Category: Reviews

Sol Farm – click any image for full size

In looking back through my notes on regions visited in these pages, I came across Sol Farm, a place we first visited just over two years ago (see A Day at Sol Farm in Second Life) but had failed to return to in the intervening time. So I suggested to Caitlyn we hop over and take a look at what may have changed over the past 25 months.

During our first visit to this Full region, designed by Show Masala that utilises the additional 10K Land Capacity option available to private regions, I noted it to be:

A largely rural setting, centred around Sol Farm, complete with thatched farmhouse, fields of crops and livestock, outbuildings, and many of the mechanical accoutrements of a working farm. However, there is much more here than may at first be apparent.

Sol Farm

This is still very much the case. In fact, on first arrival, I wondered if anything had changed since our original visit or if the region had settled into one of those wonderful places that, rather than offering new looks to entice visits and exploration, instead preserve its original look and feel, making it an attractive and familiar place to re-visit,  where memories can be re-awoken be familiar sights.

For example, the thatched farmhouse with its fields are still there, sun-ripened crops looking ready for harvesting. Also still in evidence is the Mediterranean villa to the south of the farm, complete with its suggestion that it is perhaps a holiday home; while off to the west from the landing point the familiar Ferris wheel of an old fun fair breaks the horizon, as does the rocky knob topped by a lighthouse and pavilion.

Sol Farm

But first looks can be a little deceiving: Sol Farm has changed over the intervening time. Thus, for those both new to the region or those who have perhaps visited it in the past but have not returned of late, it makes for an engaging and in places a quirky visit, with much to occupy the eye and camera.

The quirkiness can immediately be evidenced when using the SLurl given in this article. When looking west from the landing point in provides, it is hard to miss the blue whale serenely and slowly circling through the air over the farm, a small wild garden apparently growing on its back (and on in which you can ride for an aerial view of the region). But it is not the only twist to this setting.

Sol Farm

It is also to the west that I spotted another change from our last visit. What had once been a large house occupying its own island connected to the rest of the region via a wooden board walk, is now a headland where another crop is ripening and which ends in a rocky promontory, where sits the most eclectic little group of houses, both on the ground and up in the trees, a little wind turbine supplying them with power.

During our January 2017 visit, I noted in passing the presence of a little Japanese village occupying the west side of the region, but somewhat separated from it by a rocky curtain wall. This is still present and open to visitors (just follow the track around the island to the east and under the Torii gate sheltering beneath a rocky arch, or take the north side beach eastwards until you come to it). However, it now offers another odd little quirk, being the home to a host of cats. And not just any cats; these all stand upright as they go about their business, a large part of which appears to involve some kind of festival.

Sol Farm

There are many elements that bring this setting together as a landscape painting made real. The first, perhaps are the rutted tracks that run through the region. These link the various points of interest – the farm, the villa, the broken old fun fair, the Mediterranean farm alongside it and the north-western headland – into a cohesive whole, giving the feeling you’re really travelling through a place. Another is the use of farm animals, sheep, horses, cattle, that neatly help stitch the central farm and the western lands together. Then there is the rich sound scape that perfectly enfolds everything.

Stay within the region long enough, and you’ll discover another somewhat unique element to it: the weather. Every so often a small tornado will pass through, bringing with it a squall of rain, the wind tossing bits and pieces of rubbish into the air which fall back to Earth in the storm’s wake before vanishing along with the storm itself.

Sol Farm

Beautifully conceived from farm to beaches to houses and village, richly detailed and presented, Sol Farm remains a photogenic joy to visit.

SLurl Details

• Sol Farm (Story of Infinite, rated: Moderate)

On The Other Side – click any image for full size

We first visited On The Other Side in October 2018 (read here for more), and on the suggestion of Shakespeare and Max. At that time, we enjoyed our visit to this Homestead region designed by Michelle (xxMichelle20xx) and Indriel (Indrielx), so when Shakespeare nudged me with the news the region has been updated, we hopped back to have another look. What we found was very different to the settings presented in October 2018, but a place still with its own eye-catching design.

The Landing Point sits in what appears to be a shallow cavern – although one obviously with an opening to the outside world, given the volume of butterflies that have made the cave their home. I confess to being flattered in seeing one of my photos from our October 2018 visit used on the blogger link board before stepping across the water to the “outer” part of the cavern, where a Flickr link can be found together with teleport board up to the {JAS} main store.

On The Other Side

A large slab of cut stone blocks further progress until touched, when it will slide side to reveal the region beyond. Stopping outside reveals the cavern is in fact beneath the ruins of a stone structure, its form suggestive of an ancient place of worship, the door itself faced by an ornate, teal-painted rune.

At first glance, the land beyond the door looks to be a simple rural scene: lavender grows on either side of a path that is itself is bordered by water. More water breaks the land – most of it low-lying  – into a series of islands. Birds can be seen, together with a tall wooden tower close by, a windmill further away.

On The Other Side

But look again. A dragon hovers close by the roof of the wooden tower, while on either side of the ruin behind you are two odd-looking structures: green pillars topped by disc-shaped objects. These have attracted the attention of … visitors. A flying saucer floats close by one of the pillars, a possible rescue mission for the one lying crashed in the long grass to the side of the ruins. The pilot of the latter prowls through the grass, possibly annoyed at losing his vehicle.

These touches mark the magic of the region: an eclectic mix of vignettes, one or two of which  offer echoes of previous builds. To the north side of the region, sitting on one of the islands is a little outdoor cafe, for example. This offers a link back to the region design we visited in October 2018. Should you drop in for a snack, do take care not to disturb the couple of mice who are enjoying their brunch at their own little table.

On The Other Side

The north-east corner of the region is the only part that is off-limits. It is home to a private residence and access control is set. Diagonally across the region of this is a farm, home to the aforementioned windmill. This sits on another island and raises a slightly different warning; when crossing the water between islands, it’s probably best to keep to the paths, bridges and stepping-stones. While the water is shallow in places, in others it can be uncomfortably deep, so you might find yourself taking an unexpected bath!

All of this is just scratching the surface of things. The wealth of detail found within On The Other Side makes exploration a real joy; the mix of ideas means that you’re never sure what might lie beyond the next hedgerow or over the brow of low hill. Standing stones here, a little lovers hideaway there, an unexpected and sheltered beach (complete with an opportunity to surf), over there – and more.

On The Other Side

There are also more of the contrasts to be found throughout. Wander in the right direction, as another example, and you might come across a touch of the Far East mixed with a hint of Africa. A further hint of the Far East sits up on the hills behind the temple ruins, while another reminder of Africa can be found in the waters. For the adventurous who may want to explore the upper levels of the ruins, there is a crawl rope offering a route to them from the nearby wooden watch tower. And talking of adventurers, keep an eye out for the aerial critter braving the air over the crocodile waters!

With numerous places for people to sit and couples to share their company with one another, On The Other Side retains its appeal as a place in which to spend time. Throughout entire region there are numerous opportunities for photography, and pictures can be shared on the Flickr group. Rezzing in the region is permitted, with an auto return time of 60 minutes – but if you do rez, please remember to pick your things up rather than letting auto return take care of it. And, as always, make sure local sounds are enabled so you can appreciate the region’s immersive sound scape.

On The Other Side

SLurl Details

• On the Other Side (The Horizon, rated: Adult)

Originalia – click any image for full size

Update: Originalia appears to have closed. SLurls have therefore been removed from this article.

Imagine you had a small personal fortune. Enough to, say, buy your own tropical island atoll. What might you look for in such an island prior to purchase? What might you do with it? What style of house would you opt to have built there? What facilities would you want to include to make it that special place where you can escape the pressures of life and simply be, enjoying sun and surf and the haven of tropical splendour with your family and / or friends?

Doubtless, many of us have fantasised having a life where we could “do a Branson” and have such an island – and I wouldn’t at all be surprised if in our individual mind’s eyes, it didn’t in some ways resemble Originalia.

Originalia

Designed by Minnie Blanco (Minnie Atlass) of Soul2Soul fame for region holder Amase Levasseur, Originalia is an utterly stunning Full region this fully embodies the idea of a tropical paradise home. And if you’ve never dreamed of having such a place to call your own, or in letting your mind wander the fantasy of owning a private island getaway you’ve not pictured anything quite like it, I’ve little doubt that after a visit, you’ll be unable to picture anything else.

Set within an archipelago of off-sim islands – some quite mountainous – Originalia offers what could easily be the atoll top of a drowned volcano: an oval of sand and rock rising above the surrounding sea, the wall broken to the east, allowing the waters to enter the crater’s bowl to form a lagoon. Beyond  the curve of the island lies an outer semi-circle of low-lying rock, home to scrub grass and palm trees. It suggest that perhaps at one time the cone forming Originalia sat within a larger caldera, perhaps the last gasp of the volcano that formed it, pushing itself above the waves before falling silent, and then allowing the millennia and the sea take over the work of giving the land its current form.

Originalia

Whatever its origin, what remains is perfectly idyllic; a horseshoe-like island running from sandy lowlands to the north around to a high ridge-line to the south, the ring of rock open to the sea to the east and also linked to the waters of the old caldera to the west, where the crater wall has in part collapsed to leave a magnificent arch of basalt arching over the waters below, thus forming a broad bridge linking the high plateau with the lower reaches of the island and the beaches there.

It is on this high shoulder of rock, from which waterfalls tumble from numerous points, that Minnie has sited the ideal residence: The Patron Banyan House by Eliza Wierwright, itself a stunning build that has always impressed me. Offering a southward view out over the lagoon, the house grandly sits on the high plateau, the pool between its arms feeding one of the falls that tumble over the rocks and into the blue waters of the lagoon below. Across the rocky arch from it sits a rotunda like cottage by Cory Edo, perfectly complementing the house and offering a spa style setting in which to relax.

Originalia

The overall suggestion of house and cottage perhaps leans toward Thai in intent; but as is often the way with me, the setting carried soft echoes of places I’ve visited in Sri Lanka, such as Saman Villas. While the latter is far, far more developed than Originalia, I Couldn’t help but think of their rocky perch and the open-air nature of the public buildings within the development as we explored the house, memories of meals in the open-sided restaurant drifting into my thoughts.

Finding your way around the island is easy: just take the wooden board walk and bridge from the little sand bar of the landing point, then follow the rocky paths laid across sand and scrub. These wind over island and up hill under palm trees and between shrubs and rocky shoulders. Here and there the paths branch, offering routes to the outlying beaches where little hideaways can be found and boats bob on the surf at their moorings.

Originalia

I’m not sure if Originalia is permanently open to the public, or whether public access is for a limited time. However, I do know that it is a setting that not to be missed – but do allow time for a visit; there is much here to captivate the eye and the imagination. And do make sure to have local sounds enabled; as something of a sanctuary for birds of all kinds, Originalia has a rich accompanying sound scape.

Our thanks, once again, to Shakespeare and Max for pointing us to this island gem. As Minnie points out in the comments, those taking photos are welcome to submit their pictures to the region’s Flickr group.

Originalia