Category: Reviews

For her latest 80 Days region builds, Camila (Camila Runo) carries us from Italy and the town of Ars Vivendi (see: A touch of Italy for photographers in Second Life), to her native Germany and a place of the imagination called Krayentanz, which once again presents a picturesque setting well deserved of a visit by SL explorers.

I say “place of the imagination” because while a visit takes us to Germany, it carries us back in time to offer a view of that nation as it might have appeared in the Middle Ages – a fact reflected in the setting’s name, as Camila explains:

Krayen is a variation of the Middle High German word “kraeje” and means crow. So the meaning of Krayentanz would be Dance of the Crows in English. As Middle High German was spoken from approx. 1050 till 1350 AD, so the build matches the time frame.

– Camila (Camila Runo)

This is very much a setting of three parts, two of which are open the public, and the third, tucked into the north-eastern corner of the region, forms a private home. The latter is neatly hidden by a curtain run of a hill, a richly wooded landscape and the hide side of a table of rock and grass; as such it is very hard to run the risk of trespass – just stay on the village side of the humpbacked curtain of hills or the top of the table of rock and grass.

The latter is home to a sprawling collection of buildings set within a large, enclosed courtyard protected by high walls and a pair of stout gates themselves guarded by defensive towers. Described as a convent, these buildings, with their stone towers, look like they many have previously served another, possibly more war-like purpose, while the floor mosaics within several of the rooms give a suggestion of Romanic influences.

But whatever its past, the place is now given over to holy worship and to the vows of the nuns who live within its walls. And two of these nuns can be found within the courtyard of the cloisters, engaged in conversation with an individual I assume is a visiting Prior or Brother. Behind them, the Blessed Mother holds the baby Christ as she keeps watch on the convent’s gates, whilst beyond the side of the cloisters the nuns are facing, the land rises again to become the seat of a church, reached via stone steps set into the grassy flanks of the hill.

The convent is itself reached via a dusty track the meanders from a small steam that feeds a much large pool of water, and which passes the region’s landing point just as it divides. One arm of the track then continues around the foot of the plateau before finally climbing it to the convent; the other presents a short walk to where a small but apparently prosperous town, given the look and conditions of the buildings and the garb of the locals, sits behind high, protective walls.

The men folk here clearly take the responsibility of protecting the town seriously: the gatehouse under which the road passes is very solidly built and has a strong portcullis which can be dropped to bar access into the town. Further, the walls sweeping away from the gatehouse to enclose the town in their protective arms are in good repair, if a little lacking in defensive positions along their length. Meanwhile, arms for the defenders come by way of the local smithy, conveniently place closed enough the gatehouse so they can be grabbed whilst running to defend it.

Most of the houses and buildings here are furnished in keeping with the period and are open to the public, whilst the town square features a raise stage where, doubtless pronouncements may be made from time-time-time to the gathered inhabitants – although for visitors, it offers the chance to partake of a medieval dance with music provided by the local bard. Music lovers can also find more at the local tavern, sitting on the lower should of an escarpment also within the town’s walls, on the track that leads to a thumb-like knoll rising above the town, and upon which a windmill benignly keeps watch on all that goes on.

As well as the village, stream and pool, the region’s lowlands are home to gentle woodlands to the west, sitting below the plateau of the convent. Here, sunlight slants between leaf-laden boughs to offer pools of light amidst the trees whilst glades open out from between their trunks, and deer wander and graze.

In introducing Krayentanz, Camila offers an apology for having to downsize her work from a Full private region to a Homestead. Personally, I think this is misplaced; this is a setting as richly engaging as any of her previous designs, the greater land capacity afforded by the Full regions they occupied notwithstanding.

Certainly, moving to a homestead has not diminished Camila’s eye for detail, and the manner in which she has seamlessly presented the region within a mesh surround helps enhance the sense that were are somewhere deep within Germany’s borders. This sense of immersion is further enhanced by the soundscape she has created for the setting – so do please make sure you have local sounds enabled when visiting. Finally, those wishing to engage in informal period role-play are apparently welcome to do so, whilst photographers and bloggers will doubtless find a lot to see and appreciate when visiting.

SLurl Details

• Krayentanz (Esprit, rated Moderate)

Occupying one half of a Full private region leveraging the additional Land Capacity bonus, sits Tourtour de Prouvenco, a setting designed by Annisss Moreau (annisss) that is offered for public enjoyment.

Tourtour is a small French Provencal village where you can relax by the sea and listen to the best DJs of the second life at the Blue Note ‘Club evenementiels Djs LIVE’.

– from Tourtour de Prouvenco’s About Land description

This is a setting very much of two parts separated by a deep inlet that cuts across the parcel, a wide bridge close to its mouth providing the sole direct link between the two elements, helping them to flow together. The parcel itself offers an east-west orientation, the landing point sitting upon a small square.

The home of a small open market, this square is book-ended on its west side by the bridge mentioned above, and a gatehouse accessing what might be considered the older part of the town. The square and the bridge offer good views of the almost rectangular inlet as it forms a natural shelter / harbour. Looking at the basin of the inlet, it is not hard to picture it as once having been a port of call for trading ships plying the coastal regions under the power of wind and canvas. Today, the stone wharf has been extended by wooden moorings that offer places of rest for a mix of small fishing boats and the shark-like forms of power boats and speedboats.

The way down to the boats is presented on the far side of the bridge from the landing point, steps descending down from road level, the buildings behind them set well back from the drop to the water to provide a broad waterfront area, home to stores, stalls, cafés, kids at play and a sandy pétanque court awaiting older players.

The buildings here are suggesting of having been built in the 18th or 19th centuries, although they are centred on a much older structure, almost a ruin, lacking a roof, some walls broken and the floors they once supported collapsed. Accessed via an arch, this has in fact been cleared out and partially renovated to become the Blue Note referenced in the About Land description, and home to DJ events.

A further arched passageway facing the bridge offers the way between the tall houses and buildings, allowing visitors to reach more features with the setting. These include the western beach, overlooked by the Chocolat, where visitors can enter into a (kilo-gaining!) romance with all forms of chocolate and dessert. This side of the town offers the local cinema, and a marvellous courtyard comprising façades of shuttered houses.

To the east, the older element of the setting is far more rural in nature, and includes some almost Tuscan touches thanks to some of the selected architecture. sitting on the top of rocky cliffs that fall to a further beach on their north side, and cut through by a deep gorge, this is much the larger of the two parts of the setting, and offers a huge amount to take in.

The houses and stores here are furnished, giving a rich sense of homeliness, whilst the town can be explored by following various paths through it. The most obvious of these is the rutted lane that runs between the Tuscan-like buildings to cross a natural rock pass over the waters of the gorge as it empties into the sea. In the far side, this road curls back on itself to follow the southern lip of the gorge, passing below the local art gallery.

Set within a grand building reached via a couple of separate footpaths leading up to it – both of which should be explored in order to fully appreciate the region – the gallery dominates the setting in terms of its elevation, and does tend to draw the attention. However, and while a visit is recommended, do take the opportunity to explore around and behind the houses to discover all that the setting has on offer.

And also, when passing under the arch from the landing point square, be sure to keep an eye out for the teleport posters that will take you up to a couple of locations in the sky that I’ll allow you to discover for yourselves!

Charming, well designed and laid out with plenty of opportunities for photography Tourtour de Prouvenco is well worth spending time visiting.

SLurl Details

• Tourtour de Prouvenco (Angelexe, rated Moderate)

It was back to Endless:, the Full private region held by Sombre Nyx for me recently to witness her latest design inspired by a physical world location. For this build she has turned to the southern hemisphere, and a country for which I have a certain fondness; for reasons I’ll not bore you with here.

Birdlings Flat takes its name from a settlement in Canterbury, New Zealand, at the eastern end of Kaitorete Spit and the southern end of Lake Forsyth, where the lake discharges to the sea. It’s a place of rugged natural beauty named for the Birdling family, the first European settlers to farm the area.

In her About Land notes, Sombre describes the setting thus:

Inspired by a small and isolated coastal settlement in the South Island of New Zealand, Birdlings Flat offers wide vistas, unkempt fields, a pebbled coastline strewn with driftwood, a sprinkling of science, and a chance to find stillness.

However, prior to the arrival of William Birdling and his family, the area was called Te Mata Hapuku, with Birdlings Flat nowadays used to specifically in reference to the  pebble beach on the ocean side of Kaitorete Spit, a location well known as a place to find small agates and a variety of other attractive rounded pebbles.

Designated as a rural settlement, the area actually thrived for a time as a centre of farming, even gaining its own branch of the local railway, connecting the area to the nearby town of Lincoln to allow for easier shipment of goods and produce. This line became known as the Little River Line when it was extended to another settlement (called by that name in the 1880s), and while the line was closed in 1962 and the tracks torn up, the route today is known as a public walking and cycling track called the Little River Rail Trail.

Over the years, the area has seen various uses – it is popular for those carrying out coastal studies, and the the waters are known for the presence of significant number so Hector’s dolphins and can be used by southern right whales, while during certain times of the year, fur seals and (occasionally) elephant seals can be found along the pebbled coast.

As well as coastal studies, the area was once used by the University of Canterbury for meteorological studies, the university establishing a weather station there for several years. Birdlings Flat has also been used for launching sub-orbital sounding rockets, using the US-built Arcas (All-Purpose Rocket for Collecting Atmospheric Soundings) system. These launches also fall under the prevue of the University of Canterbury, which also established a radar station in the area to monitor rocket flights and the airspace around the launch area.

The latter forms a part of Sombre’s build, which encapsulates the small, rural nature of the location and its tiny community (in 2018, the local population was just 195) whilst also capturing the rugged nature of the landscape and life along this coastal area  simply but perfectly. It’s not a setting one needs to wax lyrical about, because it speaks very eloquently for itself, and exploration and photography within it are both a delight.

However, in order to reach Birdlings Flat, visitors must go via the region’s Landing Point, and this once again presents visitors with the opportunity to visit not one, but two settings within the region. This is because Sombre is once again joined by Jackson Cruyff, who offers people the chance to visit his Forest.

Occupying a sky platform some 2,000m above the ground-level setting of Birdlings Flat, Forest presents a wooded environment somewhat mindful of the North American continent rather than anywhere antipodean; a place left to the wilds and where assorted animals and wildfowl might be found wandering and / or circling over head. It’s a place where people can simply roam and find refuge, and also – for those who look – places to sit and contemplate.

Two easy-on-the eye settings; one offering a rich depth of background on one of the more remote parts of the physical world few of us are likely to have the opportunity to visit.

SLurl Details

• Endless: Birdlings Flat (Heraiki Bay, rated Adult)