Category: Reviews

It’s been some six years since I had the pleasure to visit NorderNey, the always photogenic region held and designed by Jacky Macpherson, my last visit having been in 2017 (see: A return to NorderNey in Second Life). One reason for this is that it has actually been closed for a while – I’m not sure precisely how long – and Jacky has been spending some of her time on other projects, including designing regions for others, including Vally Lavender (see: Time at Valium Creek in Second Life, from 2020)  and VUK Store (see: A visit to VUK in Second Life, from 2019), as well as her own (see: A Nutmeg Getaway in Second Life, again from 2020).

So when Shawn Shakespeare informed me Jacky was back with a “Nord”-related build, I decided to leap over and take a look recently and at a time when I really should have been a-bed! NordShore, a Homestead region design, may not be a direct continuation of NorderNey, but it does have that titular link, and there is a styling about it that does bring to mind past iterations of NorderNey. It is also a build carrying a soft echo of Gateway – Nutmeg, linked to above, although it remains entirely unique to itself.

For inspiration with this design, Jacky turned to the oft gentle, oft rugged county of Cornwall, England; a place that can be both a holidaymaker and tourist magnet and also a place of unspoiled, remote-seeming beauty. It is these latter aspects of Cornwall Jacky has used to fire her imagination, sprinkling her ideas with little Tuscan touches; and while she specifically mentions Cornwall’s coastline as her point of inspiration, elements of the build – to me – also carry hints of the county’s moorlands.

Presented as a low island with a rugged, rocky shoreline for the most part, rising from the surrounding sea and caught under a summer’s sky entirely in keeping with those often see around Britain’s coast, it is not hard to think of NordShore as being a little place sitting just off the shoreline of south-west England; far enough away from mainland to offer a sense of escape, yet close enough to make living here less of a hardship than in might otherwise be the case.

Along its grassy back, the island is home to a lighthouse, a small cottage and a barn. It’s possible – if not likely – the cottage may have once been the home of a lighthouse keeper, being separated from it by a short track as the lighthouse stands on a small headland at the south-eastern tip of the island. However, it doesn’t appear as if the cottage has been maintained in its original role, instead having the feel of a place now given over to being a home for those caring for the island’s horses and sheep, perhaps as a result of the lighthouse being converted for automated operation at some point.

Whatever the reason, the cottage is a cosy place which appears to have been extended and refaced – or perhaps entirely rebuilt – to give it a distinctly Tuscan look and feel. Inside, a wood-burning stove offer warmth in winter, the armchairs before it sitting with a game of backgammon between them – although the cat occupying one of the chairs doesn’t appear to be too interested in it. A large, comfortable sofa sits across the room, guarding the doors leading to the kitchen where another kitty appears determined to get some milk – possibly more than it bargained for, if not careful!

A track runs from the east side of the cottage, past steps running down to a little cove, and then onwards to a working barn built in the same style as the cottage. Behind and slightly above the barn the back of the island is matted with tough wild grass, bursts of wild flowers and shrubs, here and there punched through by rocky outcrops.  It is here, with the fenced enclosure for sheep, the further dusty tracks and the smattering of trees, that I found myself thinking of parts of Bodmin Moor than anywhere along Cornwall’s coast.

Which is not to say the northern end of the island looks out-of-place or different to the southern half. Far from it; this is a setting that flows together as a singular whole; but it does speak to Jacky’s power to fire the imaginations of visitors to see things that are both in keeping with her vision but which carry it in, perhaps, other directions.

With sheep and horses grazing and gulls wheeling in the sky whilst cormorants sit on the rocky shore and eyeing the rolling tide for any fish carried too close to land and thus making for a quick, swooping snack, the island also features other visitors to Cornwall’s shores: seals. These appear to have laid claim to the northern end of the island’s shore, perhaps feeling it offers seclusion and safely from unwanted approaches thanks to the surrounding rocks.

A single path slips gently down between said rocks to reach one of their basking grounds, a route which means they have more than ample time to slip into the sea should their peace be disturbed. Not that they need be disturbed: those seeking a dip in the sea can do so via both the east and west sides of the island, each of which is marked by rough beaches that slide easily into the waters before them, and which can be easily reached by following the local trails as the cross the island’s back.

Finished with a gentle soundscape and – needless to say – lots of opportunities for photography, NordShore is a delight to visit.

SLurl Details

• NordShore (Echo Mountain, rated Moderate)

As my last wander in Second Life took me to remote Gaeta 1 (see: A LemonCliff café in Second Life), I decided to stay with the Mainland theme for my next bout of meandering, travelling across Second Life’s map from north to south to pay a visit to Jeogeot and a small parcel of land sitting just off Route 9 toward that continent’s southern coastline. It is a place perhaps easy to miss as you travel along the highway, just a pair of iron gates under a stone arch itself set into a high wall spanning the gap between high granite blocks on the south side of the road. However, it hides a little treasure.

Behind the gates, and occupying the greater part of a 6,400 sq metre parcel is Journey Garden, a charming setting created by Kes Evergarden Teech (Kestrel Evergarden), and offered under her Journey Magazine brand. And when I say charming, I mean precisely that.

Beyond the gates, a path gently winds across the roughly rectangular gardens, the granite blocks continuing on around the setting to neatly fence it in without being obviously oppressive or enclosing.

This main path leads the way past some of the setting’s major features as it makes it way to the southern extreme and the offices of Journey Magazine. A second path doubles back on the first just a few short metres from the gates, winding back to where steps cut through the grass to climb up to wide grassy ledge overlooking a sheltered pond. A bench has been added to a fountain and pool occupying the ledge, making it a perfect retreat for those wanting a cuddle or simply watch the play of ripples over the water.

A second shoulder of low rock sits across the pond, the main path curling gently past its rocky foot. Here lies a further little place to sit, this one talking the form of three hanging seats suspended from the beams of a pergola. However, getting up to them might at first seem to be less than obvious, given the sheer faces on the rock on which the pergola sits – but there is a way. A little slope rises on the side of the outcrop nearest the pond, offering a relatively easy climb up to the top, the grassy path passing a small wooden deck built out over the pond as they do so.

Between the pergola-topped rock and the magazine’s office sits a picnic area and live music space, reached via a short path and steps sitting alongside the garden’s café, a place where refreshments might be enjoyed together with a quiet sit-down. I’m not sure how often live events might be held on the little outdoor stage –  but they are mentioned as occurring in the garden’s About Land description.

This is a place of serenity and photogenic retreat, the one oddity within it sitting back towards the gates, and clearly visible to anyone entering the garden. Set back from the main path at the end of a short walk along loosely placed paving stones is a bus-cum-trailer home which, like the garden it sits within, appears to have been allowed to grow almost completely organically.

The trailer sits as a place which is strangely bohemian whilst also carrying a hint of dark magic. The latter point is added to by the presence of a deer spirit, standing like some Dark Herne behind it. Inside, however, the trailer house is oddly cosy, even with the further hints of magic. However, its presence is not entirely out of place within the garden, as it speaks to Kes’ sense of humour, something which can also be seen in her profile: professional cannibal & existential dread specialist … and on Wednesdays, we play D&D.

Journey Garden is not the only place to be visited along this stretch of Route 9 – right next door, for example, is the Brumby Park Conservatory, another peaceful retreat, created and run by Envy (Envy Renard). However, it is perhaps, a place to be covered in a future piece in this blog; for now, I’ll leave you visit Journey Garden for yourself, and with the SLurl.

SLurl Details

• Journey Garden (Ungnyo, rated Moderate)

Of all the Second Life continents, Gaeta 1 is perhaps the oddest. located off the north coast Corsica, it sits isolated, alone and unfinished, having only a west coast, and partial coasts to the north and south before it ends abruptly as one travels eastwards, as if someone got bored mid-way through laying down its regions and wandered off to find a sandwich – then forget where they left the continent.

The smallest of the Mainland continents with roughly 140 regions to its name, it is also the most sparsely populated – although this is not the result of its small size; rather, it is because much of the land remains either owned by Linden Lab or simply undeveloped.

This is not to say it is without its charms. Along the west coast, for example, the Lastness Marina, sitting at one end of one of the continent’s two paved public footpaths. Here, visitors can drop into the local lighthouse, rez a boat and take to the waters along Gaeta 1’s navigable coast.  Or, if preferred visitors can pop next door and enjoy a sojourn at Lily Cloud’s LemonCliff beach bar and café.

Occupying almost 6,000 square metres of coastal land, LemonCliff is a delightful setting, offering a mix of outdoor and indoor setting, the latter taking the form of a ranch-style villa converted into a café sitting above a small beach front and within a its own garden space, the low surrounding walls forming a parapet as they look down on the beach and a small car park.

With a central hallway cutting through it from front to back, the café is neatly split into two wings. To one side and with shuttered windows, sits the café proper, offering coffee and smoothies with a choice of cakes and fresh lemon juice. Across the hall sits a comfortable saloon, a place suitable for afternoon tea at the right time of day, and in the evenings as a retreat where wine and aperitifs might be enjoyed, the windows to the front overlooking a small patio, and to the rear they provide a glimpse of the semi-wild garden.

A broad terrace parallels the rear walls of the café, passing through this garden to give access to the café from the car park, and also to a garden pergola and a raised patio and seating area to the rear of the coffee bar where beverages can be enjoyed under the shade of parasols.

Also to the front of the café is a table set for a little cheese and wine tasting, whilst steps run down to the beach and what looks to have been a cobble-topped wharf sitting at the waterfront -although the tide appears to have retreated long enough ago to leave a stretch of dry beach between the wharf and the sea, allowing the cobbles to become the home of a Greedy Greedy table.

Bracketed to one side by falls tumbling into a small channel running into the open water and a deck built out over the water on the other, the beach offers a view out over the open ocean to the west, and a means to enjoy the setting sun. Meanwhile, the deck sits as a place for cocktails and a little crooning / dancing.

Sitting alongside the marina and a small coastal residential area, LemonCliff beach bar and café is a charming and easy-going visit – and when you’ve enjoyed its welcome, there’s always an opportunity for boating along the coast or a walk along the winding public path as it meanders north and east.

SLurl Details

• LemonCliff beach bar and café (Chantilly, rated Moderate)