The title above is from a song called Sous Les Ponts De Paris (Under The Bridges of Paris). There are some amazing bridges in First Life, including those over the Seine in Paris. I loved this recent article about that beautiful city auctioning off the infamous Love Locks taken from the Ponts des Arts bridge (among others). From grand architectural feats like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco to the wooden covered bridges that span the creeks in my area of Pennsylvania, bridges are often more than just practical ways of getting from one point to another. They inspire songs, movies, and books, where they often show up as meeting places, or symbolize important life transitions.
It's been a long few weeks since my last post, during which First Life has thrown me several unexpected curve-balls that have meant less time available to go inworld, and even less time for blogging. However, throughout the turmoil, the images of bridges kept coming into my head, so I thought I'd do a quick post on some of my Mainland favorites. I hope you enjoy these Second Life marvels as much as I do.
The lovely bridge pictured above is located in Lordshore on the southern continent of Jeogeot. Built by Garden Mole, it is situated adjacent to a scenic overlook and picnic area off of Route 9.
In stark contrast to the industrial geometry of the Lordshore Bridge is Molly Linden's elegant bridge to the Linden Homes Japanese sims in Hoshigarai, pictured below. The soft red brick is echoed in the walks that run throughout those sims, and ties together the landscape perfectly.
There is a very cool drawbridge (pictured below, both open and closed) on the old continent of Sansara, connecting the Second Life Railroad tracks in Periwinkle to those in Purple. Created by Athos Murphy in 2004, this bridge is the only one featured here that was not created by either a Linden or an LDPW Mole. The LM actually places you at a landing point which is a train station; just follow the tracks East from there and you'll soon reach the drawbridge.
The graceful bridge over Straits of Shermerville, pictured below, was created by Michael Linden. It connects Nova Albion, the urban area next door to Bay City, with the vast suburbia that is Shermerville.
Over on the old Teen Grid you can spot Xenon Linden's bridge in Nailsworth, pictured below. And on Sansara, in the sim of Hooper, you can find an almost identical bridge by Ben Linden.
I wrote a post here about Chamonix City and the Global Online Hockey Association (GOHA), but I had never photographed the rather impressive bridge that links the Mainland proper in Braggiani to the community sims that comprise Chamonix City. Built by Abnor Mole, the bridge (pictured below) serves as the entrance to those six sims, and hovers high above an outdoor hockey rink. Halfway across, visitors can board a hot air balloon for a tour of the City.
I'll close with one of my favorite bridges, pictured below, about which I blogged here. The Bridge of Light in Durango, located in the Snowlands of Sansara, was built by Garden Mole, and the more traditional bridge above it was built by Eric Linden.
Do you know of any interesting bridges on the Mainland? If you do, I'd love it if you'd comment below with a LM so I can check them out. Meanwhile, enjoy the inimitable Ms. Eartha Kitt singing about bridges in Paris while you explore!
Under the Bridges of Paris
My darling why I sing this song
Is easy to explain.
It tells what happens all along
The bridges of the Seine.
The vagabonds go there at night
To sleep all their troubles away,
But when the moon is shining bright
My heart wants to sing it this way.
How would you like to be
Down by the Seine with me
Oh what I'd give for a moment or two
Under the bridges of Paris with you.
On Sunday, November 13, 2016, a group of adventurers set out on a walk via the train tracks in southern Heterocera. The walk was a lot of fun and was without incident, except for a few of us falling off or through the tracks in Lutra. (Who does one report holes in the tracks to anyway? The moles? The SLRR group?) Ziki and I had not told anyone where we were headed, and the group seemed surprised and delighted to end up at the D-Lab train station in Poecila.
But by far the most delightful surprise was the fact that D-Lab owner Dazai Voom had created a group gift especially for us! I had told him we'd be walking along the SLRR tracks, so for the gift he designed a steam train engine-shaped pipe, with smoke coming out of the chimney (see picture at left). A huge thank you to Dazai for his creativity and generosity! The pipe is still available in the group gift area of the main shop and sky garden. You simply need to join the D-Lab group to pick up your very own pipe! D-Lab, about which I wrote here, is a delightful place, and well worth a visit in any case.
If you'd like to join us for further adventures, please visit our home, Cael Ystafell, and click the group joiner near the blue sign (see below). We will post notices about future walks there, and group chat is a good way to stay connected while walking! We'd love to have a really large group join us next time, and who knows what mischief we might get into and what new adventures we might find!
Until then, keep exploring, and keep walking!
A question: would any of you lovely readers be interested in taking periodic group walks across the Mainland? Ziki and are planning to organize just such a walk in November, and we hope to have YOU join us! Plan on fun and silliness as we explore the vast expanses of the Second Life Mainland together!
The first walk will be held on Sunday, November 13 from 2-2:30 PM SLT.
We will start on Rte. 5 in front of Cael Ystafell, our home on Heterocera, and walk along the tracks of the Second Life Railroad, ending at a super sekrit location for fun and merriment!
When I was a little girl, my grandmother often took me for walks on the nearby railroad tracks. We'd walk, chat, stop to pick blueberries and have picnics. I have several sets of railroad tracks near my home in first life, and I still enjoy those kinds of walks. So, while there are many Mainland roads we could explore in the future, I decided to take advantage of the tracks near our house, and start there! If you'd like to walk with us, please contact me inworld or by email at kinnaird.fiachra@gmail.com...or just show up! We'll have a group joiner for any future adventures set up at the starting point.
We'd love to have LOTS of people joining in on the fun - imagine a whole gaggle of avatars walking the SLRR rails! To get you in the mood, here's a clip from one of my favorite cheesy 80's movies, "Benny and Joon," set to The Proclaimers "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)". We hope to see you in November!
My friend Celeste (celestedarkstar) saw my blog post about Cael Ystafell and mentioned that she has an art gallery just a few sims away, in a sim that offers adventure games. And so, I wandered up Route 5 in Heterocera to Lutra City. According to owner Ilithios Liebknecht, "I designed Lutra City to bring full-featured adventure games into Second Life, something that to my knowledge has not been fully done before. There were a very small handful of games that came close, some very well made, but even those lacked things you would expect from a full-featured adventure game like variety of interaction and a progressive story. I always thought SL was very well suited to adventure games and am surprised more people haven't tried to make them. As far as I know my games are the only really full-featured point and click adventure games in Second Life."
Interestingly, due to some twists and turns of the tracks, Lutra City is located between Route 5 and the Second Life Railroad (SLRR), just like Cael Ystafell. There is a rail station, pictured below, where adventurers can enter the city. Located on a steep hill, the city is divided into upper and lower sections, and as you can tell from the picture, some of the structures are actual buildings, and some are just 2-D facades, as if you were visiting the set of an old movie.
According to the notecard you will receive upon arrival, "to get started, go to the detective agency (pictured below) and
choose a game on the cases board. There is a free tutorial game called
The New Detective available that will teach you how to play and show you
what to expect from the games. The full games are much longer and more
complex than the tutorial game of course!" In addition, near the city park outside of the detective agency you'll find a sign (first picture, above left) that gives you a Catch a Crook HUD. You'll need to wander around the city wearing the HUD, and there are prizes if you are the first to catch the crook. Also near the city park is a bus station. According to Celeste, "the bus stops are items that you click on and they take you to other places that have the signs displayed. You don't have a choice; it's random. They take you to other places to explore - sometimes it is a store, other times a park, and here it is a city full of adventure."
Celeste has a small art gallery in Lutra City, pictured below, called Darkstar Studios. She remarked, "I chose to locate my gallery here based on the adventure aspect. I can walk out of my gallery and have choices as to what I want to do. Plus the rent is very reasonable," she laughed. "Lutra City is a place for adventure, whether it is riding the rails, driving down the adjacent highway, catching a bus to a random location, taking a portal to other adventure games, catching crooks, solving the mysteries at the Detective Agency, or just exploring the cityy. You'll always find something to do here."
Earlier this summer, Ziki and I decided to purchase a large parcel of Mainland on the Atoll, and we named it Cael Ystafell (pronounced "cal EES-ta-fell"). To landscape the parcel, we enlisted the help of Isa Messioptra, skilled designer, landscaper, and owner of the fabulous Crestwick Island. We couldn't be more thrilled with her work. Creating the illusion of privacy on a Mainland parcel takes a lot of skill, and Isa managed the challenge with grace and style, right down to the view from every window in the house. For the curious, Cael Ystafell is Welsh for "get a room!" Ziki and I have been heckled in first life during visits to cities all up and down the East Coast of the US, so we thought it appropriate. ;)
When you arrive at the landing point, you'll be instructed to drop your draw distance to 50m. The parcel is located on the southeastern coast of Heterocera, and is nestled between Route 5, the Second Life railroad (SLRR), and the Coastal Waterway. Yavascript pod tour H3 - the Heterocera Atoll Coast tour - passes the entrance to Cael Ystafell, pictured below, which is off of Route 5. To the left of the photo you can see where the SLRR runs along the Western edge of the parcel. We can launch boats from our beach, from which we can sail along the Coastal Waterway. It's a great spot, and I'm very thankful to Ziki for finding it.
I'm really happy with how the parcel turned out, and we held a small Open House on August 13th to celebrate. The parcel media plays Radio Dismuke, so the party-goers danced to early jazz music and explored our home. One of the things I heard over and over during the party was, "I can't believe this is Mainland!" Haveit Neox commented, "In the notecard, it says this is mainland? It looks amazing! I love the way you've furnished the house. And the views from the windows! The window in the nook with the driftwood chandelier... what an gorgeous view onto the woods. This is really a treat to see. I'm so happy you both have this really special home. Mainland... who would have guessed!"
Please feel free to visit Cael Ystafell and wander around. You are welcome to enter and explore the house; we just ask that you be respectful and holler a hello if we are home. :) Explore the woods near the train tracks and the beach below the cliffs. Catch a passing pod and go on a tour of the Heterocera coast, or hop a train and see what interesting spots you can find along the SLRR tracks. I love how connected the parcel is to so many ways to explore the land. It was our hope that this place would show people the beauty that is possible on the Mainland, and encourage more people to discover that for themselves!
The D-lab railway station (pictured below) is a whimsical stop on the Second Life Railroad. Located in Poecila on the eastern edge of the Atoll (Heterocera), this storybook station is a charming place to hop off the train and look around. Wander along the stream, sit on a cow or a sheep, or take a ride on one of two UFOs that hover over the parcel. Then, head back to the station, look to the West, cross the tracks and the street, and head up the hill. Near the giant giraffe and panda you'll find a rocket which will port you to the sky garden high above.
Owned by Dazai Voom, D-Lab is one of the most creative spaces on the grid, and the toy store in the sky garden is the main attraction. Located on a floating platform powered by giant gears, the store is filled to the brim, inside and out, with interactive toy displays. Above the toys, one can find garden items for sale, and surrounding the shop are tree-lined village streets and shops with animal proprietors, including a bakery, a bookstore, an egg shop, a jam shop, and an animal theater. Outer platforms include a large pool area where you can test out some water toys, a pose shop (Andika, with whom D-Lab collaborates on toy poses), and even a dairy where you can milk your own cows.
Visiting D-Lab always brings up strong memories of my childhood. Not that there are stores this amazing in first life, but
the former John Wanamaker's in Philadelphia was pretty cool in its time. A kid-sized Monorail
(pictured above, left) carried children above the 8th floor toy
department at the John Wanamaker's department store
from 1946
to 1984. Every November, on Black Friday, my grandmother would take me
there, and I'd ride that monorail, peeking down at the toys, and feeling
special because I was someplace where adults couldn't fit. We'd eat
lunch in the Crystal Tea Room, then watch the light show (pictured above, right) in the cavernous atrium of the store before heading off to
Gimbel's to see Santa.
One of the things I love best
about Second Life is that it seems to rekindle a sense of joy in play
that a lot of us lose as we grow older and burdened by a myriad of responsibilities. I often joke that the folder
labeled "toys" is the largest folder in my inventory, and that may well
be true. Places like D-Lab (and Intrigue and Off The Wall) actively encourage joyful play, and I'm so thankful for that. First life can be stressful enough. May Second Life always be someplace where we can stand on our friends' heads, fly through the air in giant sneakers, have soapbox derby races, and run with abandon through wheat fields. And with autoreturn, you don't even have to pick up your toys in here. ;)
While you ponder that, enjoy this Shel Silverstein poem, read by the man himself, and take some time to go visit D-Lab!
Just off Route 9A in Somdari, on the continent of Jeogeot, is the rather wonderful Zany Zen Railway. The creation of Zen Swords (ZenriaCo Resident), the railway spans three sims and even crosses a Linden road, as pictured below. Once she found her original parcel, Zen spent a lot of time (and submitted a lot of support tickets) procuring abandoned land in a small strip that transverses the sims Somdari, Ahndang and Seogyeo. "It's only 4098 sqms of tier, so it is cheap to run," stated Zen. When I asked her why she chose to build her own railway rather than use the SLRR tracks, she said, "Well I had never seen narrow gauge in SL — I have seen miniature and I have seen standard but never narrow gauge - so I thought it would be cool to have a narrow gauge railway in SL. These are full sized locos, all under 30 prims, proving that you don't need tons of land to own a railway."
While there are several working trains in the railyard barn at Somdari, the actual railway runs two automatic trains (at the same time!), both of which can take passengers. Zen's trains have both
single and couples animations in the seats, a welcome improvement over many of the automated tours in Second Life. So that the two automated trains don't run into each other, there is a loop in Ahndang (see the map pictured below) where the smaller train can pull over and wait for the larger one to pass. "Ooh, I would like to note there's a lot of thanks due to someone called Dizzi Sternberg — she made the rerezzing script and the loop where the trains pass. I couldn't have done half of this without her. She has her own little railway in Lexicolo. Her layout is awesome — I fan-girled her badly when i first saw her railway!"
Zen, pictured below in the Somdari car barn, spoke to me a bit about the various trains she has created for her railway. "Well, they are all based on real life narrow gauge trains. The steam service is based on a mining steam loco from the Isle of Man. The Tram is based on a Devon railway called the Seaton Tramway tram. Then of course there are the odds and ends in the engine shed: a WW1 Simplex Petrol Loco; Jack and The Pink Lady — both locos I have a RL tie to, and Bee is the sister of Ant who is the auto train. There are plans for one day to have them pulling trains as well but for the moment they are stand along trains which I personally run when i can."
At the final station stop in Seogyeo, passengers can hop off to visit a gift shop where they can purchase Zany Zen Railway swag — tee shirts (see center photo, below), conductor hats, whistles, and even coal! Upstairs there is a small museum which gives visitors a history of the railway. The details throughout this build are impressive, so make sure to peek into every building and explore the grounds around each station. Even the LDPW moles added some fun touches to Rte 9A near the station; the blue object pictured at left, below, is a solar-powered video payphone! The railway is a delight to visit, and please make sure you have your sound on when you do! If you enjoy your visit, contributions can be made either by purchasing memorabilia at the gift shop, or through the small model train tip jars (pictured at right, below, beneath the clock) located at each station.
The sim Calleta, on the southern edge of Heterocera, is home to the Second Life Railroad's (SLRR) Union Station (see photo above) and the Hobo Railroad Infohub. This busy and welcoming sim contains a multitude of railroad crossings (naturally), a Wild West-styled town full of freebies, and a great number of whimsical billboards. You can get the Elvis-themed billboard pictured below for free from the Wheedle Gallery. A tall, stone pillar greets you at the landing point to Union Station, upon which are carved four Good Neighbor Commandments for Second Life Mainland, including "Thou shalt not block roads nor sea lanes with
thy objects, nor shall ye set ban lines, for they are the suck".
According to Marianne McCann, "Calleta was one of the telehubs that cropped
up on the Atoll. One of two, I believe, and the only one on that
continent that was built by Residents." For those of you (like I was!) who are unaware of the history of telehubs, back before 2005 it cost linden dollars to teleport. However, because the grid at that time was still small, people could fly from one end of the grid to another. As the grid expanded, Linden Lab introduced telehubs - designated Linden builds which created a network where residents could port to the telehub closest to where they wanted to go, then walk, fly or take other transport to get the rest of the way. Naturally, transportation networks grew up around those telehubs. In Calleta, in addition to the SLRR, you can find a pod station with four different routes, leading both to Sansara and further into Heterocera. Right off the shore is a tiny island called the "Hobo Hilton", and here travelers can rest, rez bumper boats or large, floating rubber duckies, or grab a free lighthouse from the nearby dock.
Marianne continued her story about telehubs by saying, "So, the time during the expansion of the telehubs was also before there was an LDPW. What the Lab used to do back then is have contests for builds, or have an interested group 'manage' the hub's build. In Calleta's case, a group of folks fancied themselves hobos and set up a hub along the tracks. Coming into that group of hobos, as well as a number of other builders, was Arcadia Asylum. She built (and built and built) content in Caletta." You can still find Arcadia's freebies throughout the sim.
Over at the Hobo camp, travelers are welcome to sit by the fire, sharing tales of the road along with a bottle of whiskey. Largely designed by resident Orhalla Zander, the camp offers a place for homeless residents of the grid to live, learn, and share content. Hobo culture in Second Life seems strongly reminiscent of American hobo colleges in the early 1900's. Far from the highly-satired image of the hobo during the Great Depression, hobos have been an integral part of American culture since the Civil War. In a fascinating and extensive article from Collector's Weekly called "Don't Call Them Bums: The Unsung History of America's Hard-Working Hoboes, author Lisa Hix comments, "hoboes helped build the very railroads they traveled on, as well as the sewer systems, water lines, roads, bridges, and homes that have filled up the West." They formed a migratory workers union, held annual conventions which are still going on today, and created a Hobo Code of Ethics in 1887, the first law of which is “Decide your own life. Don’t let another person run or rule you.” Membership cards for the International Itinerant Migratory Workers Union contained an oath which began, "I, (name), solemnly swear to do all in my power to aid and assist all those willing to help themselves."
As stated in various Second Life Hobo Network groups, "We are a community working together to build the kind of virtual village we want to live in. Hobos are independent and creative people who need little and share a lot." The groups, including the one at Calleta, provide places to rez and build, and bestow help and advice on SL newcomers...helping all those willing to help themselves.
In addition to the Hobo infohub at Calleta, there is also a Hobo Haven (far right photo, above) at the Virtual Railway Consortium (VRC) in Tuliptree. At the VRC Headquarters, you can find a long wall full of history about railroads in SL, and real-time maps depicting the location of trains and pods throughout the grid (center photo, above). You can also find free open source railroad trains, scripts, builds, and landmark collections. Residents interested in more information about the Second Life Railroad can find it here.
Even those with no interest in the SLRR will enjoy visiting Calleta. Pick up a few freebies, play on the bumper boats, and rest your weary bones by the hobo campfire while listening to songs about riding the rails. You'll be glad you did.
"Looking back along the road I've traveled
The miles can tell a million tales
Each year is like some rolling freight train
And cold as starlight on the rails"
Rosalie Sorrels: Starlight on the Rails (Utah Phillips)
With an extensive system of roads and railways, Heterocera (also known as the Atoll Continent) is a delight to explore. The second continent after Sansara, Heterocera is easily recognizable on a map, shaped as it is like a giant double horseshoe. Three mountain ranges ringing inner and outer lagoons dominate the landscape. Today we will wander to the sim Spini, where one can spot, precariously perched on a hillside, a fascinating little parcel called Fieger's Piece.
Porting to the parcel, I found that owner Fieger Difference was there, remodeling the main building, the Damocles Diner. Looking up, you will spot a train dangling high above the diner, swinging threateningly overhead. "Do you know the myth of Damocles?" asked Fieger. "The train hanging down over the diner is a big hint." In that myth, there is a sword hanging over Damocles' head at dinner, fastened only by a single horsehair. Thankfully, the train seems securely anchored in place.
"Well," remarked Fieger, "I haven't quite got the hang of Railroad track-side service (as you probably noticed), but eventually there will be seating on all levels, and all are welcome to explore." At the top of the parcel, where the tracks split, visitors can take an open-car elevator mid-way down and stop to explore a small sitting pool or a cluttered engineer's office before walking down the hill to the diner. While seated outside, one can view the Moleford Municipal Water Station, Spini Reservoir, directly to the north - a whimsical build by Garden Mole. Fieger reassures potential visitors that it is perfectly safe to dine at Damocles. "I've had this diner over a year," he stated, "and yes, the train and the anchor have held up the whole time."
The diner is set on a terraced hill that leads down to the lagoon, between the Second Life Railroad (above the parcel, obviously), and Route 1 (below). Observant visitors who look at the parcel from the map view will notice that above the railroad tracks is another line running in parallel to Route 1 and the SLRR...but it is more than just a road. Set at the terminus of Route 6 (the High Mountain Road/public bridleway), an impressive recreation of the Great Wall of China runs south through 14 sims, and explorers can travel its length either on top or through a tunnel inside. The first time I went traveled the Wall was actually on a motorcycle, but walking is also enjoyable as there are fantastic views from the top.
The northern entrance to the Great Wall is not far at all from the Damocles Diner. Starting at the Athetis rez zone (photo above), travellers can decide whether they want to explore the Wall to the south, or venture north along the beautifully rustic Route 6 (photo below), one of the most scenic roads on all of the Mainland. Choices, choices. As the scarecrow said, "Pardon me, but this way is a very nice way. It's pleasant down that way, too. Of course, some people do go both ways." Either choice offers a great ramble though many sims. Whichever you decide, enjoy the trip, and make sure you stop at the diner for something to eat!
