German Der Sommerwind (Bradtke and Meier) uses the Sirocco wind of the Mediterranean as a metaphor, which fits with the wind-sculpted look of Summers Wind’s great plateau. Given how little has changed with the region, I still find the song as applicable today as I did back then.

Summers Wind

Which is another way of saying Summers Wind remains a stunning and beautiful design that is a delight to visit, explore and spend time within, containing its own unique look and a special sense of romance.

SLurl Details

• Summers Wind (Summers Wind, rated: Moderate)

In my last couple of Exploring Second Life articles I’ve referenced re-visiting regions that have existed in-world without necessarily changing much over time. These posts prompted Miro Collas, another seasoned SLexplorer to remind me about Chakryn Forest, a place that has been in existence for getting on towards a decade.

A collaborative design between region holder Bettina Tizzy, landscape artist Andrek Lowell and Eshi Otawara, Chakryn Forest is a place that has changed little over the years since my last visit, back in 2013, and it was pretty well established even then. As such, it sits as something of a time capsule in SL; claimed in 2008, it has little in the way of mesh within it, retaining instead, and “old world”, so to speak, charm.

As the name suggests, this is a forest realm, a place where gigantic redwood trees tower into the sky, spawned from megaprims spun by Zwagoth Klaar at a time when prims were limited to a humbling 10x10x10 metres. Their presence alone will set the bells of memory ringing for those of us who remember working in prims back before mesh arrived and we saw the size limit leap to 64m on a side…

There are no real paths here – it’s a forest after all – and so explorers need to find their own way from the landing point through the trees to discover what lay within, be it the exotic plants, the swooping, dancing sprites or the little camp sites and the more hidden places to sit. The supplied windlight is a little basic, so I do suggest photographers experiment – the images here were taken with a variety of settings, rather than using the default.

For those in the mood, there are a number of quests to be found scattered through the forest and initiated by the likes of Elementals, Fae folk and Hobbits. All require finding objects and returning them to the start point of each quest in order to receive a reward. I confess to not having tried any this time around, so I assume all are in working order. When exploring, beaware that there is a secret place hidden away, lit by candles and offering another glimpse back into the history of SL; hanging decorative nets “woven” from textured cylindrical prims.

With the right windlight, Chakryn Forest has an ethereal feel to it; there is a sense of mystery between the trunks of the great trees, while the exotic flowers scattered about and the floating (in the air and on the water) Elementals give the forest an other-worldly feel. Animals are not in evidence, which is a good thing, given any wanderers would likely not handle the terrain with its slopes and folds while static animals probably wouldn’t look right. However, there is a rich sound scape to go with the setting, so have local sounds enabled when visiting.

Like the tress within it, Chakryn Forest is enduring; old it may well be in terms of component elements, but it is still an engaging visit. More particularly, its age makes it very much a part of SL’s growing history; so when you visit, do please consider making a donation towards its continuance through one of the red flowers scattered across the forest floor.

SL Details

• Chakryn Forest (Chakryn, rated: Moderate)

Black Kite – click any image for full size

In writing about the closure of Namaste and Kamigama recently (see here for more), I made mention of the fact that with all the “new” regions and ever-changing region designs in Second Life, it is sometimes easy to forget the more long-lived locations in-world that are open to public visit.

Those comments put me in mind of a region I first visited nigh-on six years ago, and to which I haven’t written about in the last four. So, I decided to heed my own suggestion and hop over to it and spend a little time there.

Black Kite

Black Kite is the home of Cloudy (Theblackcloud Oh), and it has been open to the public for as long as I can remember it being in Second Life. Over the years it has undergone changes here and there, but by-and-large it has always remained a tranquil, water-focused setting, and this remains true today.

This is a place where azure waters gently flow under a matching sky broken by lazily drifting clouds of white. The ankle-deep water is dotted with wooden decks and board walks, some connected one to another, others sitting as isolated islands to be reached by gentle wading, short steps offering a way up onto them.

Black Kite

The decks are home to assorted points of interest – a couple are the location of the 8f8 store, another offers the chance to rest alongside the Moon, a third features a little open-air café (one of the elements of Black Kite that tends to remain as other elements come and go), while others offer places to simply sit and while away the time.

Watching over this is the region’s signature kite, caught on a mystical wind and aided in its oversight by the strange bobble-topped trees that rise from the waters alongside platforms and around the landing point. Throughout all of this are invitations to throw aside worries and care and just be: “Do what you want”, Celebrate”, “Nothing really matters”, “Dream” … Even “Go fly a kite”, painted on the water beneath the floating kite, reads more as an invitation than it’s more usual sentiment.

Black Kite

For those who have previously visited, the 8f8 store, the kite, the trees, the café and the water tower will all be reminders of Black Kite’s endurance in Second Life. So to are the bottles and jars scattered around, offering those who want to meditate in peace and quiet – and behind glass – the ability to do so. But so too are the subtle changes to be found on repeat visits spaced a little time apart from one another.

In my case, and on this trip, these changes took the form of a tower of shipping containers I can’t recall having seen before, and the arrival of assorted “cuteness” around the region – the “ice cream bunnies” at the café, for example, or the plushie birds. Small changes, perhaps, but enough to keep the camera and eyes roving, and the feet wandering through the region to discover what else might be.

Black Kite

Cloudy does still keep a private residence in the north-east corner of the region, and this is barred to public entry – but the rest of the region remains as open and as free to wander as ever. In fact, one of the joys of Black Kite always has been the fact it is uncluttered. Board walk, decks, platforms – all are scattered across the region with sufficient water between them as to engender among those using them a sense of being apart from others, free to relax in your own little space on one of the decks even when others may be a-visiting or enjoying a break for themselves.

Given that so many places occupying private islands come and go with (sometimes alarming) frequency, that Black Kite remains in-world, open to the public and asking so little in return, for more than six years now, having originally been claimed in March 2012, and remains under its original “ownership” is pretty remarkable. As such, I’m glad I’ve made the time to not only revisit for the first time in several years, but also to write about it once more.  And as with my two previous posts, I’ll again suggest that if you’ve never visited Black Kite before, and wish to see somewhere just that little bit different, you jump over and take a look for yourselves.

Black Kite

SLurl Details

Black Kite (Black Kite, rated: Moderate)