Mont Saint-Michel - A masterpiece to explore

I share a wish with many people around SL. We wish that there was a place to go to find out where the locations are on the preview page of the client. Personally, I have seen pictures of many places that I'd love to visit. A friend saw a picture of a magnificent build with a towering castle-like structure and pathways leading up to it. Determined to figure out where this build was how he discovered Mont Saint-Michel and shared it with me.

Mont Saint-Michel's real life counterpart is a beautiful, towering city in Normandy, France. It's a tidal island that was shaped by erosian as the sea levels rose. Very much like its physical counterpart, the Second Life Mont Saint-Michel has stone buildings and streets clinging desperately to the hill that is the mount.

To understand the build, one might like to know a bit of the history of the real-life counterpart. CLICK HERE to see the entry on Wikipedia.

When you arrive at Mont Saint-Michel, you are outside of a welcome center area with posters resembling those in the real version I suppose. You will also find an Xstreet SL vendor hidden in a corner. Just past the welcome area is a tourism type area with teleports to the various stores and the La Cafe Poulard. Venture into the large, black photo booth. My SL boyfriend and I had a blast trying to figure it out. We eventually got a decent picture after lengthy periods of laughter.

As you walk further, you will discover that most of the winding roads are lined with small shops rented out to various vendors. They line the pathways leading up to the abbey. Beware that the pathways are very narrow at times and a newer avie to SL may find it difficult to maneuver through.

The pathways also have little garden areas along the way. There are many doorways and paths through the structure. Exploring Mont Saint-Michel is one that takes time and curiosity to enjoy it fully.

At the top of Mont Saint-Michel, you'll find the simple, but magnificent abbey sitting tall with grandeur. Explore the many doors around the abbey, too. A garden court yard is adjacent to the abbey.

Take your time and explore. To visit Mont Saint-Michel, CLICK HERE. (Mont Saint Michel 75, 16, 21)

Drowsy - A great leisurely walk of exploration

The sim Drowsy was selected the Favorite Second Life Sim of Spring/Summer by Koinup, NWN Readers. (New World Notes Blog) So, I decided to go take a peek for myself.


You teleport into a small, seaside town with little boutiques lining cobblestone streets. The textures show the quaint town as being there for a while with the rich hues and weathered look. A bit of whimsical nature is seen immediately in the pig-looking statue with plants growing on it to the puppet theater that shows a rabbit chasing a girl.


As you walk through the cobblestone streets and pathways stop to look at everything. The detail and bits of whimsy are a big part of the charm of Drowsy.


You will stroll by a park, an old dilapidated warehouse, a library, a courtyard flanked with stores, a small riverside town, and Drowsy's Horror Summer Festival. Don't forget to point your mouse at things. There are many small things along the way that are freebies.


Many of the buildings also house stores. The sim was actually created to hold the stores the Japanese SL clothiers Kurotsubaki, BP, and Zero Number. Skin, clothes, hair and a few odds and ends will be found for sale throughout the sim.

My suggestion is to take your time and absorb this marvelous place.

To visit Drowsy, CLICK HERE. (Drowsy 187, 49, 37)

Let's Rock the Castle AGAIN!

To join the party, CLICK HERE. (91, 195, 29)

Harry Potter & Diagon Alley

Have you ever wanted to jump into the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling? Imagine shopping in Diagon Alley, going to school at Hogwarts, or working at the Ministry of Magic.


I've owned a shop in this sim for a while now. Why I did not share it on my blog, I have no idea. Diagon Alley in the sim called Witchcraft is a shopping area. Walk down the streets and see lots of theme inspired shops selling wizard wares such as clothing and magic wands. All shops are inspired by the HP books.


Although all real life avies (the ones behind the keyboard) need to be 18 or over to participate (like all of Second Life), you can choose to roleplay as a child or adult avatar. RP avatars have access to other areas of the sim such as the castle, Quiddich field, etc. Applications for RP are located at Diagon Alley.


I was not able to get an close up look at the Quiddich field, but even from a distance it looked great. Only avies with role play tags are allowed in areas other than Diagon Alley.


What made me think of posting this now? The new movie release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince of course! Marking the special occassion is a hunt starting on July 14 through the shops of Diagon Alley. Come enjoy hunting for Professor Snapes potion bottles and get free merchandise. There is also a costume party on July 16 at 8 p.m.


Come enjoy the sim and the spirit of Harry Potter in Second Life!

To visit Diagon Alley, CLICK HERE. (Witchcraft 79, 24, 24)

Join us for a mid-week party...

To attend the party, CLICK HERE. (Midnight Oasis 91, 195, 29)

Blue Galaxy - Convergence of Nature & Space Age

I love great builds in Second Life. The talent and imagination that goes into a great build is tremendous. I found another of these great builds... Blue Galaxy.



When I first teleported in, I was surrounded by a beautiful natural landscape. Towering mushroom type trees; tall, spiked grass patches; and boulders adorn the ground covered with green foliage and sandy patches. The rich, earthy colors and great textures make the landscape a feast for the eyes.


As I continued to look around, I noticed the very modern, space design elements speckled through out the nature. The sleek looking oasis areas look right at home admist the natural beauty. In the modern build areas you'll find places to sit and chat with friends, as well as appropriately themed stores.


What makes a good build excel to greatness is the detail. Ash Soyinka did this well. You see the element of detail in many ways such as the walkways that light up as your avatar walks across each section and the detail in the graphic design elements.

Blue Galaxy is one of the places you need to explore for yourself to see the beauty that pictures just cannot capture.

To visit Blue Galaxy, CLICK HERE. (Blue Galaxy 175, 113, 29)

Refreshing...

The Big Bad Blogger Challenge was very inspiring to me. It was fun to add some more personal perspective on Second Life rather than just talking about places to visit in world.

Being in SL for over two years now, gives me a greater perspective on how everyone experiences this vast world in different ways. Personally, I like drawing on the expertise of others. Because we all have taken different paths, we have a different set of knowledge. For example, let's look at building. Is all building the same? No. Someone who builds jewelry is an expert on creating tiny prims and setting them up in line for necklaces, etc. I build furniture and household goods. Until recently, I never created a tiny prim. Now I'm attending classes with some friends to expand our knowledge since we all have our own niche.

Having some touch with the business, educational, library, and social sides of SL, let's me see how different one's experiences can be. Someone who comes in world to mainly teach or take a class usually lacks in social knowledge and building skills in SL.

I know I have a lot more to learn in this large virtual world. So, let's continue our voyage through SL and learn together.

Hugs,

Effie