After publishing my post about “Grauland January 2022” (read here) I had a conversation with JimGarand, owner and curator of Grauland. He told me that we both, Inara and I, have missed a part of his newest iteration. I added this part now at the end of my post …
Following Inara Pey’s blog I came across “Grauland” again. Inara just had published a new blogpost about “Grauland“: “Graulands’s tropical beauty in Second Life”
I have visited Grauland in 2019 the first time (read here), three times in 2020 (read here, here and here) and twice in 2021, in April 2021 (read here) and in November 2021 (read here) . And every time it was different. Each redesign was worth a visit, as is this one!
Grauland January 2022 – overview and orientation map
The landing is in a quite big building that is built into the ground. You can walk outside and start your exploring tour. Right in front of the building you can get a jetski and have fun cruising around the island. I for my part went further inside first. Stairs lead you up into a hallway that is illuminated like a red light district and has a few benches to sit on. At the end of the hallway and after a few more steps upstairs you are in a Zen garden. The whole structure of the building is intriguing as you wonder about its purpose. Nonetheles ti fits way better into the environment as one might think on a first glance.
Grauland January 2022 – entrance building and Zen garden
I continue exploring Grauland and walked out of the entrance building to the agglomeration oc concrete blocks. These blocks became quite of an identifying element at Grauland in almost all iterations. Jim like to play with contrete elements and to place them into the landscape using them as a landmark, as central element of landscaping. The blocks are located above a natural cave the the sea has carved our from the rocks.
Grauland January 2022 – the concrete blocks
Walking over the island is fun, there are plenty opportunities to sit, the palm trees and the vegetation offer nice views. I walked to the residential house that is fully furnished with style, has a lovely sun terrace and a pool and again nice places to sit and hang around either at the house itself or at the gazebo. I went to the beach and tried out some of the places to sit and watch the time pass by – very relaxing and enjoyable.
Grauland January 2022 – residential house, gazebo and beach
But there’s more to see and I’m not sure if I really saw all. The telephone booth at the beach with the single lamppost is for sure outstanding. Birds have occupied it. And of course it makes no sense there, that’s the art – to place something and unexpected into the beach environment. The shark signs at the beach conjured a smile on my face. I saw all the empty inflatable mattresses on the sea and asked myself if the visitors have become shark food. Funny!
Grauland January 2022 – more impressions: the telephone booth, the shark sign, the Zen garden
What I missed during my fist visit was that the empty inflatable mattresses actually are a hint that the sun bathing visitors had become shark food. Good news is, that in Second Life you survive even being eaten by a shark *winks*. I returned yesterday for a second short visit….
A second visit to Grauland January 2022
I swam farther out in the bay and dived. There’s a quite colourful underwater world to be seen. And of course quite some sharks swim around peacefully, they must be sated. In the ship wreck I found a room with a bed, but I had not enough oxygen with me for a sleepover. So when you visit Grauland, don’t miss the sharks!
Grauland January 2022 – diving in the shark bay
JimGarand has once again re-invented Grauland and has returned to a design that reminds more of the former iterations of Grauland. It feels warm and sunny (great when it is grey and cold outside in RL) and offers great places to sit, fun activities (the jetski), art, wit and sharks. I enjoyed my visit again. Thank you Jim.
Landmark to Grauland
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Liberia%20Isle/89/216/25
Grauland flickr
https://www.flickr.com/groups/4560078@N24/
Inara Pey’s blopost “Graulands’s tropical beauty in Second Life”
https://modemworld.me/2022/01/12/graulands-tropical-beauty-in-second-life/
Diomita Maurer’s Blog 