Cattala | Last Update: 21st November 2012

[nbvc]

Nice updates.

[bat]

All 5 pictures are wonderful! Nice small lake and rural town.

[ThomasK]

Thank you both.




Welcome back to Cattala, and to Seina. Today we're starting off in the east of the town, in the industrial park near the new estate that we saw last time we visited. This area is surrounded by small rivers and streams, and is known as Aqueina.



In the heart of Aqueina, is the pond that we saw several entries ago. It's fed by two streams – one coming from the south, and another from the east. Local wildlife thrives in this part of town.



Here we see Seina's main train station. It's small, but on weekdays it gets very busy with commuters travelling to Calora, the nearest of Cattala's three largest cities.



To end today's update, a panorama of Seina town. Since making this update, I have changed my street side mod to a better sandstone mod by Paeng. Click the link to see the image in better quality.

CLICK HERE: http://tiny.cc/g9s85



It's been a privilege to have Cattala as one of the OSITM MD's, and I hope that those of you who hadn't seen Cattala before this month continue to view and comment. Thank you very much. 

[bat]

Fantastic new update! Looking forward to more in September...

[ThomasK]

Welcome back to Jennai, the most populated region of Cattala. Today we're in the north of the province, in the city of Confini.



Confini is a large town in the north of Jennai province, and is the closest town to the border with Monte Calida.



Confini used to be a major trading town between Jennai and the north of the country. In recent decades, the town has grown denser thanks to it's strong transport links to Jennai city.



The town remains reasonably industrial, with a small yard where freight trains stop after travelling from northern and eastern Cattala, before travelling on to Jennai.



The town isn't just an important railway route – it is also an important stop on the A1 motorway, which links Monte Calida to the M3 motorway between Jennai and Calora.



But the town is most defined by its sprawling residential areas. Several thousand people live in the old 18th century homes that were built as the town's population rose sharply after the first trading route opened up.



I hope you liked Confini – next time we visit there will have been some changes made, so if you have any further suggestions please tell me and I will try to include them as I develop Jennai Province.

[ThomasK]

Good evening and welcome to Ontano Island once more. Unfortunately, you seem to have arrived on another wet day. You would've been better off going to sunny old England, which is warmer than anywhere in Cattala this weekend.



Early autumn has been cold and wet in Cattala this year, with little respite for farmers to take their crops to market. Roads across Ontano have been damaged by the heavy rainfall in recent weeks.



The local streams and irrigation ditches have also struggled to cope with the amount of rain falling. Some areas in the valleys in central Ontano have seen over 25mm of rain falling every day for a week. The provincial government has had to call in environmental engineers to help prevent flooding.



However bad the weather, local residents are still venturing out. The village restaurant in Desulo has recently opened a second pub further down the road, due to a rise in customers from nearby towns and hamlets.



"Summer ends when the fields of Ontano are empty" is a famous saying in Cattala, which has led to October becoming known as the "Silent Field" month. All the bushes and fields you see here have had their crops harvested for this year – now the many farmhands have left and the orchards are bare again.



To end this 66th update, our sixth image is an overview of part of South Ontano at night. Good night from the farming island.

[rooker1]

Fantastic looking city.  I really like the over all feel.

Robin

[ThomasK]

Welcome to Confini once again. We begin our journey in the centre of the city, on a busy Friday night.



Confini is a sprawling town surrounded by the southern tips of the Calida Mountains, that stretch from the far north of Cattala to the southern plains, where we are today.



Historically, the town was centred around the Convetus Monastery. All that remains today of that once vast monastery is the village of Convetus, in the south east of the town. It is still home to the town's oldest church.



Convetus has become the poorest area of Confini in recent years. Whilst the centre of the town has grown and become modern, the edges have become run down and Convetus Fini is symbolic of this poverty.



Much of the city has been kept modern and up-to-date though. Despite their old exteriors, all of these properties have central heating, fast internet connections and most have off-road parking. Rare in an old town, but crucial to keeping it viable.



The town is also a thriving tourist destination. Many people want to leave the hustle and bustle of Jennai for a day or so in their holiday, and visiting the Palazzo D'Arte in Confini is one of the most popular choices. Classical and modern art are shown side-by-side in this neo-classical building.



Confini is also home to one of the most prominent relics of British imperialism in Jennai province. The famous Confini Market was built in 1834, and once occupied a site of over half an acre. Nowadays it's more modest, but the original building remains and is still one of the most popular farmers markets around.



Confini is also an important commuter town, with the Inter-City line linking Jennai, Celeste and Calora running through the city. The north, and formerly industrial area of the city is traversed by the busiest train line in the country. At peak times, 12 carriage trains rush through five times an hour.



The city itself has tried to stay true to its heritage. Despite the encroaching post-war buildings, the old heart of the town has escaped untouched from most reconstruction and redevelopment efforts. The Quattro Building, seen here in the right, has remained tall over west Confini for nearly 300 years.



To end today's update, a final look at central Confini during the evening rush hour. Over the next few weeks, I am planning to take a break from updating and work on some more mini-series for Cattala. So I hope that you enjoyed this update, and look out for some specials in the next month or so!

[ThomasK]

Hello and welcome to Elloria, a small town in the north west of Jennai. Elloria is the final town between Jennai City and the Bosco di Celeste, which forms the natural border with Amosseri province.



Elloria is a modern town, built predominantly in the 1960s and 70s, as urban sprawl from Jennai continued northwards. Much of the town is in an American style and is very different to other areas of Cattala.



In the heart of Elloria is the town's market, which is one of the oldest buildings in the town and remains a very popular provincial market.



Nearby is the town's central library, which was built in the 1980s and is a centrepiece of culture in the town. Education in Elloria is well funded and it's infrastructure is recognised nationally as exemplary.



Near the library is the town's main secondary school. It was built in the 1970s alongside a lot of the town, and has a large athletics track and football pitch inside the grounds. Most Cattalian schools, built in the traditional Mediterranean style, don't have these facilities.



Elloria is also home to a large business park in the south-west of the town. The park is home to numerous international offices and employs much of the towns population.



In the wealthier south of Elloria, the prominent building is the Cormiar Library, named after a prominent Jennian. It looks out onto the local park and is one of the centrepieces of the Ellorian education system.



Elloria's main church is in the suburbs, and was built in a neo-medieval style. It's a landmark building in the community and is symbolic of the fact that even though Elloria is more modern and Westernised than the rest of Cattala, the traditional faith is still popular here.



Persephone School is the largest "elementaria" school in the town, and is also found in the sprawling suburbs of Elloria. On school days traffic on these roads is terrible, with parents parking up and down the roads.



To end today, a brief overview of South East Elloria, including a small group of shops, more suburbs and a little park.

[Huston_N7]

That is simply Impeccable! I really adore Cattala, I hope you do some more updates!!! 

[ThomasK]

Last time we were in Elloria, we looked at the city centre and the modern urban sprawl that had occurred over the past 50 years. Today, we'll be looking elsewhere in the town.



As you move out of the suburbs, the forests begin enveloping the town and encroaching on the American-style homes.



Out, east of the fringes, you will find the grand estates of Elloria, including Venmoor Hall. Rising out the forest, this neo-Georgian manor is one of the largest homes in the city and also the most expensive.



Vehicles travelling towards Venmoor Hall have to navigate winding, unpaved tracks that are unlit and unsafe during the night. Farms and fields surround this part of the road, close to the main town.



The road carries on, past the great hall, on to smaller hamlets nearby. In the forests of Jennai, the sharp junction up the house is a welcome sight to any lost visitor. In the hot days of summer the smell from the cattle farm can be less than pleasant, to say the least. At least now, in the autumn, the fresher winds from the Roumeli Strait keep the air clean.



Here is an overview of the Venmoor estate. All the lands you can see here, including the farm, are owned by the aristocratic Venmoor family, who have lived in this forest for centuries. You can also see where the gravel track to Elloria itself ends, and joins the sandy track to the manor house and beyond.

[Dantes]

I missed a couple of really great updates.  Great pictures from your cities.  I like the mix of building special.

[rooker1]

Some really nice updates.
I like how East Elloria looks with those houses you choose, the dirt roads and those trees.....they all fit together very well.
Great work.

Robin 

[vester]

Great update.

[Nanami]

How long I missed these all?
I like the city look of your country!

[ricardomiranda]

Wonderful cities you make friends, continue your great work!

[ThomasK]

Dantes: Thank you very much, and it's good to hear from you again. Hope things are well.

Robin: Thank you - your comments are always valued and taken on board.

vester: Thanks!

976: Thank you once again for your support and comments.

ricardomiranda: Thanks, I hope you will like this update as well.

Welcome to Roumeli Province, in the far south-east of Cattala. This is a brand new province that we haven't explored before, so I hope you enjoy it.



Roumeli is a completely separate island to Cattala, and has developed quite differently. Guila is quite a dense city compared to other regions, but also has many newer buildings and developments mixed in with the old.



However much of the town remains old and here we can see the town's central square and it's original station from on top of the city's cathedral.



As I said earlier, parts of Guila are modern and recently developed. This apartment complex was very controversial as it was built in the historic centre of the city in the 1970s. Despite this, it has remained and is seen as another part of the city now, not a sore thumb.



Parts of old Guila were once a monastery, and the Chiesa Theatre was a central part of the religious order's community. It's now become a theatre and restaurant.



The hub of the city is it's canal front commercial areas, including the central plaza featured here. The town's main shops are based here, and on a summer evening the canal and shops are buzzing with people seeking refuge from the heat and swimming in the canal is commonplace.



Here's an overview of the old town centre, including the railway line, some of the shops and the edge of the theatre. This update is dedicated to my old friend and Roumeli's original creator DC. If there's anywhere else that you would like to go please post a request and we'll go there.

[nbvc]

Great work with a nice mix of modern and old buildungs.

[Kergelen]

I like the constrast between new and old buildings, too.

[Terring7]

Nice cities