Category: Reviews

It’s been nigh-on three years since I last dropped into Missing Melody, the always eye-catching Full region held by Bambi (NorahBrent), with its regularly changing settings. As such, I felt it was high time for I reacquainted myself with the region to see what Spring and Summer 2026 have brought forth.

What is a Missing Melody? It’s that song in your head that you can’t get out but not sure how it really goes. It’s that temptation you want to have in your life so you can fight to resist. It’s that place in your heart that is always waiting.

– Missing Melody About Land / Destination Guide description

For this iteration, the region presents a small island lying to its eastern side and with an east-west orientation. In fact, such was the body of water within the region’s boundaries, I did wonder if Bambi had taken a dive underwater to present an aquatic garden or similar. But this is not the case; the island is presented on its own as a place ideal for photography and scene-setting.

On arrival, the Landing Point one is surrounded by the sound of bees going about their business among the flowers growing tall on either side of the footpath running through the Landing Point. Following the orientation of the island, this path is also lined on one side by a line of powerline poles, although these now seem to serve as a means of draping hanging plants along the side of the path to add a further touch of overhead colour.

The eastern end of the path provides access to a small teahouse formed from a converted greenhouse. Noticeboards at the gateway provide information on The Nature Collective and an opportunity to join the local Missing Melody group for rezzing rights which can be used for photography props. The teahouse itself is a cosy little setting, a small semi-wild garden growing outside and plenty of little treats to be found inside.

The teahouse and Landing Point lie on something of a grassy, shoulder on a hill which continues to rise to the south. Heavily wooded, the hill, together with the trees on the north side of the path, serves to give a sense of seclusion to the treehouse.

The ground on three sides of these uplands drops away sharply to the waters below. However, at the western end of the path, the land slopes away more gently, dropping down past white dry stone walls to where Sakura tress mark the path down to a coastal stretch of lowlands rich in flowers and where someone has established a little artistic retreat.

Close by this little retreat stands a small cabin on the edge of a little southern inlet.  It has the look and feel of a single-room accommodation – perhaps where the artist rests when not painting, and a couple of small rowing boats (one in somewhat better condition than the other!) sit on the waters of the little inlet, watched over by the local deer.

Overall, this is a very modest design when compared to past iterations of Missing Melody – but that is not to say it is without merit. It is as picturesque as past designs, and finished in a rich soundscape that is not overbearing. As noted, opportunities for photography await discovery and the tea house and cabin offer quiet retreats for those looking for somewhere to simply pass the time.

As always, Missing Melody makes for a gentle, unhurried and pleasing visit.

SLurl Details

• Missing Melody (Missing Melody, rated General)

As I continue to try to get back into the swing of blogging – health things are finally showing improvement on a more solid footing – I dived into the Destination Guide to see what was new and / or interesting. And thus I came across Varna in Bloom, a setting created by AmyElle Atheria.

Varna in Bloom is a blooming fantasy destination where flowers and stories grow side by side. Books are woven throughout the landscape alongside flowering paths, hidden portals, and details that reward the curious explorer. It sits at the edge of a story: beautiful, a little dreamlike, and worth getting lost in. Popular with photographers, couples, and anyone who has ever wanted to fall into a good book.

– Varna in Bloom Destination Guide entry

I’ve no idea if the setting has in some way been inspired by Bulgarian city of Varna and its locale as it sits on the Black Sea coast. On the one hand, there are references to Bulgaria and Varna in the setting’s About Land description and within AmyElle’s Profile; however, whether this is in reference to the actual place or the setting in SL, I’ve no idea. Certainly, the majority of the setting appears to be drawn more from the imagination than being offered as a direct homage to a physical world location, so I’ll put that thought to one side.

Covering slightly less than the full 65,000+ sq metres of a region, Varna in Bloom sits within a Full Mainland region towards the western end of Corsica, and at an altitude of 1466 metres. A Landing Point is enforced (so no TP hoping around!) and sits towards the northern edge of the setting.

As the Destination Guide indicates, this a setting designed for relaxation, photography, spending time with others (or someone special) – and which contains some secrets of its own. Given this, the setting is unsurprisingly largely rural in design, and while paths do lead away from the Landing Point, visitors are left to their own devices as to where they wander.

Sitting within the glades and meadows and along the coastline of the setting are numerous points of interest – vignettes, as I like to call them – where visitors might like to tarry. These carry within them various motifs or themes as it were – notably those of books and on reading – whilst remaining varied and independent of one another.

One of these vignettes sits a little to the south of the Landing Pont and emphasises Varna’s over-arching themes of restfulness, harmony and reading. Guarded by two large mushrooms, it presents a place to sit back and relax with the crescent Moon, pull out a book or cuddle with a loved one and simply be.

Further afield, visitors might also come across a little garden space offering a homage to Alice and her Adventures, complete with an Alice-like little figure dressed as the Queen of Hearts at the gate (an interesting combination!) and reference to that famous tea party within the garden together with other references to the stories, watched over by a more familiar take on Alice.

The setting is not entirely without buildings. To the south there is a large cloister-like structure built around three sides of a rain-soaked stone square – the rain falling as heavy inside the covered walkways as outside of them. Away to the north and sitting with its back to an off-shore island and lighthouse, sits an open-sided wood-built pavilion where couples might dance (touch the statue for dance poseballs).

The above are not the only structures to be found, but by virtue of their size, they are the most prominent. Elsewhere to be found are tree houses, a VW camper van and even half a subway train car tidily converted into a haven from the rest of the world. As well as these, there are plenty of other spots where visitors and couples can sit and pass the time, both on land and on the various waters within and around the setting.

As to the “secrets” contained within Varna, these take the form of Experienced-based teleport portals (labelled by hovertext to aide in their discovery) leading to further skybox-style locations or islands floating overhead. You will have to accept the Experience when encountering one of the portals for the very first time, thereafter all teleports are automatic. Each of these destinations offers a bookish theme (one carrying you from a garden featuring Alice et al, to a room focused in part on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel The Secret Garden (I’ll not mention the little Tolkien references also waiting to be found here and there!).

Whether you are seeking a place to explore, a place to spend time with a loved one, a place to photograph or simply somewhere you can wander and catch your breath, Varna in Bloom could well be the destination you’re looking for. So why not pay it a visit?

Slurl Details

• Varna in Bloom (Phersom, rated Moderate)

Occupying a Homestead region, Marina di Luna is the work of Miri (SilentChloe). It is a beautiful minimalist region design which mixes a sense of history with a twist of the modern. Highly photogenic, the setting offers much to see without overloading itself or the visitor’s senses, and offers opportunities for the romantics at heart.

Marina di Luna is a breath-taking island where modern architecture meets ancient charm. Surrounded by olive trees and a carpet of flowers, the air is fragrant with herbs and the salty sea. It’s a perfect place to relax and enjoy a romantic day out.

– Marina di Luna’s Destination Guide description

The region is split into a main island to the east and with a north-south major orientation, and two smaller isles, each home to its own structure, of which more anon.

When seen on the map, the main island carries something of a left-pointing sock look to it, the lower part of the sock – from “toe” to “heel”, forms an open meadow, curving gently upwards from the rocky coastline on three sides, and running north towards the island’s main structures.

This gently humpbacked meadow is home to the region’s Landing Point, the lush flowering grass coating it home to toppled columns and guarded by patient red-crowns cranes.

The “toe” of this sock-like island points towards the smaller of the two other isles, while the rocks on the coast at this point offer a place to sit and a flat “table” on which an artist has set up their easel to paint the larger of the two islands  as it sits further to the north.

The smaller isle is home to a partially-ruined stone gazebo topped by a copper (or possible iron) domed roof which shares the damage as the stone of the gazebo. With its steps dipping their toes into the water, the gazebo has been turned into a little romantic niche, complete with cosy sofa, champagne and flowers.

The larger of these own isles is home to a large circular bath house. This shares some commonality with the gazebo, hinting at their joint age and Greco-Roman heritage.

Like the gazebo, the bath house has a copper / iron roof, this one intact but suffering signs of rusting on its iron panels. Inside, the bath house is pristine and its waters clear, the walls split between four points of access and four small alcoves. Outside, the bath house is surrounded by a small garden space on the flat-topped island, where shaded loungers await, whiles a small beach of warm sand offers its own attraction.

Both of the islands can be reached via little motorboats which can be rezzed from lifebuoys to be found on the main island, with the boat house island having its own boat rezzer to aid in a return to the main island (I didn’t see a rezzer on the gazebo island).

Back on the main island, the northern end is given over to a modern building built in a reflection of ancient Greek designs, and with what appears to be a garden terrace of much greater age, mirroring that of the bath house and gazebo.

Places to sit can be found around this terrace, dominated as it is by a large fountain and smaller fish pond. Broad steps connect terrace and the open waters below, where one of the boat rezzers can be found, whilst to one side, a raised deck offers a place for private dining.

The front of the main building – a museum and gallery – is guarded by an infinity pool overlooking the open waters below. The museum houses a number of exhibits and a collection of photographs by – I admittedly assume – Miri herself. The museum is also home to a little café and a wine cellar below, complete with its own secret. The For both the exhibits and the “hidden” spaces, the museum is well worth taking the time to explore and appreciate.

All of the above – I hope – draws an outline of Marina di Luna; however, to fully appreciate the naturalness of its beauty, the attractive nature present in its simplicity of design, and to fill in all of the colours it presents, it is a place deserving of a visit; just be sure to take your camera with you. Should you need props when taking photos, rezzing in the region is open – just do please be sure to pick your things up afterwards.

In all, a recommended destination.

SLurl Details

• Marina di Luna (Forever Love, rated Moderate)