Category: Reviews

Italian Village of Ciampi, Italy – click any image for full size

The Mainland tends to have a reputation for either being “cluttered” or “empty” – nothing but ugly builds and masses of abandoned land.

While it is true the lack of zoning on Mainland can lead to confusing jumbles of parcels and buildings running one against the next, and that it may well have tracts of abandoned land (although the latter would appear to be getting eaten into with the Mainland pricing restructure), it is also true that there are many treasures to be found across the different Mainland continents. Some of them I’ve covered in these pages, others I’m still – despite 11 years in Second Life  –  discovering.

Italian Village of Ciampi, Italy

One such place Caitlyn and I found a few months ago, and which has been waiting a blog post in the Italian Village of Ciampi, Italy. Located within the western extent of Heterocera, this is a combination of public spaces and private rental residences operated by Viggen Petofi (MasterViggen).

As the name suggests, this is a location themed after a countryside Italian village. If you want to reach it by road, it sits just off the western end of the continent’s road system shortly before it reaches the coast and turns north. For those teleporting into the village, the landing point is located in the main public area of the village, near the foot of the steps leading up to the local church on the south side of the region in which the village sits.

Italian Village of Ciampi, Italy

From here visitors can wander among the little stores and cafés, pay a visit to the church or spend time alongside the village pond or exploring the village farm. Dirt tracks lead away from this public area in several directions. Along these can be found the private rental properties of the estate – so please do regard resident’s privacy when exploring.  These house come in a number of different sizes, and those interested in renting one might be able to do so via the village office. This is located across the continent’s cobbled road to the south, within a riverside group of shops.

Devoid of visible skyboxes overhead, with plenty of opens spaces which help to give the setting a rural feel, the Italian Village of Ciampi, Italy, offers a relaxing, pleasing visit for those looking for something a little different on the Mainland. It also offers assorted opportunities for photographs, and for Mainland explorers a pleasure stop along the road.

Italian Village of Ciampi, Italy

SLurl Details

• Italian Village of Ciampi, Italy (Bhima, rated: Moderate)

Butterfly Beach – click any image for full size

Updated May 23rd: to include information on the donation box for the region.

Miro Collas dropped me a tweet suggesting Caitlyn and I take a look at Butterfly Beach,  a Homestead region that recently opened to the public. The region has been designed by (the always delightfully named) Funky Banana (FunkyBananas) working with Lien Lowe. Funky was also responsible for Banana Bay, which we enjoyed visiting in the summer of 2017.

Butterfly Beach shares something of a common heritage with Banana Bay: both offer sunny, sandy beaches, a feeling of getting away from it all and an opportunity to relax and simply spend time in thought or with someone. From the air (or the Map) it’s clear how the island came by its name, and a visit starts on what might be considered the butterfly’s upper right wing (actually down towards the south-east corner of the region in terms of Map orientation).

Butterfly Beach

First impressions on arriving is that this could be a small vacation island just off the coast of Italy or perhaps in the Aegean, available to those who want to escape the every day demands of life. A lone, single-story house sits towards the centre of the island, looking to the west and east. Tuscan in style, it shares the low-lying island with a scattering of outhouses: a small stone-built barn, a wooden boathouse and a small beach house, also built from wood.

A wooden deck extends eastward out over the sea a short distance from the house. The fencing around the house seems to lay claim to the deck such that it is easy to imagine wandering across the sand from the house to enjoy breakfast on the deck as the Sun eases its way higher over the eastern horizon.

Butterfly Beach

As might be gathered from the name of the region, beaches are very much the feature of the island. However, rather than offering a single contiguous stretch of coastal sands running around the island, Funky and lien have carefully used small outcrops of rocks and runs of rough grass dotted with bushes to break the island’s sands into a number of discrete – and entirely natural looking – sandy headlands and small, curving coves.

Each of these little beaches has its own attraction, be it a simple blanket laid out on the sand or deck chairs under a parasol, through to a tent or makeshift shelter, all the way to the simply but cosily furnished beach house. Rowing boats and kayaks are drawn up on the sand or undergoing a repaint in the boat shed, swings hang from trees and wooden benches can be found amidst the grass. All of this gives the island an additional attraction and encourages time spent just wandering and appreciating, as well as in sitting and enjoying the setting.

Butterfly Beach

Restful, set beneath an early morning’s summer sky and very photogenic, Butterfly Island is well worth a visit. If you do take photos, there is an open invitation to share them through the region’s Flickr group. A donations “box” in the form of a butterfly can be found near the landing point – so if you enjoy your visit,, do please consider making a donation towards the region’s continued upkeep.

Thanks again to Miro for the pointer, and to chericolette (see her comment below) for the pointer to the donation box, which I’d missed during my two visits to the region!

SLurl Details

• Butterfly Beach (Free Love, rated: Moderate)

ONI Zen – click any image for full size

ONI Zen is a new adult / BDSM-oriented region within Second Life aimed at offering those with an interest / genuine curiosity about the BDSM lifestyle. It’s a subject that may not be to everyone’s interest or liking, so if this is the case, you might want to skip this article; but keep in mind specific adult activities are confined to specific areas of the region – such as the dungeon area and skyboxes – rather than being on public display.

However, before we get into the region itself, a few words on a couple of things.

There is a tendency in Second life – and the world as a whole – for the uninitiated to view BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism) and D/s (Dominance and submission) as being one in the same – and that both are closely linked with sex. The truth is, they are not; although they can be intertwined. In terms  of D/s and BDSM, for example, D/s is about the psychological exchange of power – a control dynamic, if you will – within a relationship. This may – or equally may not – involve practices such as bondage and / or s/m play. It also may, or may not, extended into the bedroom.

ONI Zen

BDSM is, as the initials suggest, about whips, and chains, and bondage, and pain – although it doesn’t have to encompass all of these elements. Speaking broadly, it is much more about the practice; the kinky stuff, if you will. As such, it is possible to practice BDSM without necessarily being in a D/s relationship: couples can simply take on different roles without identifying with a deeper power dynamic. Nor need BDSM necessarily involve sex.

ONI Zen, according to its introductory note card, exists to encourage those engaging in BDSM to do so from more of a “lifestyle” perspective. In this, I would suggest the philosophy behind the region might also encompass D/s – particularly as the introduction note card seeks to emphasise the idea of the control dynamic, differentiating it from the view that BDSM = kinky sex play.

ONI Zen

To this end, ONI Zen offers, among its many facilities, a Lifestyle Academy, where those interested in understanding more about BDSM as it might be seen within a broader context than “kinky sex” can do so. Also on offer is an events area, a games centre, and entrainment space, a subterranean dungeon, a general discussion area, a ceremonial area, all joined together by open spaces and paths to wander and explore.

Given the nature of the region, care should be taken in visiting, as it is possible to come across adult activities. Any causal visitor should certainly read the region’s introduction and rules prior to proceeding from the landing point (as an aside, the introductory note card also explains how the region came by its name).

ONI Zen

Leaving aside the adult nature and intent behind ONI Zen, I can say it is one of the most skilfully executed region designs I’ve come across – kudos to Buggie (Cricket Ceawlin) for this. Surrounded by mountains and split into two areas – a rugged upland area which makes up the majority of region, and a smaller, low-lying island covering the south-east portion of the region. Richly wooded, and making full use of the 30K land capacity available to Full regions, both parts of Oni Zen make extensive and skilled use of paths and trails to make them feel far larger in size than one might expect.

These paths, winding over grass, around hills, through rocks and up cliffs, can actually be a little confusing – which adds greatly to the mystery of the region when exploring. To make things easier, maps highlighting the major destinations together with teleport discs, can be found at those locations as well as the landing point. However, I really do recommend taking the time to explore on foot; the visual richness of the region is equally matched by its depth of sound scape.

ONI Zen

Exploring on foot also means the opportunity to discover the more secret parts of the region – such as the swimming pool sitting behind a waterfall – or the opportunities for playing games like My Virtual Lifestyle out in the open (there are more games in the Game Hall) or to play bumper boats – or even take a swimming in the waters at the edge of the region.

Officially opening on Monday, May 21st, 2018, ONI Zen is already hosting discussions and music events – details of events can be found on the board at the landing point. When visit, and at the risk of repeating myself,  do keep in mind it is intended as a lifestyle region, rather than a place for casual SL tourism.

ONI Zen – click any image for full size

SLurl Details

• ONI Zen (Aina Kealoha, rated: Adult)

Disclosure: Will Burns (Aeonix Aeon), one of the leaders of ONI Zen is a friend.