Two SL Blarney Stones and a St. Patrick's Town

Although this is a little late, I wanted to post about my visit to a few attractions that are fun not only on St. Patrick's Day but all year round.  Two of them are Blarney Stones, but one is the SL version of the RL stone in Ireland that is located in Blarney Castle on the O'Hare Gap's sim; the other is the Blarney Stone Pub in SL Dublin. The last is St. Patrick's Day Town, a fun place to celebrate the Irish SL style. 

When you teleport to Blarney Castle, there's a tp in the wall to go up to the Blarney Stone.  The kissing animation here will literally knock you on your back, and you will get a certificate for the attempt.  There's not much else to see in the castle, but the town is quaint and nice to stroll through. 

The Blarney Stone pub in Dublin is a cute place and appears pretty popular by the crowd it attracts.  It's casual, friendly, and has some great music and dances.  I didn't get a chance to explore the rest of Dublin, but this is definitely a good stop for any visit.

Some friends and I dancing with the leprechauns

Last, but not least, a third attraction I visited with some friends was St. Patrick's Town.  Although it had some cute games and features (gold flying coins that you supposedly could ride but weren't easy to maneuver; step dancing with leprechauns; dunking in a giant beer mug; and other assorted Irish stuff), shopping seemed to be the predominant objective.  However, I would still recommend a stop here if only to listen to the great music and get in an Irish spirit.

Parachuting Over Paris

I recently visited Paris 1900 with a friend, SL's equivalent of it, anyway.  Upon teleporting in, there is an area where small statues of the Eiffel Tower can be purchased as souvenirs and free gowns are available.  Out on the street, a tour car can be rezzed for sightseeing, or one can buy a free bicycle to pedal around the city.  Models of Parisienne folks in period dress line the street to add atmosphere.

The main attraction, besides the Moulin Rouge which is there, too, is, of course, the Eiffel Tower.  You can't miss this pink structure.  If you tp to the top, you can also pick up a parachute and take the plunge.  Mine actually opened, but I landed on another rooftop and had to jump again.  Luckily, my gown had long pants underneath - lol.

For a fun place to visit (and there are romantic spots, too), Paris is the Place in SL.

Paris 1900 Slurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Paris%20Eiffel/23/106/22

A Dream of a Rez Day

I wanted to do something special for my 5th Rez Day this year.  After all, rez days only come once a year -- right?  I was looking for a nice place to dance with a friend.  I had already spent way too much on a beautiful dress I bought after a fashion show that I planned to wear that night.  I called up an old friend who suggested the Dreams Dance club.  I had never been there before, but I was happily surprised.  The place was beautiful and fit its name.  With its pretty pink and purple decor and vine-covered flowers, it certainly is a place one would dream about. 

I didn't explore the rest of the sim, but there's a beach area where you land.  The formal club is to the right.  Also, I picked up a really nice blue freebie gown (they probably have something for men there, too). 

Slurl to Dreams Dance Club http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vivendo/41/69/22

Jazz Palace - a Taste of New Orleans SL Style

Okay, so I'm a day late, but I was in a Mardi Gras mood, so I visited the Jazz Palace, a replica of old New Orleans.  When I teleported, I landed in the Crescent Moon, a pub with some nice posters, comfortable tables, a game table, bar, and a pretty fountain. 

After leaving the pub, I entered a square with several shops, a theater, another fountain, and wrought-iron benches, and bunches of flowers.  Overhead, a Mardi Gras balloon floated.  The sights and music of  New Oreleans was everywhere.

I waited for the timer by the stage door of the Kitchen Kabaret to time down, and then they opened.  I entered the theater and took a seat on one of the red-velvet chairs.  Unfortunately, I must've been missing a program because I couldn't view the video, but I think it features singing food.  I  will be sure to update my settings and visit again.

I'm not sure I got to see everything on my first visit, but the town is charming and worth seeing any time of year, not only in Carnival season. 

Amorosa Ballroom

Although the landing point for the Amorosa Ballroom http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amorosa/201/128/21/ is in the middle of shops, it still manages to keep a romantic atmosphere.  The main ballroom, which is the focal point of the sim, can't be missed.  With many winding staircases, fountains, and romantic alcoves, as well as a large ballroom, couples have many choices on where to dance.  But, the ballroom isn't the only place for romantic dancing on the sim.  Selecting any of the choices from the teleport board by the front steps, one can tp to dancing areas by the sea, by gardens, or even in a lighthouse (where there is a great view through a telescope).

Although the teleport board is handy, walking around the sim can be just as enchanting.  One particular area that is pretty is by the black swans.  You can even feed them by touching on the sign.  A campfire area is a perfect place to snuggle with a buddy, lover, or even by yourself. 

For Valentine's Day or any special occasion, or just for a nice night out, the Amorosa Ballroom might be just the ticket. 

Exploring Virtually

On top of the world, Venice @ Prada

A Second Life friend of mine found a beautiful sim and invited me to join him to explore it. The sim is Venice @ Prada http://secondlife.com/destination/venice-prada.
The scenery here is lovely and is enhanced in sunset setting. From the waterfront to the quaint village shops and buildings, there is lots to see and do here with an emphasis on "see", as the appeal of this place is truly visual.

Of course, any virtual rendering of Venice would be incomplete without a Gondola ride, and my friend proved to be a good Gondolier aside from getting stuck in some dead ends. The full moon over the water and the sim's music stream added to a delightful and relaxing ride.

Before and during exploring the village, we stopped and chatted at the numerous waterside cafe tables. I felt like an Italian tourist and had tried to dress the part with my white Stole and designer SL jeans but made a quick change into a dress for dancing.

The TP sign by the dock took us to the New York Jazz Club (yes, even in Italy, I could feel at home). The warm wood textures and varnished floors of this dance venue along with its wonderful skyline windows were charming and atmospheric. The only drawback was that the return TP to Venice was either missing or well hidden, so keep the LM handy if you want to continue your exploration.

All in all, virtually exploring Prada @ Venice was fun and immersive. I felt like I'd traveled to Italy for a few hours with no jet lag to recover from

Originally posted in "Rainbow Notes" blog

CVL Travelogue #3 Roleplays in 1920's Berlin

As I've written in two other articles, the CVL Travelogue group continues its tours with #3 on September 18 to 1920's Berlin. The 1920's Berlin Project tour was conducted by Rosemary Thyme who met our group and visitors at the Berlin Teleportplatz where freebie period clothing was available for those who needed them. Although we were told that the Berlin Project is not a strict role-play sim, it's best to look and act the part as much as possible. 

The train ride into Berlin was fast.

The group's favorite spot, the library

Outside the Club Eldorado

From the Teleportplatz, we took the train into Berlin. After disembarking, Rosemary gave us the history of the sim and some interesting tidbits of information as we visited such places as Der Keller (a backstreet where you can dance and listen to 1920's music); Alexanderplatz (where the municipal building, stores, and residential areas are found); Club Eldorado (open every Saturday for Cabaret/burlesque shows and concerts); Magdalenenkirche (the church where services are held each week); the library (our favorite spot); the museum (which is closed now but offers exhibits occasionally); the Odeon theater (that features concerts and performances regularly); the Unter den Linden (famous square in Berlin); Adlon (a luxury hotel that is almost always booked to capacity and where the second anniversary ball recently took place); the school Hindenburg schule (the only place on the sim that allows voice chatting and where language classes are given); the police station; and the final stop, the night club der Keller, where Rosemary told us there is a "happy hour" every night.

The Church

The luxurious Adlon Hotel

The language school

The Unter den Linden with blimp above

Originally posted in "Rainbow Notes" blog