Tag: Elyjia Baxton

Ely (Elyjia Baxton) keeps herself busy! It was just back in January when I wrote about her (then) recently-opened Full region design entitled After the Rain. It was a delightful place to visit and wander, and I was happy to add it to my growing list of articles on her region designs. However, After the Rain has now gone, and in its place has sprung Sous les Oliviers (“Under the Olive Trees”).

As the theme of Tuscany, Sous les Oliviers is a place to relax, explore, or simply admire the view. Sous les Oliviers is the ideal retreat. Every nook and cranny is designed to offer you an immersive and soothing experience, away from the hustle and bustle.

Sous les Oliviers About Land / Destination Guide description

Whilst stating – and primarily displaying – a Tuscan theme in terms of architecture, the setting carries broader European themes within it. There is, for example, its very French name, coupled here and there with signage on walls. The local open-sided chapel bears the Spanish name Parroquia des St. Maria de los Caballeros – Parish of St. Mary of the Knights, as it sits on its own little island, and the windmill almost overlooking the chapel (but for the intervening olive tree!) is perhaps atypically Tuscan in styling, and would look equally at home in, say France or England. There is even a little touch of Americana waiting to be found!

This is not in any way to complain; rather it is to note that Ely cats a wide net in the creation of Sous les Oliviers, and the catch she brings forth offers a delightfully rich study and setting for people to enjoy.

The landscape is, for the most part, flat and cut through with waterways which break it up into island-like masses of differing sizes. This in itself is suggestive of low-lying wetland as might be found elsewhere in Europe rather than being specific to Tuscan. Say, for example, the Netherlands or England’s fenlands to name but two. This further enhances the setting as being a place of the imagination, rather than having firm roots in the physical in terms of location.

The waterways are in part fed from waterfalls dropping from the western border of the land.  These separate Sous les Oliviers from the neighbouring Loulou. However, a path leading to their mid-point and the gates to be found there suggest the two regions will be linked; but at the time of my visit, Loulou was under reconstruction and so closed to public access.

Most of the landmasses making up the setting have structures on them, the majority of which are distinctly Tuscan in styling as noted. One the houses on the lowlands artificially elevated above the land on which it sits, suggesting there is a risk of flooding that had to be countered. The large, raised terrace of this house sits as a place where live music might be enjoyed.

No such protection is required for the houses to the south of the setting; they sit elevated as the land naturally rises. They also overlook a cliff-sided, rocky cove. One of the villas here sits before tidy rows of vines, together with large casks, suggesting it is a home to local wine or sherry production, if on a modest scale. The presence of bee hives might also hint at a little mead might be on offer as well!

A little eastward from this villa, the land rises further, passing by way of an old stone-built cabin with steps down to the cove, to reach a large, flat-topped table of grass. This is home to both a large villa and a pool of deeply blue water suggestive of great depth. The pool feeds two streams which further add to the setting’s waterways, the first sitting at the foot of sheer waterfalls dropping away from one side of the pool, and the second being more of a bubbling brook dancing and bouncing away from the opposite side of the pool, as it tumbles down the slope to the waters below.

As one might expect, multiple bridges help connect the various parts of the landscape together, allowing visitors to wander from place-to-place without getting their feet wet. The Landing Point sits mid-way between the lowlands and the upper highlands in terms of elevation, and alongside one of the aforementioned streams as it tumbles down waterfalls from the large villa. A paved footpath gets arrivals started on exploring, running as it down south towards the local beach or north down to the lowlands proper, where a choice of routes to follow awaits.

Wherever you wander, however, there is plenty to enjoy. The landscape is  – as one would expect – entirely natural and flowing in its look, rich in grasses, flowers, trees, and lots of little details. Runs of sand offer miniature beaches, deckchairs and benches offer places to sit outdoors, gazebos and pavilions offer both the opportunity to sit and also to break bread or enjoy a meal. Lavender fields alongside the windmill dash the land with deeper purple, and so much more.

About the only places where feet might get wet is in taking a wade through the waters to reach the chapel on its little isle or to reach that of the local lighthouse. However, as the latter sits on the shoulders of rocks which appear intend on rebuffing visitors from climbing them and leaving only the sands at their feet as an easy visit, then the lighthouse is perhaps better appreciated from the other sides of the waters!

In all, a delightful – as ever – setting from Ely, and one highly recommended as a place to visit.

SLurl Details

• Sous les Oliviers (Ely, rated Moderate)

Note: After the Rain has been updated to become Sous Les Oliviers – read here for more, and the SLurls here have been updated to the new landing point.

Ely (Elyjia Baxton) recently opened a new Full region design entitled After the Rain, and as always with her work, it is an absolute delight to visit, explore and photograph, being packed with detail. It is also a setting with a couple of related venues about to come on-stream, although at the time of my visit, one had only “soft” opened, and the other was still being finalised.

I’ve covered Ely’s work extensively in this blog – all the way back to some of her earliest co-designs, in fact; and it has been an absolute pleasure to be able to witness and share in her growth as a noted and visual region designer in that time, and After the Rain continues to demonstrate her skill in presenting richly engaging and photogenic locations.

This is a place offering everything from a bustling little town through quiet country walks and rural retreats to a coastal fishing harbour, passing by way of livestock farming, natural parkland and cosy homes, all without ever feeling overcrowded or cramped.

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of After the Rain, a place of tranquillity and beauty. Discover a quaint little town, a charming harbour, and welcoming homes. Stroll along trails that wind past picturesque farms and peaceful rest areas. Whether you’re looking for a place to relax, explore, or simply admire the view, After the Rain is the ideal retreat. Every nook and cranny is designed to offer you an immersive and soothing experience, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Let yourself be swept away by the magic of After the Rain; here every visit is a new adventure. 

– After the Rain Destination Guide description

The Landing Point sits in the south-east corner of the region, where lies the little town. Small it might be, and with the buildings largely unfurnished, the town still has a feeling of life about it, and (Land Capacity allowing) it might yet see a little décor entering some of the shops. This aside, the streets are certainly decorated and offer nice touches of detail.

Follow the cart track north from the town and you’ll pass by the park offices and the hilltop park with its cosy places to sit. Winding on, the track reaches to a covered bridge passing over one of the many channels and bodies of water breaking up the landscape. It is here that the farmstead might be found. With the house furnished and plenty of little details scattered around the horse meadow and barns, there’s a lot to take in here.

Carry on westwards along the track, and a slightly rickety bridge provides access to another farmstead where sheep and chickens are being raised, prior to the track reaching the little fishing harbour.

However, before carrying on the the harbour, take a moment to wander through the garden of the farmhouse; you’ll find stone steps rising to a rugged and wooded headland carrying on it signs of abandoned use: a broken greenhouse, abandoned furniture and a deserted cabin and outhouse crouch among the trees and rocks, largely ignored by the stream tumbling and bubbling through the headland to drop into one of the region’s larger bodies of water, overlooked by a comfortable camp site.

A second way out of the town lies under the umbrella-hung archway down the steps from the Landing Point. Here, the cobbled street passes an outdoor market and up to an impressive covered square and its nearby stone bridge standing tall over the same body of water as the covered bridge mentioned above. Beyond this stone bridge one might find a cottage with a charming view over another body of water, the region’s lighthouse (again furnished), and walks among the trees and uplands on this southern side of the region.

All of this barely scratches the surface of After the Rain, given I’ve skipped over many of the little touches – from wildlife to places to sit, indoors and out – some of them on the water or tucked away – to cats and horses and sheep, to a richness of flora throughout. However, two I really should mention are the café and music venue, both of which, at the time of writing, had yet to formally open – although the café is available for visits.

The Loulou Café sits on the north side of the region on  square of land which, but for the two short causeways reaching out to it, is close to becoming and island in its own right. Presented within a wild garden and offering its own indoor and outdoor seating, the café is available for people to visit, and its terraces and ivy-hung walls, welcome visitors who find it by watch of the parkland or the horse farm. I understand from Ely that it will be used for a music event venue in time.

Located in the sky over the café, Loulou club. Yet to open to the public, this presents a fusion of avant-garde and art deco  stylings with a fusion of techno and retro in a manner which both captures the eye and reflects the kind of music it will offer once open: deep house, prog house and electro, and will feature DJs and live performers.

I’m not sure when the club is due to open – the best way to find out is perhaps to visit the region and see when the club is accessible (or ask Ely – there is no Group to currently join).

That said, whether or not you’re interested in joining events at the club, After the Rain is a must-see setting for anyone who enjoys exploring Second Life; you’re not going to be disappointed. My thanks to Cube Republic for the pointer!

SLurl Details

• After the Rain (Ely, rated Moderate)

Elyjia Baxton sent me an invitation to tour her latest region design which recently opened to the public, and given her past work – often featured in this blog – I was delighted to accept as soon as time allowed.

Evergreen is a Full private region leveraging the land capacity bonus, and held by Karo Camorra (abella74). It has been designed as a public space by Ely to provide, in Karo’s words, a place where people can:

Chat with your friends in the town overlooking the beach, or enjoy a solitary or romantic stroll in the forest or follow the path along the river while taking advantage of the various places to relax in a calm and lush setting, and take some photos.

– Karo Camorra (abella74)

The town and beach in question lie to the north-east of the region, the landing point sitting at the top of steps connecting the former with the latter. Extending into the south-eastern quarter of the region, the town is a small, but distinctly European-looking affair, the tall houses  – some with ground level business – are all façades, rather than furnished buildings. However, it offers numerous little places to sit and pass the time, while the steps and path leading down to the beach run between saplings and shrubs before reaching the warm sand. This is guarded by a tall tall wooden watchtower / radio shack, now converted into another cosy hideaway, under which the path runs, but accessed directly from the beach.

The beach also offers various places to sit and pass the time as it runs along the north coast to arrive at stone steps rising to the western side of the main island, passing by way of a raised wooden deck where an artist appears to have taken up shop. The beach is given a sense of popularity courtesy of a schooner apparently passing by in full career just off-region, and two Linden Endurance-class sailing boats moored in the shallows.

Prior to reaching the beach, the gravel path almost branches to the left, passing alongside a low wall separating the little town from the land flowing down to the sands. With birch trees lining one side of it and saplings  the other, the latter also providing some shade to the wild growth of flowers sitting between the path and the beach. Narrowing as it reaches the western side of the town, the path meanders its way west, passing by a summer house, a cylindrical folly and a gravel pool, all of which offer places to sit, with the latter linking to a path pointing back eastwards to a gazebo and chaise lounge sit among the wildflowers and overlooking the beach.

As it reaches the summerhouse and folly, the westward-pointing path splits, a rougher trail continuing west to offer the way up to the region’s lighthouse as well as the means to reach what had likely once been a north-western headland.

Now separated from the rest of the land by a narrow channel, this former headland has the feel of having been long since deserted; Nature is in command, what had once been a brick-and-wood greenhouse sits abandoned to her claim. This may have once have been a base of operations for the artist who has taken over the wooden deck mentioned above; if so, then perhaps advancing years had caused the artist to foreshorten the walk from town to studio, leaving the latter to its fate in favour of using the deck for their artistic expression.

The path to the western isle also branches prior to reaching the channel separating the headland from the bulk of the region. Pointing south, this passes by a very modern-looking pavilion built over the west coast before branching yet again, one arm looping back to the summer house and folly, the other continuing on through the trees and plants to a little cove cuddling a secluded shack and its dock within its shallow arms, a home for moored rowing boats and deckside rocking chairs.

Inland from this shack, the land is split by a stream which descends in a series of low falls from the uplands on which the town sits, to finally turn south and fall into a broad pool which does much to help form the landscape of southern half of the region. In doing so, the stream gives form to a tongue of land running east from the edge of town, caught between the stream to one side and the drop down to the waters below on the other. It is home to a steel-framed conservatory, home to tropical plants within an otherwise temperate setting.

With the waters of the pool and the streams flowing outward from it, the southern side of the region is perhaps the most photogenic. Once again, paths meander around it, starting with the one descending from the town to the south-east. Here, streams flowing out from the pool cut the land into slices and give rise to very natural lowlands which are in equal part rocky, rich in plant life and with plenty of places to sit and pass the time – as well is in which to take photos.

The south-eastern corner of the region is dominated by a wooden windmill overlooking the south coast. It is reached via a gravel path which curves south and west from the foot of the steps descending from the town and carried over the gorge of a stream by a covered bridge. After passing the furnished windmill, this path continues onwards to offer the best route of southern exploration.

Following it will take visitors past a pier extending out into a shallow bay (and the home of table-top games which can also be reached from a teleport station near the region’s landing point), and by more places to sit – a riverside covered picnic spot, another folly and an old bandstand – to cross another small stream before curling itself around the large pool mentioned above. It ends in at a little cottage on the east coast.

All of which is a long-winded way of saying this is a region worthy of seeing first-hand; there is a lot to see and appreciate – more so than I’ve presented in the last 1,000+ words. Offered under a fairly neutral selection of environmental settings, Evergreen naturally lends itself to a broad range of EEP settings, with opportunities for photography large and small throughout.

Finished with a matching natural soundscape and given a sense of age through the scattered ruins and derelict building awaiting discovery and live via the presence of wild and domestic animal and the furnished cottages and cabins, Evergreen makes for a thoroughly engaging visit.

SLurl Details

• Evergreen (Fanatica, rated Moderate)

Elyjia Baxton has a long association with regions designs in Second Life, be it those of her own, or created in collaboration with others or on behalf of others, many of which I’ve covered in these pages. So when she invited me to hop along and visit her latest work, it quickly went up towards the top of my list of places to visit.

Ely’s Grand Garden is a public space Elyjia has designed on behalf of R&G Estates. Located within Nautilus, it presents an opportunity to wander along gravel paths, view the houses offered for rent on either side and make your way through parts of the broader R&G Estate within the region – and even find your way to Ely’s own studio.

At the Grand Garden in Salerio you will find twelve intimate waterfront locations surrounded by gardens, three grand gardens to admire and walk in peaceful nature alone or with friends, one playground, and a rezzer station for boats. It is an enchanting place near the Blake Sea. Take a walk in the gardens, relax, and have fun.

– Grand Garden Destination Guide entry

The landing point sits towards the middle of the region in which the park sits, alongside one of the public pavilions within the gardens. From here the paths run in several directions, with the main one running north to hop back and forth over the stream to reach a broader waterway cutting into the region, crossed by a broad wooden bridge.

North of this, the path continues between a further stream on one side and a large natural pool on the other, fed by falls dropping from the curtain walls of rock which border the gardens here on two sides. A second path switchbacks away from the pavilion sitting alongside the pool and the channel bridge, paralleling the channel as it cuts deeper into the region.

To avoid trespass, the rental houses are set back from the public footpaths, their parcels generally marked by fences if they connect directly to the gardens, with a gate to provide renters with access to the gardens if they want.

With places to sit: benches, chairs and tables, a rowing boat rocking on the pond – while waterfowl fly overhead and rest on rocks, foxes wander the paths whilst a gentle soundscape of flow water from the streams and bird song filling the air. All of which makes for an engaging and relaxing visit.

SLurl Details

• Grand Gardens (Salerio, rated General)