Tag: Exploring Second Life 2024

As can be seen by flicking through my Exploring Second Life series, one of the things I enjoy is seeking out coffee house style hang-outs, as well as places that are photogenically pleasing and interesting to explore. Within Les Bean at the Salty C, I found a place that combines all three – hardly surprising given the region’s designers: Emm (Emm Evergarden) of The Nature Collective fame (among other things) and Teagan Cerulean.

The smell of salt in the air, the crash of waves, and distant harbor ferry welcomes you. Set sail to a place where the ocean whispers tales of a magical island. Whether seeking solace, adventure, or inspiration, the Cerulean offers a storybook escape.

– Les Bean at the Salty C About Land Description

Occupying a Full private region leveraging the Lab’s Land Capacity bonus, the setting is very much multiple-part in nature whilst forming a fairly continuous set of landscapes. By this I mean that within the region there is a mix of private occupancy homes, public spaces and private rentals, all of which are split across the three islands into which the region has been split, with the islands themselves offering landscapes that flow one to the next.

Of these islands, the triangular one sitting in the region’s south-east corner appears to be entirely private in nature, existing within its own parcel and entirely separated from the rest of the region by the intervening stretches of water. As such, it plays no further role in this article. Of the other two, both offer a mix of public and private areas, but with a clear delineation between the two, reducing the risk of trespass.

The main island, oriented north-to-south along the western side of the region, is home to the main Landing Point for the setting. Separated from the other two islands by a central channel of water, this island comprises a central public area forming a small town-style element, bracketed to the south and north by private residences, those to the north being available for rent at the time of my visit. The Landing Point sits on a cobbled plaza overlooking the waterfront of the central channel and backed by the coffee house, which shares the space with an ice cream parlour and a record store.

It is here that I must underscore the need for careful exploration and camming here; not only is the region packed with detail throughout, there is also some super little touches of humour to be found around the town in the form of signs and chalkboards; some of which I perhaps identified with a little too much (e.g. “I tried starting a day without coffee once – My court date is pending”). The town itself has a curiously mixed feel which is equally charming to take in; by turn offering touches of rural France, the Mediterranean, hints of Tuscany – and even flavours of Mexico and North America (the latter in the form of the stream train halted at the local station). Life to the setting is added by the presence of a range of vehicles, washing hanging on lines, place settings at the restaurant, a town market, and an engaging soundscape (I particularly liked the train service announcements!).

At the northern end of the little town is a flight of steps descending into the residential rentals area of the island, headed by a map of the region highlighting the available properties. Trespass here can be avoided by keeping to the boardwalks laid over the grass here, and one of these does actually lead to a public seating area on a deck up towards the north-west corner of the island.

The waterfront below the little town is a busy little area, offering some mooring space for small boats running directly below the sea wall, and a wharf pointing out into the channel. The latter is home to a little rough-and-ready bar and docking for the local ferry. The latter is Analyse Dean’s excellent Bandit vehicular ferry, which chugs its way back and forth between this pier and the one on the west coast of the island occupying the north-east quarter of the region, which is home to the rest of the public spaces within the setting.

This triangular island has – to me – more of a feel of North America. Heavily wooded, it also has a private residence within it, so some caution is required when exploring, particularly as the path winding away from the ferry dock eventually arrives at said private residence, climbing up to it by way of steps cut into a hill slope. However, as there is plenty of humorous warning the house in question is a private residence (“No Trespassing. We’re tired of hiding the bodies”), visitors can avoid it and simply carry on to the tumbledown and strange house sitting further up the hill.

The latter is one of two places on the island offering a sense of the haunted as brooms magically sweep floors. I’ll leave you to find the other such place on the island, and say only that it also has an item of clothing that seems to be knitting itself to add to the slightly haunted feel, and that the location itself is again charming in its general presentation, even if the cabin is itself is oddly overgrown.

As noted, this is a highly photogenic setting with a lot to see – more than I’ve covered here (the sense of ghostly mystery is enhanced to the southern end of the main water channel and close to the lighthouse, for example, where ghostly singing might be heard)  -, so again, care in exploring is well worthwhile. Given the soundscape available through the region, do make sure local sounds are enabled, and use of the region’s shared environment is also recommended, as it gives a suitably autumnal feel in keeping with the rest of the region.

In all, and enjoyable place to visit.

SLurl Details

• Les Bean at the Salty C (Cerulean Sea, rated Moderate)

In March 2020 I first visited a Full private region called Silent Melody held by Celtic McDaniels (Celtic3147), and found it to be an engaging visit and enjoyed my time exploring (see: Attuned to a Silent Melody in Second Life). I’m not sure if, during the intervening period, the region went away and has now returned, or whether it simply relocated; however, an entry in the Destination Guide I came across drew my attention to the fact that the setting is now re-opening, and so I hopped across to have a look to see what may have changed.

The answer proved to be rather a lot – hardly surprising, even the passage of time since my last visit, even without any absence or relocation! For this iteration the region design is by Semina (Semiiina), rather than Celtic, as was the case with my original visit. However, whilst a completely new design, this iteration of silent Melody shares much of the spirit of the iteration I visited back in 2020.

In the heart of the whispering ocean lies Silent Melody. A picturesque island where each corner reveals a hidden nook, a tranquil spot to sit and savour the peace to silent melodies, as the world outside fades into a distant murmur.

– Silent Melody About Land

By the above statement, I mean that this iteration brings with it a rich mix of rugged landscape, a small built-up centre, and plenty of walks and opportunities to explore, spend time and take photographs. However, it very much has an identity all its own.

The Landing Point sits towards the north-east of the setting, and at the time of my visit this confirmed that the setting would be formally opening on September 29th, 2024, with music by Semina and Sky Galaxy, starting at 11:00 SLT. It also offers information on the photo contest with a prize of L$4,000 for the winner.

Directly behind the Landing Point, steps rise up to the impressive bulk of a French-style mansion sitting behind an autumnal courtyard with hints of the Halloween season in the form of pumpkins encircling the fountain. This structure is actually the home of a large café, the wings of the building providing comfortable lounge spaces enclosed within massive framed windows overlooking the grounds – including the meadow behind, the home of roaming horses.

This meadow overlooks a stretch of beach to the south-east and an inland body of water to the south. Fed by waters tumbling from the highlands to and along the southern edge of the region, these waters also mark the end, rather than the head, of a stream as it flows inland from the west side of the region, where it faces one of the setting’s two smaller islands.

This island is home to the ruins of an ancient chapel, the flock of which is now sheep in the literal sense, and which is connected to the mainland be a short rocky causeway reaching out to it from a grove of trees surrounding a little open-air seating area. Stone steps climb away from the little camp site on its far side, relative to the island, climbing up to a little town square which – for me at least – harkened back to the little town square present in the version of the setting I visited back in 2020, thus presenting that little touch of continuity between the two.

Overlooking moorings and waterside decks to the north, this little square and its building in turn connects by way of grassy paths to both the courtyard of the café and to the Landing Point whilst also providing access to the region’s rocky northern coastal are. Watched over by the tall figure of a lighthouse , the northern coast is dominated by a broad deck which appears to offer an outdoor events area. With steps climbing back up to the Landing Point, and with a rocky shoulder separating intervening, this section of coast swings around to the east where a large rotunda of a glass house looks out to sea, providing another retreat people might take to and sit – just be careful about getting wet feet inside!

The second island sits to the south-west of the rest of the region, and is entirely separated from the rest of the setting by water. Given this and the fact that it is located within its own parcel, and it sits behind a gated wall, I assumed the house occupying it is potentially a private residence and so did not venture across the water so as not to invade privacy / trespass.

As might be gathered from the above, there is a lot to take in with this iteration of Silent Melody – and I’ve not covered everything awaiting discovery (such as the cavern with its pools and view out over the open sea, but I’ll let you find that 🙂 ). There is also considerable attention to detail throughout the setting, so careful exploration is recommended. There are numerous places to sit throughout, and the local wildlife is all friendly, while the little hints of Halloween add a nice touch even as the shared environment in the region gives it a nicely autumnal feel (and the setting works will with multiple other EEP settings).

With paths and trails winding through it to link the various locations, all of which flow together naturally, from beaches to woods to buildings and from lowland to uplands, Silent Melody is rounded-out by a gentle soundscape and has the sense of being a lot larger than the single region upon which it stands. As noted, those who wish can participate in the local photo competition (maximum of two entries each) opening on September 29th and running through until late October, and the official opening party for the setting commences at 11:00 SLT on Sunday, September 29th. So – enjoy!

SLurl Details

• Silent Melody (Silent Melody 2, rated Moderate)

Update, April 2025: Chef de Champs has closed. SLurls have therefore been removed from this article.

Flicking through my notes in the week, I came across La Clef des Champs, by Rose Siabonne, a place I’ve visited a number of times, and which I’d actually convinced myself it was somewhere I’d revisited fairly recently. I was therefore utterly surprised when my notes revealed that “fairly recently” actually meant “nigh on five years ago”!

How time flies when it comes to Second Life 🙂 . Ergo, I suggested to W that we bounce our way over and have a look to see what might have changed. So off we went.

I first visited the setting back in May 2018, when it occupied a Homestead region. However, within a month of that post the setting had relocated to a quarter parcel on a Full private region, prompting me to drop in once again. By December 2019, and after a short absence whilst Rose focused on a homestead design she called Hors du Temps (May 2019), La Clef des champs returned later that year, this time covering an entire Full region and prompting my further visit.

Now simply called Clef des Champs, the setting remains on a Full private region, with the majority of the landscaping within this iteration by BeautifulDisaster Requiem, although touches by Rose ensure all the spirit and feel of the past iterations of the setting are very much still in evidence. However, one change from my previous visit is that the setting now appears to include a number of residential rentals; these appear to be confined primarily to the east and southern sides of the region, and so don’t interfere with public explorations, whilst as long as people keep their eyes open, the risk of invading privacy is equally remote.

The landing point now sits in the south-west corner of the region, on the edge of a little hamlet which is very mindful of parts of France (and includes a boules court!). Primarily designed by Rose, this offers a little café in which to pass the time, and one or two little touches those familiar with earlier iterations of Clef des Champs might recognise (and which help with a sense of continuity between iterations).

From here, a walk northwards winds its way over grasslands and (via boardwalks) across the local wetlands before turning eastwards. These wetlands are fed by falls dropping from the region’s central highlands and offer a home to local waterfowl whilst a houseboat permanently moored close the the foot of the falls (“permanently”, given the boardwalks now appear to block its exit to open water) and several places to sit located around the edge of the waters all provide excellent vantage points from which to observe the waterfowl  – or simply has a cuddle.

Having passed the wetland, the eastward path skirts the feet of the central rocky plateau, passing over a little stream to carry on around the landscape, presenting paths over to the rental properties to the south and east in the process. Screened by trees and shrubs from the rest of the setting, the latter are easily avoided by keeping to the flower-covered banks of the larger stream reaching outwards from the plateau’s falls.

A fallen tree trunk here provides a convenient bridge to cross the waters of the steam and reach the steps and trail leading up into the rugged hill. At the top. multiple places to pass the time might be found – including within the hilltop folly –  and a rope bridge might lead you to a hot tub sitting on the south cliffs as they form a curtain between the inner lands of the region and the public beach.

When circumnavigating the main upland plateau, do keep your eyes peeled for the romantic cavern hidden within the rocks at its base. Do also keep an eye out for the teleport pads dotted around (not that they are hard to miss!). As well as offering shortcuts to areas on the ground level of the region, they also provide access to the Autumn and Winter sky platforms, each of which offers its own little retreat.

Between the plateau and the screen of rocky cliffs to the south, the landscape is cut through by the meandering, if fast-flowing, stream as it makes its way back towards the west to eventually exit into the waters beside the little hamlet. As it does so, it passes through a verdant land of tall trees, flowers, grasses and woodland where trails equally meander, and at least one camp site awaits discovery.

Throughout all of this, the landscaping is highly amenable to photography and lends itself nicely to a range of EEP settings – I’ve used my own for the pictures here – and the soundscape adds depth to the setting. There are also multiple places to sit and pass the time; some of which are mentioned above, but more of which await discovery.

There was some redecorating (seasonal changes) going on during the second half of my re-visit, so its is possible some details may change between this article going out and you reading it – but if so – then that’s another reason for visiting, no? 🙂 .

As is fairly obvious from this blog, I enjoy exploring Second Life and writing about the places I discover either directly as I bounce around or via the Destination Guide, or am led to through the kindness of others dropping me a  landmark or SLurl and / or a suggestion. There are certain criteria I tend to apply to places I visit when considering them as a potential blog post; some of these criteria are pretty obvious (do I like what I see? Is this a place with a broad-ranging appeal?, etc.); others perhaps less so.

While there are some exceptions, I live within the estate and feel comfortably , I rarely review residential region or those that are largely residential focused – not unless they offer a good extent of public spaces thing to do and / or reasonably clear delineation between public and residential spaces. There’s a simple reason for this: I don’t want to be responsible for upsetting people’s privacy in regions that are largely residential by suggesting people go a-wandering in them and end up trespassing to the annoyance of those living there.

But, as noted, there are at times exceptions to thus broad rule of thumb. This is one of them – but as a long-time resident of Second Norway (4+ years now) and knowing Vanity and some of her staff, I’m comfortable in writing about it. Specifically, it relates to Second Norway’s new Havfolk Fjord, a two region area of the estate that has been redeveloped to provide underwater rentals and open spaces for those within Second Life’s Merfolk community to explore and in which to set-up home if they desire.

The Norwegian word for “mermaid” is havfrue. For “mermen” or “mer people,” the term is havmann (for males) and havfolk (which refers to merfolk or mer people in general).

Havfrue = Mermaid (literally “sea woman”); Havmann = Merman (literally “sea man”); Havfolk = Merfolk or Mer people (literally “sea people”)

Welcome to our Havfolk Lands at Second Norway! The Mer Community helped form the Blake Sea way back in the day. We are very pleased to introduce our own Mer Lands at Second Norway and hope all of our residents will enjoy this added dimension to the Role Play here.

– From the Second Norway announcement about the opening of Havfolk Fjord

With a small island serving as the Landing Point at its southern end, Havfolk Fjord presents ten rental parcels (at the time of writing) of various sizes across the sea bed and within an environment decorated by Second Norway resident (and operator of the Knapper village MyStory community within Second Norway) BenjaminButtonss on behalf of the Second Norway management team.

Linked by “paths” along the sea floor where ancient ruins  and sunken ships might be found and fish food obtained (yes there are little fishes scattered around , giving you the opportunity of finding Nemo and given feeding him), the rental parcels range in size from 3744 sq m / 484 LI through to 11040 sq m / 1431 LI, making them suitable for most pockets among merfolk (and maybe underwater explorers?), whilst the sea floor within the region offers a certain, if limited, given the need to conserved Land Capacity for residential use), “landscaped” seafloor ready for exploration via submarine or by scuba diving as well as offering merfolk the chance to rent space for a home. Meanwhile, the open waters on the surface offer space for boating and sailing.

The Landing Point island offers – literally, given the pier at one end of the beach – a jumping off point for explorations. However, on visiting, I couldn’t help but feel it might benefit from a little rez zone so visitors could conjure up a little boat or underwater craft to take to the water for a spot of sailing or exploring. But that said, the idea behind the updated regions of Havfolk Fjord is interesting, and I do look forward to seeing what develops on the seas bed there!

In the meantime, if you are within the merfolk community and looking for a suitable home, feel free to jump over the the Havfolk island and dive in for a look-see; details of all rents can be found within the information boards located within each of the available parcels.

SLurl Details

Rolvsoya is rated Moderate

• Havfolk Fjord Island landing point
• Havfolk Fjord undersea landing point