Category: Exploring Second Life

A little while ago now, I dropped in on the Butterfly Conservatory to grab a landmark with a view to a possible future blog post – and then promptly let it slip from my mind after filing it. Fortunately for me, there’s the weekly Destination Highlights, and the April 14th edition served as an aide-memoire, prompting me to suggested to Caitlyn we hop over and have a look around.

The work of Ry Heslop and Kacey Heslop (Kacey Delicioso), the Butterfly Conservatory occupies one half of a sky platform above their full region home, where it is located within a delightful garden suited to a range of viewer-side windlights.

From the landing point visitors can follow the footpaths around the garden, either going directly to the conservatory, or taking a more extended walk among the trees and flowers. Along the way they can learn about owls, discover some of Ry Heslop’s photography (offered for sale), find places to sit and enjoy the setting, visit a behind glass collections of bugs and delve into the world of bees and honey.

The gardens are nicely laid out, the meandering path giving a feeling of size beyond that of the space it occupies, with the various points of interest well spaced out along it. The latter helps prevent any feeling of having a wall of information thrown at you every few metres.The display of creepy-crawlies is nicely presented, each of the bugs in its own case; the models are understandably oversized so thy can be studied more easily. The bee display is also nicely laid out, with hives and flowers and bees industriously buzzing around.

Throughout all of this, little groups of butterflies can be found, circling plants and reminding us of the central theme of the gardens. The conservatory itself challenges visitors to find various families of butterfly among the plants within its walls. There are also information boards detailing the life cycle, anatomy and diet of the butterfly – although it would be nice to perhaps see a little more information on the individual families of butterfly represented.

A couple of other minor niggles also occurred. While having in-world display boards maintains a feeling of immersion, some might find them difficult to read. So providing an option for people to gain the info via note card might not go amiss. Also, while we’re warned that bees are endangered / critical to human life and challenged to help save them, we’re not told why (they are responsible for pollinating 70 of the 100 top crop species that feed 90% of the world) or how, thus the warning and challenge are diminished somewhat.

Even so, the Butterfly Conservatory makes for an enjoyable and informative visit. It presents a nicely relaxed environment  with plenty to see and appreciate. So, if you’re looking for something just that little bit different to visit and explore, we can recommend a visit.

SLurl Details

• Butterfly Conservatory (Golden Sunny Island, rated: Moderate)

The Incredible 4 – click any image for full size

Hear or read the words “Saint-Tropez”, and the chances are your thoughts will turn to the French Riviera, blue Mediterranean waters, yachts and sun-kissed bodies. While there is a beach at Saint Tropez in Second Life, it’s probably not the kind you’re going to want to spend time visiting for a spot of sunbathing; nor is the boat lying next to it the kind of vessel which adds sleek lines and glittering decks to the scene.

Here, however, is something entirely different. A region with a very coastal feel to it as well it is a life style away from its physical world namesake. While it may have a little beach of its own, this is no Mediterranean playground with gleaming yachts and golden sands promising sun-bronzed looks. Which is not to say it is any the less interesting to visit. Rather the reverse: Siant Tropez has a defined look and feel of its own which make it an interesting curio to visit.

The Incredible 4

The work of Sugar (Sugar Planer) and Lea (Lea Pienaar), together with Lindus Lyne, the region operates under the name of The Incredible 4, presumably on account of it being divided into four quarters, all of which flow together to give a feeling they are all part of the same stretch of coastline somewhere in the world. There is no set landing point; any visit via map or search will drop you pretty centrally in the region, so where you wander is pretty much up to you.

To the south-east sits Crossroads Bar, operated by Lindus Lynes. It’s the only part of the region sitting under its own parcel-based windlight setting, which casts in under a darkening twilight sky. A home for blues, blue rock, southern rock and rock, the bar offers both indoor and outdoor music venues. One of the latter sits just across the road, while the other is located a little further away, in the south-east corner of the region, which it shares with outdoor cuddle spots reached via an old wooden bridge.

The Incredible 4

Running across the northern side of the region, and reached via either a winding paved road or a dirt track (I recommend the latter when exploring the region for the first time), is a more urbanised area, albeit own of distinctly two halves. The the east is little town centre well past its prime, but attempting to put a brave face on things. Two gay little shops smile brightly at visitors along one of the streets, while along another houses with a distinctly Mediterranean look offer splashes of colour with their tiled roofs and blooming windows boxes. Even so, it’s hard not escape the feeling this is a place well past its prime – as testified by the row of empty houses to the north, and the uninspired bulk of old apartment houses to the south.

West of this thing become more open, the buildings seemingly fresher.  Two large town houses stand here, together with a little row of apparently thriving businesses. A great steam loco sits in a siding, looking like a local attraction designed to entice those passing through to stop and explore, rather than being a working engine. But even here, the signs of time passing cannot be entire ignored. Roads are closed, the beach is looking grubby – something not helped by the carcass of an old fishing boat lying half-sunken nearby.

The Incredible 4

Through all of this, the main road of the region winds, drawing everything together into a continuous whole. And you follow it around and through the region, the feeling is not so much of simply going in a circle around a square region, but you’re travelling along a stretch of coastline.

And just like a journey through and unknown land, The Incredible 4 offers a slice of the surprising. Follow the road back towards the Crossroads Bar and then turn right onto a woodland path before you get to the bar itself, and you be led to a little slice of Scandinavia. Here, on a rugged corner of coastline sit two houses, screened from the rest of the region by trees and rocky outcrops, the area comes as a rural retreat from the more urban feel of the rest, and coming across it is like arriving at the unexpected while on a long road-trip.

The Incredible 4

And this is the defining beauty of The Incredible 4 / Saint Tropez. Yes, a large part of the region might sound run-down and a little dreary, but it actually has a genuine beauty of its own. The meandering road, the footpaths and trails all serve to bring the various aspects of the region together as a living whole. It makes for an intriguing exploration, particularly given the various opportunities for back-story narrative which present themselves (just what is the town house in the north-west corner of the region all about?). As such, you might well be pleasantly surprised by a visit, as Caitlyn and I were.

SLurl Details

• The Incredible 4 (Saint Tropez, rated Adult)

Maison de L’amitie – click any image for full size

Update, September 2019: Update: Maison de L’amitie has relocated.

I first visited Maison de L’amitie a year ago in April 2016. For reasons that escape me, I never actually blogged about it. So a suggestion from Shakespeare that Caitlyn and I should head on over came as a timely reminder.

As I recall (with the aid of photos taken at the time), a year ago Maison de L’amitie presented a rural scene with windmills, vines and lots of green. A year on and the region – designed by Corina Wonder with help from  Lan Erin – now presents a seafront environment which, although surrounded on all four sides by water, suggests that the land should actually continue to the south-east, where it otherwise falls sharply into the sea.

Maison de L’amitie

It is a place evocative of sea-side vacation destinations; much of the region is given over to water to form a natural bay which reflects a golden-hued sky. Sand bars to the south and west protect the bay on two sides. These form two broad, low beaches, the one to the south adjoining a sharp upthrust of land against which a little village sits. Running before this, and separating it from a sandy waterfront, is a wide road overlooking a line of rowing boats moored just off-shore, watched over by cormorants, gulls and a pelican.

The little hamlet – has a decidedly Mediterranean look to it: whitewashed walls fading from the effects of the sun and air doubtless heavy with sea-salt, sitting under red-tiled roofs. The houses and villa occupy a set of terraces stepping up the hill, a broad stone stairway dissecting them. On the lowest tier, at the roadside, sits a cosy-looking villa hotel. above and behind it are more houses – perhaps chalet-style accommodation for the guest of the hotel. The uppermost terrace is the home of a small chapel and the remnants of other buildings, their broken walls adding a certain charm to the island while suggesting a history lies here awaiting discovery.

Maison de L’amitie

Down on the waterfront, the road crosses the water via the triple arches of a sturdy stone bridge to arrive at a grand château. Sitting amidst tidy lawns with trim yew bushes on parade either side of the wide footpath lading up to it, the château appears to have been converted into a ballet school, and offers a commanding view out over the bay from this windows and from its well-tended lawns.

And out on the bay, boats lie at anchor, two single-masted sailing boats, a motor-cruiser, a fishing boats and – a commanding presence among all of them – a three-masted corvette. This sits with sails furled, far enough out to suggest it is standing guard over the bay and the little hamlet. Another protector can be found at the end of the western sand bar, looking out towards the corvette, warding boats away from the risk of running aground.

Maison de L’amitie

Maison de L’amitie is a place for meandering, unhurried exploration. The beaches offer  space to walk on golden sand, coupled with little snuggle points on  or under old rowing boats or on blankets just above the edge of the tide. A little book store between beach and village presents a place for browsing, while a short walk beyond it and around the headland, the broken finger of an old lighthouse lies forlornly at the foot of the hill against which the village has been built. Elsewhere lies a chance to see inside the workshop of a craftsman who makes surf boards, and everywhere are opportunities for photographs.

For those who wish to rez props for use with photos, a land group is available to join – either accept via the greeter at the landing point or step into the reception at the hotel, where you can touch the visitor counter up on the gallery overlooking the reception desk, and join the group. Should you enjoy your visit, please consider a donation towards the continued upkeep of the region for others to enjoy.

SLurl Details

• Maison de L’amitie (Dekade, rated: Moderate – updated to reflect new location)

Orcadi Island – click any image for full size

Orcadi Island is a homestead design by Julya (Julya77) which is beautiful in its simplicity of approach, and likely mindful of places we may have visited or seen in the physical world. In my case, the strongest impression was that of England’s and Scotland’s heathland, thanks to the wide open vista presented. To others, doubtless it will evoke thoughts of America’s grain belt or the vast farms of the Australian outback.

The island rises from the sea table-like, the mostly flat top is entirely covered in tough wild grass turned sandy blond and suggestive of an autumn’s day – a feeling enhanced by the region’s windlight. A single hill rises to one side of this flat expanse, topped by the slim tower of a lighthouse. While this may break the illusion that the region is in the middle of a broad swath of heathland or wheat fields or the outback, it also reminds us that Orcadi Island isn’t really any attempt to mimic a particular place, but rather to evoke feelings and perhaps stir memories.

Orcadi Island

The landing point sits before the single cottage occupying the land – the storybook LAQ  Picturesque Cottage, which I still adore seeing, even if it’s not really suitable for placement at home. Its presence here further enhances the intertwining of feelings that this place is familiar with the knowledge it is really unique.

A track runs past the cottage, pointing towards the lighthouse on its hill in one direction, whilst winding its way towards a thatch roofed windmill in the other, passing horses grazing on the tall grass along the way. A branch of this path also offers the way to the beach on the north-east side of the island. A second windmill sits closer to the cottage, its circular sail turning slowly, a snuggle for couples sitting just above the late-blooming flowers surrounding it.

Orcadi Island

As well as the horses roaming the island, the yard of the cottage is occupied by chickens, while the nearby bales of hay, neatly rolled or squared, and the red bulk of a tractor suggest this is a working farmstead. But also scattered across the island are small ruins: a wall here, a shattered corner and floor there, the arches of what might have once been a chapel overlooking the sea. all of which suggest this place has long been a place of human habitation.

It’s often said that the skill invested in a design is often shown within its apparent simplicity – a word to which I keep circling back. Orcadi Island exemplifies this in spades: it seems so simple a design, deceptively hiding the care and thought invested in making it such a beautiful setting. Yes, you might be able to “see all there is to see” within a few minutes of arriving, but that’s not the point. This is a place to be savoured; a setting in which you can lose yourself in thought enjoy time spent with a loved one or friend without feeling the need to hurry on and see what’s around the next corner.

Orcadi Island

This is also a wonderfully photogenic place, richly evocative;  while walking through the tall grass, I found myself wanting to open my hands and feel the bushy tops of the golden stalks stroking my offered palms.

Should you enjoy your visit, do please make a donation at the tip jar by the landing point and help ensure Orcadi Island continues to be a place people can visit and enjoy.

SLurl Details

• Orcadi Island (Black Cat Island, rated: Moderate)

With thanks, yet again, to Shakespeare for pointing me towards Orcadi Island.

PeTOu – click any image for full size

PeTOu is a place that is bound to draw me for a number of reasons. The first is the strong Oriental influence exhibited across this Full region. The second is the way the region uses Linden water throughout to naturally add ambience and harmony to the environment. And the third reason is that is another design by the immensely talented Uta (xoYUUTAox), who was responsible for bringing an ethereal beauty in one of the iterations of a favourite old haunt, Roche (which you can read about here).

With PeTOu, Uta has worked with her partner, Nagi Alekseev, to recreate some of the ethereal wonder present in her design for Roche, expanding it to encompass much more, rooting it in a much broader, but no less enchanting, environment. There are also a number of secrets to be unlocked and enjoyed for those willing to take the time.

PeTOu

A visit commences on the west side of the region at a landing point where – if you’re not careful – it is easy to miss a set of teleport boards. However, rather than taking any of them right away, I do recommend you start by letting your pedal extremities do the work and explore the region on foot. There are two obvious routes away from the landing point. The first is a calf-deep ribbon of water winding through a rich expanse of rapeseed and under the boughs of cherry blossoms; the second is a sort wade across the water to where the rapeseed climbs up over rocks and grass, and old stone steps offer the way to a footpath.

Whichever you take, you’re going to want to take your time – there is a lot to discover under the canopy of blossoms. The footpath for example, will take you up to a little traditional Japanese house sitting on a hill, a little garden to one side, complete with ponds presided over by a stately egret. A cobbled path offers a route around the garden, while on the other side of the house, a rocky path sweeps down to the water once more.

PeTOu

Before the path disappears under the water, however, visitors can turn away from it across a wooden bridge spanning a narrow channel, lanterns floating on the waters below. This leads the way to a network of bridges reaching out over an expanse of deep blue water, a pagoda sitting on the far side atop a rocky bluff. Two great golden dragons guard the waters, one of which has apparently crushed a pier under its weight.

Close by, on the nearer shore of the land, and reached by following another path from the little house on the hill or via a path leading up from the watery path through the rapeseed, is a much larger house. This overlooks the network of bridges, as well as offer much to see in and around it – do be sure to follow the stepping stones under the arc of Torii gates to the rather unusual sculptures at the far end.

PeTOu

PeTOu is truly a marvellous setting, rich in soft colours under an night-washed sky, perfect for photography and with lots of little gems to be found – keep an eye out for the white flowers which hide sitting poses within them, for example. Once you have finished your explorations, be sure to make your way back to the landing point and the waiting teleport boards.

While one of the boards – “Oriental” – will carry you to the ground level bridges and their dragons, the remaining five provide access to little vignettes in the sky. All are very different from one to another, and each has its own attraction / whimsy. The R2 Cafe, for example, has a little winter scene and a colourful teleport back to the ground (which you’ll have to look for!), while Paris Roofs presents a romantic rooftop tryst under a summer shower dropping into the street below.

PeTOu

Finished with an ambient sound scape, and matched with a piano music stream with minimal adverts, PeTOu is a marvellous environment for exploring and for simply getting away from everything, be it time spent on the ground, or up in one of the skybox locations. All told, highly  recommended – and if you do enjoy your visit as we did, do please consider making a donation via one of the tip jars so that others might also continue to enjoy the region.

SLurl Details

• PeTOu (Everheart, rated: moderate)