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City Showcase (All games welcome) => Mayors' Diaries => Topic started by: evarburg on October 06, 2018, 07:09:50 PM

Title: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 06, 2018, 07:09:50 PM
And So It Begins. I'm going to migrate some of my Simtropolis journals over here. It was a long journey that began on SimPeg with the encouragement of Master Paeng, to whom I'll never be grateful enough. You must remember that, at the time (it was, what,  2007 or 2008 ? Thereabouts), I was playing on a Mac -- with a Mac limitations (especially The Constant Phantom of The Grid, no clicking G would make it disappear. Over time, I learned to photoshop.)

I'm not sure how to proceed for making a Mayor Diary on SC4D, but I am sure some kind soul will tell me that's not how, or that it should be posted somewhere else than here. And help me move it if needs be. ;)

..............

Now, let me introduce you to P. R. Crastina, whose travels those journals illustrate. She's an SF writer, like me. And no, I won't say what her initials are for -- you are astute enough to guess. She travels mainly thanks to her work as a writer, a conference here, some workshops or readings there, a festival somewhere else... She goes straight to parks and promenades as soon as she gets anywhere : she likes to walk aroun, the best way to get to know a place. And she likes trees. Oh, how she likes trees and all that is green or flowering on God's green Earth.

As she is not a very famous writer, she's generally invited to smaller cities or town. She's a country girl, who finds big cities somewhat disturbing -- the crowds, the constant buzz, the hurrying, the smells... She finds them interesting, of course, but, after a few days, she just wants to flee leave. By a happy coincidence, three days is about the duration of the conferences, readings or festivals she attends to. So : perfect life.

And she began here, in the Queenbee region (a map I made, going crazy with the God Tools)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-LDWnrgv/0/652cdf6c/L/1Snowoverviewgeneral-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-ck939jx/0/e22f4a13/L/4SnowoverviewMarlinvilleST-Joseph-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-bxNFFtM/0/5c38e558/L/2OverviewSt-BenedictSt-Joseph-Marlinville-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-kRNjKLT/0/87b73cae/L/3overviewSt-JosephBellaingMarlinvilleLakeMountain2-L.jpg)

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Tarkus on October 06, 2018, 08:30:26 PM
Quote from: evarburg on October 06, 2018, 07:09:50 PM
I'm not sure how to proceed for making a Mayor Diary on SC4D, but I am sure some kind soul will tell me that's not how, or that it should be posted somewhere else than here. And help me move it if needs be. ;)

Don't worry, you're doing everything absolutely right--and it's great to see you here in our MD section! :thumbsup:  The Queenbee region looks quite picturesque, and it's nice seeing it in different seasons--your "going crazy with the God Tools" yielded some nice and varied terrain, too.

-Alex
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 07, 2018, 09:18:38 AM
Let's visit some more, then.

P. R. Crastina was born in the mountainous Queenbee region. She likes to go back there during the early fall, when the trees begin to turn [that was before girafe!) and snow lightly touches down here and there, a herald of future beauty -- P. R. loves winter. [I was giddy with triumph because I'd finally managed to find a terrain mod that did make some snow.]

Also, it's a rather festive season. One of the main attraction is going to the Sugar Shack [the late Doc Rorschach/WMP had made a series of them, and one ***with my name on it***. I was beside myself.] http://workingman-productions.co.uk/downloads/wmp_downcat01.asp (http://workingman-productions.co.uk/downloads/wmp_downcat01.asp)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-6q2mgNc/0/3845577f/L/5SugarShack1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-wkGJZ5S/0/01a976db/L/6Sugarshack2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-nZxtSdS/0/e062e9e5/L/7SugarShack3-L.jpg)

The small fair/market/amusement park is still there, a little shabbier than she remembers. No kids today : they're back in school. She feels like she's playing truant !

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-8CrzgZX/0/fc809f8c/L/stFairPond2-L.jpg)

Trekking all the way up Mount Babel, she paid a visit to the camp where she spent some of her childhood holidays. The lake is not frozen yet but no swimming today ! Still, good memories.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-NKHMchM/0/90544ea2/L/SnowrocksObstower2-L.jpg)

The scenery is still impressive, even to her grown-up eyes.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-RbQKcr8/0/f0e3b635/L/SnowLakecascades-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-V32JkBN/0/b6cebfe1/L/SnowrocksObstower1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-Md5WGn2/0/21735227/L/SnowlakeCabin-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-NpPJpB3/0/8bc3bb67/L/SnowtrailMountBabelrelief-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-w4tsK6Z/0/2ce47de2/L/Snowatthecamplake4-L.jpg)

There are still a few campers, those who prefer a cooler weather :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-2zFSfTM/0/afd28368/L/MtBabelcamping-L.jpg)

And back down she went :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-w4tsK6Z/0/2ce47de2/L/Snowatthecamplake4-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Queenbee-Debut-BIS/i-CQkn3HX/0/9f8abfd3/L/overviewTouchofsnow13-L.jpg)

Once back in town after the long trek down, she realized to her dismay that she was somewhat out of shape and decided to go to bed early. She had to perform the next day in Queenbee's schools !
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Seaman on October 07, 2018, 10:48:39 AM
There's quite a lot going on in that forrest.
It's so nice to see (some of?) your work here, now.  :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 07, 2018, 07:19:11 PM
Quote from: Seaman on October 07, 2018, 10:48:39 AM
There's quite a lot going on in that forrest.
It's so nice to see (some of?) your work here, now.  :)

Apologies to those who may already have seen my CJs on Simtropolis. Indeed, nothing new here...
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 08, 2018, 01:18:00 PM
P. R. went back to the small town of St-Jude's Cove -- also a part of the big amalgamated town that is now legally "Queenbee", like all the other small towns of her childhood. They haven't lost they own name, thankfully, nor they specific character. St-Jude is open to the sea, and that is what gives it it's unique character. As a kid, P. R. spent many a day sailing, swimming and just sunbathing along its shores.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-fNdGZRx/0/cd6a3801/L/St-Jude-tothesea1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-SMT6hxw/0/3532b70f/L/St-Juderivermouth2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-vjHRLmR/0/d8eebf4c/L/St-Judecove1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-nRzsjzr/0/a53d590d/L/St-Judecovebridge-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-hDKG75s/0/c200b472/L/St-Judeplage1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-kXWW6Sv/0/ab28f73e/L/St-Judeplage2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-9VWLZ42/0/e2c3fae4/L/St-Judeplageclose-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-4XQJh9B/0/0ac5a660/L/St-Judeplagewalls2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-Tf6vX73/0/bd9d93c7/L/St-Juderivermouth1-L.jpg)

The town itself hasn't changed much. Smalltown is as Smalltown does. Life here is still quiet and unhurried, especially now that most summer people are gone. And you can still guess how the streets were fifty years ago, before asphalt... [I was fighting so hard against the grid !!!]

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-SRmBd4m/0/bf67d861/L/St-Judevilleplage-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-RgRZVwb/0/30c48ef4/L/St-Judefields2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JUDES-COVE-Queenbee/i-ZqTpfSB/0/e1372efd/L/St-Judecentreville2-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Themistokles on October 09, 2018, 07:49:02 AM
Can only agree with Tarkus, the region looks really picturesque! And I can only welcome you here.

A small tip, if you have the images somewhere in higher quality, would be to resize them with the [img width=800] code so that they that way will be clickable for full size.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 09, 2018, 11:18:16 AM
Ah, yes the width=800 thing. I didn't know about it when I began -- what you are seeing now are my very first MDs. And I never had a full screen SC4 window -- in fact, for a long time I played on my macbook ! Even now with a Windows partition on my mac... And I made jpgs with my PNGs, not clearly understanding the "click to enlarge" thing. I'm afraid most of my pictures might not be very high quality.

I kept many PND later on, though. So, if you could explain the process, I might still apply it for later MDs ??

I mean : how should I save my PNGs ? Some of them are really heavy and I wouldn't want to unduly burden the site.
Title: Re: P. R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 11, 2018, 06:35:35 AM
(and still not with "click to enlarge", sorry.)

Two other small towns of the Queenbee region. First, Bellaing, which was the logging town -- the log roads are now hiking trails, mostly. It's over there, in the eastern corner of the region :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/BELLAING-Queenbee/i-W5tpQjZ/0/c3b689c8/L/0%20OverviewBellaingMarlinvilleLake22-L.jpg)

And it IS a small town, at the foot of its mountain :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/BELLAING-Queenbee/i-6q9vNwv/0/8f740818/L/Bellaing2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/BELLAING-Queenbee/i-dPhdXrt/0/feeb485a/L/Bellaing%20logroad%20cascade-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/BELLAING-Queenbee/i-T6CbWrx/0/54775154/L/Bellaing%20logroad-L.jpg)

Then you have ST Benedict, slightly larger --it has two churches and a library ; that's where P. R. went to meet with the school's kids. She took the little train -- not that it is far, but for the memories it brings back, especially that of the Big Rock Slide that was one of the region's major event way back then. But the forest is coming back.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-BENEDICT-Queenbee/i-QSts9w9/0/9714e4fb/L/Reforestedrockslide-L.jpg)

There is a resort hotel for tourists...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-BENEDICT-Queenbee/i-Rt8dR4P/0/2a0e7b4d/L/3BougainvilleResortHotel-L.jpg)

... but she'd rather go to "Chez Yvette", a more modest venue whose current owner is a childhood friend

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-BENEDICT-Queenbee/i-H2n5D2f/0/d6781cbc/L/z.Yvettefixed1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-BENEDICT-Queenbee/i-qFfDx27/0/84088af0/L/2B%26B%20Chez%20Yvette-L.jpg)

The rustic houses with their gardens haven't changed a bit ; everything just looks smaller, even the ST-Basile church...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-BENEDICT-Queenbee/i-NrqbmHw/0/deb8a154/L/RustichousesGardens-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-BENEDICT-Queenbee/i-dfKgXPH/0/47ab0d42/L/StBasileChurch5-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on October 11, 2018, 02:58:11 PM
I remember this from Simpeg days. It's nice to see it over here :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 12, 2018, 11:17:52 AM
Quote from: mattb325 on October 11, 2018, 02:58:11 PM
I remember this from Simpeg days. It's nice to see it over here :thumbsup:

Thank you. And yep, I'm recapitulating my evolution as a Mayor, as en encouragement (I hope !) to future players, as I was encouraged (emboldened, rather !) seeing CJs on Simpeg, Simtropolis and here. Playing is solitary, and I love that we can share the end results. :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 12, 2018, 11:31:47 AM
A few overwiews of the Queenbee region. As I didn't keep my finished regions, at the time, (and mosaics were not even a glimmer on my technical horizon), all those towns are long gone and I don't quite remember what was where. But it gives an idea.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/QUEENBEE-OVERVIEWS/i-LG7CD6b/0/b80e6501/L/1OverviewbridgeparksColemanBridge-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/QUEENBEE-OVERVIEWS/i-XsXf7c5/0/22a3b1e9/L/2OverviewFieldslakepedbridge3-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/QUEENBEE-OVERVIEWS/i-8MgH3n3/0/249c0e45/L/2OverviewLakeSablierRiel-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/QUEENBEE-OVERVIEWS/i-bbmJrxQ/0/fcd7b008/L/3OverviewfroMountBabel-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/QUEENBEE-OVERVIEWS/i-TQVF8Qk/0/20aa0950/L/3overviewfromsouthLakepedbridgewestshorefields-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/QUEENBEE-OVERVIEWS/i-6pDQnRP/0/b2daf417/L/3OverviewfromwestLakesMountBabel-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/QUEENBEE-OVERVIEWS/i-s4TRv6D/0/931847c0/L/5overviewUpperlakefromnorth3-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/QUEENBEE-OVERVIEWS/i-GW5WMJ4/0/83152fb5/L/6OverviewpedbridgeparksbeachesK-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Akallan on October 13, 2018, 02:22:12 PM
Wow, I really like these little villages by the water and nature next door. You have made beautiful updates. :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 13, 2018, 07:38:37 PM
Thank you. Like P. R. I am a country girl at heart. In the beginning, and especially with that first big region, all my cities were smalltowns. I guess I was trying to recreate what I grew up seeing around me : the countryside, farms, fields, trees & assorted greenery...So I began collecting MMPs !
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 14, 2018, 12:41:46 PM
And now we go to Marlinville.  Built around on Lake Riel, it is the region's main tourist attraction in summer. P. R. knows its beaches by heart.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-VSRX5Hr/0/4efba751/L/0%20OverviewBellaingMarlinvilleLake22-L.jpg)

The little port which was once dedicated to fishing is now mainly a marina.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-tbVVXqp/0/1c5688e8/L/1%20MarinaLaketrail-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-RRb8M4s/0/1ff2081f/L/2%20Marinavillagenorthend4-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-kSRFPRw/0/7701dd65/L/3%20Marinavillagenorthend6-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-bcfbGTX/0/5b76d7b3/L/4%20Marina4-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%5Bimg%5Dhttps://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-fJgkJ3r/0/2dbd1668/L/7%20Marinawalls-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-cKfCw4c/0/415bd58a/L/UpperMarlinvillewoodlake-L.jpg)

The town wraps itself around the lake with its fields as well as its industries.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-XzCkMX7/0/2eb57c10/L/UpperMarlinvilleWest-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-GbWgm5C/0/88736368/L/UpperMarlinville2-L.jpg)

For a long time, with fishing, the main industry was logging. There is still some left.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-zCQcC4f/0/fd2a1c52/L/Loggingmarlinville2-L.jpg)

It still has a busy little freight rail station.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-wWMbpjW/0/8d5acc4a/L/RailMarlinville-L.jpg)

But mostly, it is the beaches that attract people here. The whole Queenbee region relies more on tourism (all year round, with the hiking trails) and agriculture than anything else for its economy.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-Queenbee/i-ZdhDmq7/0/afd2b188/L/5%20MarinaBoats1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-3-Beach-Queenbee/i-dg6rfdG/0/ea48fc0f/L/Sunbathers1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-3-Beach-Queenbee/i-PpRgpbx/0/d533d88d/L/WestBeachlogs4-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-3-Beach-Queenbee/i-F4JzWcX/0/e2eaae8d/L/WestBeachstairslogs-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-3-Beach-Queenbee/i-rXLDjC6/0/2c9174be/L/Westbeachwallrocks-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-3-Beach-Queenbee/i-pn5Jjvm/0/358608bd/L/MarlinvilleeastBeach-L.jpg)

Something has been added since P. R. last came here : at the point were the lake is the most narrow (and where P. R. and her friends used to swim across, challenging one another to races), there is now a pedestrian bridge, with parks and bicycle trails that ate some of the beaches on both banks. Well, at least now you can cross more leisurely and not be wet on the other side.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-2-Queenbee/i-t6kWsfr/0/fa5220aa/L/7Beachpedbridgeboats-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-2-Queenbee/i-fT9sXw6/0/ba7bbdb9/L/8%20Pedbridge3-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-2-Queenbee/i-C3bWJSJ/0/68dd51b1/L/3%20BikePathothershore-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-2-Queenbee/i-gFsxPRw/0/30b0faae/L/1%20BicyclePathPark6-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-2-Queenbee/i-jwcSvgF/0/0c0e729f/L/4%20BridgeParkEast-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-2-Queenbee/i-x7XV3RB/0/e1ed696d/L/8%20Pedbridge5-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARLINVILLE-2-Queenbee/i-kzf7rtQ/0/03b078e5/L/10%20pedbridge6-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 17, 2018, 09:33:10 AM
(here 's a long one one...)

It's been twenty years since P. R. last was in St-Joseph-du-Lac. Although most of the town still looks the same, some of if has changed.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-VWRxbfJ/0/c1a91c97/L/1%20OverviewSt-Josephlake-L.jpg)

After all the clear cutting, the Big Rock Slide happened during a specially rainy spring, and wiped out one of the upper hiking trails she loved the most – and almost destroyed her friend's Josie's farm.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-fKK3WdK/0/9c1968be/L/1Rockyslide-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-LN37BW8/0/8e55b1a4/L/2Rockslide15-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-kqZxWQX/0/51ee7b29/L/4Rockslidefarm-L.jpg)

Fortunately, their other favourite trail, the one going to the Lake Riel's North beach, is still intact.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-p785T4x/0/1a96411b/L/6.1Rockyterrain2redrocksnearbeach-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-BEACH-WATER/i-FncFfCj/0/52948ebd/L/1Beachview-L.jpg)


P. R. spends an afternoon with Josie, hiking up and down memory lane along the trails. You have to go quite a way up, and then it's down all the way ; not that it is easier. Sore calves and thighs at the end of the day !

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-2G5rfHn/0/fb60ca87/L/1viewfromuptrail-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-j37SPSp/0/278ab543/L/2%20Downthrurocks-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-qT6b66j/0/e6a70319/L/0GoingUp1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-c3nRFCr/0/a48d97c1/L/01GoingUp2-L.jpg)

... and down...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-WxR6mjq/0/55696b7c/L/3%20Downthrurocks-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-Mg9FfrB/0/27911c0c/L/5.0Trailalongcascades-L.jpg)

... and there at last !

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-MJgBn2h/0/b1a587c4/L/8DowntothebeachCabin4-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-34GJ8V8/0/d5d092cd/L/7trailarrivalatthebeach5-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-NqkPkzj/0/ff1283a7/L/9Downtothebeachcabin5-L.jpg)


There is also, of course, Lake St-Joseph, with its resort ; but compared to Lake Riel it has always felt to P. R. like a small swimming pool. Also, its shores are quite rocky and gravelly – less comfortable for sunbathing.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-TRAILS/i-Q9L5fm9/0/dbc77cea/L/4OldtrailsendbyLakeST-Joseph-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-BEACH-WATER/i-mV3cJQx/0/7b4d35f5/L/LakeRielcommercials-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-BEACH-WATER/i-hw9z9SF/0/f5c5ab05/L/1LakeRielresort3crop-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-BEACH-WATER/i-WjrdQNx/0/e901d96d/L/LakeRielresort2-L.jpg)

Not many sunbathers ; but the boating is still drawing a crowd even in this early Fall.


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-BEACH-WATER/i-KfS3DLS/0/a8e243c6/L/LakeRielboathouseboats-L.jpg)

A lot of what P. R. knew as wood lots has been cut down and replaced by fields, although some are now tree plantations. Many slopes are too rocky, though, and have been left wild.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-L65tCQc/0/ec73f599/L/6.2Rockyterrainredrocks5-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-7F9QsBW/0/12d33ad8/L/7Treeplantrockyterrainfields-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-mqFRZKF/0/9e4c7d9b/L/8Toorockytreeplant3-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-pbggTQF/0/059b5676/L/9Toorocky1-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC-ROCKY/i-hTktPH5/0/31bd7982/L/10Toorockygreen-L.jpg)

St-Joseph has rather early on converted from logging to agriculture. You can still see the old logging town center, at the crossroads, but when you buy trees at the garden center, it's mostly for your garden, now.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-jxTprQD/0/997d12bd/L/2Oldlogtown1center-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-6W5Mczd/0/198e529b/L/1Oldlogtowncenter-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-t8zD48K/0/fe3ae71e/L/3TreeGardenCenter-L.jpg)

St-Joseph is also where P. R. Crastina learned what all country girls know : food doesn't come from the supermarket shelves. And it's hard to grow. But kinda rewarding, when the harvest is finally ; she used to help here and there during the summers, to make a little pocket money, especially at Old Marcoux' farm.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-VSZ2X93/0/a0d592c8/L/4MarcouxB%26B-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-GZsj9S2/0/2cd4ee8e/L/5.1Marcouxapplefarm-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-2cQ2SP7/0/012b12d7/L/5.2Meadowcloser-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-VVHkKLG/0/173368f8/L/6Marcouxfarms1-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-T5GhS4P/0/230aa93d/L/7Marcouxfarms2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-gjF8kqq/0/754d6e3a/L/8Marcoux%20farms3-L.jpg)

Old Maurice Marcoux(still there, and even older) has mostly converted his farm into a B&B with bucolic nature paths, where you can come and pick your own apples ; vegetarian tourists are assured that none of his cows (the family owns two dairy farms...) will ever see a slaughterhouse. Milk, butter, cheese – and ice cream – that's all they are for!

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-xcfPcnf/0/d5faa8be/L/cowpasturepond-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-wNwn2xK/0/26a99044/L/CowPasturepond5-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-xvrqmbK/0/9138ba7e/L/CowPasture2-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/ST-JOSEPH-DU-LAC/i-JqKKDj4/0/00ee028f/L/DairyPasturePondVInes-L.jpg)


Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Akallan on October 17, 2018, 10:51:50 AM
Magnificent! Your MMP work is great, and the water edges are very well done. I have only two complaints: the beach - water transition is too rough, it should soften the water and I find that the large road bridge that crosses the lake is not very good. In reality, I do not think there would have been a bridge, the cost of construction and ecological is too high compared to its utility, the lake can simply be bypassed by the coasts.

Superb update despite these details! :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: scott1964 on October 17, 2018, 04:24:54 PM
Nice  :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 17, 2018, 08:33:46 PM
Quote from: Akallan on October 17, 2018, 10:51:50 AM
Magnificent! Your MMP work is great, and the water edges are very well done. I have only two complaints: the beach - water transition is too rough, it should soften the water and I find that the large road bridge that crosses the lake is not very good. In reality, I do not think there would have been a bridge, the cost of construction and ecological is too high compared to its utility, the lake can simply be bypassed by the coasts.

Superb update despite these details! :thumbsup:

Thank you very much. I was very new to MMPS at the time, and all the rocky parts on the shores were still quite... heavy-handed. I was aware of the problem beach/water but didn't know how to deal with it (In fact I've found only very, very recently how to do something about it so it will no show up in any of my old MDs). As for the pedestrian bridge... well, I loved it, the creator was a dear friend, and I really wanted to use it. Also, I wanted my peeps to be able to go from one side of the lake to the other, at least on foot or on bike, by a less circuitous route. And I was trying (at least) to be ecological : there are parks and bike paths on each end, aren't there ?  :D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 19, 2018, 07:53:03 AM
As part of her prolonged visit to Queenbee's municipalities, P. R. has been invited by The Hippies. Well, that's how the town's people affectionately call the Gesalen community that has been living up in the mountain for three decades now. They were skeptical at the beginning, but seeing world famous thinkers and doers gathering there for conferences, retreats and --yes  ! -- writing workshops, putting Queenbee on the Map, they decided the kids were all right. As long as they stayed mostly up there.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-6qcLHJ5/0/75f2dfab/L/1MountainEast-pastureAshram-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-rx2CtBv/0/3254458b/L/2LogroadpastureTown-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-VLtMwXX/0/22ae2c6a/L/3Ashramforest-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-TGbpmKG/0/20373683/L/4LogroadsheeppastureAshram2-L.jpg)

The Hippies are also raising sheep : at the beginning, they were supporting themselves by selling their cheese and wool productions (they presented P. R. with a luxurious, multicoloured cardigan).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-ZjwPnCT/0/492f7f03/L/5SheepPasture1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-kS6gfvm/0/585ac2c7/L/6ViewfromAshrampasture-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-x47DshB/0/6a575490/L/7Ashram14centr-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-ffQS2MF/0/24f2221d/L/8Ashram26-L.jpg)

It is the Ashram thirtieth birthday, and, at the end of her stay in Queenbee, as the cool autumn night falls on the town, P. R. is in for a treat : she loves fireworks, and the city decided to offer one to the Ashram as a birthday present. It is something else, seeing fireworks from up on high...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-XsgsSnK/0/f4600be0/L/9.Nightfall53-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ASHRAM-Queenbee/i-XtF58cr/0/648a2a96/L/10Fireworks1-L.jpg)

As P. R. leaves Queenbee, a few days later, there is another touch of snow. The winter season approaches. But she will spend some of it somewhere else, way down South.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/A-TOUCH-OF-SNOW-Queenbee/i-sWk6Q3N/0/76354b11/L/Freaksnow%20general-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/A-TOUCH-OF-SNOW-Queenbee/i-R7NWWLW/0/3495b010/L/FreaksnowMarlinville2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/A-TOUCH-OF-SNOW-Queenbee/i-hbH4nb7/0/d2efa94e/L/FreaksnowSt-Benedict%20lake-L.jpg)

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 22, 2018, 01:54:58 PM
This one is from a city that fell victim to the prop pox or something equally lethal. Only those beach picts were left. And it was before we had all those wonderful NBVC's and JENX' and Namspopof's MMPs...Oh what we can do, today !  :)

..............

P. R. has flown to a literary conference in the South, far from the coming winter. Not that she doesn't like her North-Eastern winters, once they're there, but the rainy days that precede them just bring her down. So, South it is, with beaches, beaches, beaches, front and back, right at the foot of the hotel hosting the conference.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-B8vSG5d/0/4354de1d/L/BeachesSugarshackmarina-L.jpg)

A bit farther down the coast, a local curiosity : there was a quarry in the ancient times, before the sea rose. Half of the quarry is now submerged, a boon for divers.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-P5Rsf5K/0/f5b17950/L/QUARRY1-L.jpg)

But what P. R. is really interested in, between talks, lectures, readings and such, are the beaches. Rock beaches, sand beaches, island beaches, nude beaches...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-nVMRjqV/0/b00b5bca/L/Beachfromcamping-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-RzG7xBC/0/901799f7/L/Almostprivatebeach-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-tg5fMvD/0/41746dfc/L/BeachIsland1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-66xNbqq/0/aab5790e/L/Anotherbeach-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-BWP8zDh/0/4b0fd65c/L/BeachIsland2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-mcLmhm7/0/d530b0cf/L/Beachbetweenrocks-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-vJwNdCJ/0/52e2d749/L/Rocksnudebeach-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-B5jBVsz/0/097578f9/L/BeachIsland3-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-NKg4WsR/0/5d9bedd0/L/BeachIslandcampingfarms-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-csqL7K8/0/8c9a12cd/L/BeachIslandPoint-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-gc29R9s/0/4714f34b/L/Beachroad-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-W6jPmKT/0/bf32ceda/L/BeachWildcamping-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-kBRDBpf/0/0e907962/L/BeachwithLodge-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-7g654GR/0/4a4f7c5c/L/BigBeach3-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-98JdBGF/0/a1291ecf/L/CrescentBeach2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-NhhXHCQ/0/e85bc39c/L/Municipalcamping1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-bZQP8C3/0/e7da3bb7/L/MunicipalCampingamenities-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-TkHsLzH/0/70c6a22b/L/MunicipalCampingbeachsheep-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-CDVRc45/0/20559643/L/MunicipalCampingwithBarbecue-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-JNMtGkS/0/ba8a602b/L/Pasturenearbeach1-L.jpg)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2FPLAGES-2%2Fi-FQSdB5b%2F0%2Fbc4e4903%2FL%2FPasturenearbeach2-L.jpg%2Fimg%255D%253Cbr%2520%2F%253E%253Cbr%2520%2F%253E%255Bimg%2520width%3D800%255D%2520https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2FPLAGES-2%2Fi-Xm7763M%2F0%2Ffacd1dd8%2FL%2FWildCampingcars-L.jpg&hash=9e751adbbc4a5dfa3497c503de93a64680f1c7f1)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-L4tgcgG/0/66655411/L/Wildcampingdriftwood-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-GRzszp7/0/c9bfbfed/L/Twobeaches1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/PLAGES-2/i-t25qDmV/0/30ca9aa1/L/Smallbeachterrain-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 28, 2018, 07:16:50 AM
The last time P. R. was in the South, she didn't do beaches. She did Sooky Lake, the Wine Country (to her liver's utter dismay.)
and if I did this right, the picts should be clickable for bigger size

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-2wkjnmB/0/4da3465b/XL/Wine%20country%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-D4K6fzm/0/a275d336/XL/Wine%20country%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-t9KqdHx/0/b7f09bff/XL/Wine%20Country%203-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-Q3nHZmw/0/9576d758/XL/Wine%20Country%204-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-TT9wd7P/0/1c6759d0/XL/Wine%20Country%205-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-36hgmCn/0/1fbdb36f/XL/Wine%20Country%206-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-DdXh3J2/0/be20bdf7/XL/Wine%20Country%207-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-tL2mJh5/0/6b94d7d3/XL/Wine%20Country%20Estate%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-Fvb3qbG/0/22c69360/XL/Wine%20Country%20Estate%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/WINE-COUNTRY/i-6wkxmJH/0/50b4659d/XL/Wine%20Country%20Estate%203-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Seaman on October 29, 2018, 03:50:20 AM
These pictures are really nice to see. Thx for sharing them. I did found already some inspiration...
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on October 29, 2018, 01:12:43 PM
I've always liked your mix of farms and small apartments. Very unique  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 09, 2018, 09:16:20 AM
Another week, another city. Still in the South, where winter hasn't taken hold yet, P. R. is peddling her literary wares in the busy resort town of Villatesta. She's being lodged in the Pegasus Resort Hotel, a somewhat rustic but quiet affair – with horses. She loves horse riding ! Not much place to galop, but enough trails to trot her heart out. And there are several beaches. And hot springs!

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-q2XMBN5/0/751be902/L/1.resortlake-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-hJXRGJH/0/bedc0a8a/L/2.Resorthotel1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-8WGCXxQ/0/e202d7c0/L/3.resorthotel2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-DCgBcfK/0/bf79d6c9/L/4.hotelresortinlet-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-SRLMrZV/0/ad9ca52e/L/5.hotelresort1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-vqzWDFb/0/26c54a4b/L/6.2%20hotelresort3-L.jpg)

  (https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-cjQ9H5b/0/6d66795a/L/6.hotelresort2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-5zq3bb4/0/fca5b050/L/7.resorthotelcloser-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-tKQLjfm/0/8843d711/L/8.1%20hotsprings-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-bDqJXSc/0/91ef9825/L/11.Rockybeach1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-L6zsHWh/0/3f13cc7d/L/10.Beachcwalk-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-6CgkQ77/0/0457365b/L/8.beachunderpass-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-z6x6mZR/0/74e950a7/L/9.beachunderpasscloser-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-N78pv42/0/49bd2714/L/13.smallpierrocks-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA/i-qzsmPzJ/0/fe3cf6b9/L/14.Beachwoodind-L.jpg)

Although Villatesta is very much the touristic center of its region, it has taken a resolutely modern turn after the demise of its wood industries, thanks to its last mayor who didn't trust tourism to keep the books balanced. But that's for P. R.'s next recess – she has been booked by several schools and libraries, and work is work !
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 10, 2018, 11:04:29 AM
Villatesta is a thriving city, and its citizens are very well educated, from kindergarden to the regional University...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-CIVICS/i-9pFhPjR/0/09f660c7/L/Thrivingcity-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-H3gnv93/0/deb340ad/L/Allotments3anduniversity-L.jpg)

... and various schools and libraries – P. R. has her work cut out for her. She will spend a whole week flitting from one place to another.

This is her first stop, The Felix-Antoine Savard Library, where she will meet with a throng of youngsters from several elementary schools (yes, she also writes for children and young adults).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-CIVICS/i-8MsZ2Pt/0/fb7ee1f7/L/Libraryplaza-L.jpg)

And this is the new library, The Art E. Aphem library, a more daring concept, built at the same time as the old port was being gentrified.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-CIVICS/i-TJJv5PC/0/5c705102/L/librarytowerclock-L.jpg)

Yet another library, close to Madame Benoît's College for Girls.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-CIVICS/i-Fqn6CgM/0/507eabab/L/oldnewcity-L.jpg)

One of the two municipal open swimming pools, while we're at it :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-CIVICS/i-HzrZC3b/0/a48c64b5/L/piscine1-L.jpg)

The MacAllister high school. And the college, which has a very good Agricultural Program ; the students just have to cross the street to go work/study in the city's allotment gardens (a student brought P. R. a beautiful red apple...)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-rZbRTZQ/0/ac291d22/L/Allotments2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-CIVICS/i-MrDmZXt/0/cee6282c/L/Schoolallotments-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: metarvo on November 10, 2018, 04:51:00 PM
College towns certainly do have their perks, for sure.  It's interesting to see the well-planned neighborhoods that surround these centers of education.  The residential high-rises fit such an atmosphere quite well; all those students need a place to stay.

Nice update!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Alan_Waters on November 11, 2018, 06:47:03 AM
Very good! :thumbsup:
And what kind of skyscrapers stand near the intersection on the penultimate photo?  ()what()
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 11, 2018, 10:17:04 AM
If you are inquiring about the diagonal one (also in the last pict.), it's, er, I think (this was done so long ago !) ... Simfox P44 tweaked by Paeng ; the two other ones are of course Simgoober's. A google search gives me this link for that version of the P44 : https://www.simsdom.com/pt/download/simcity4/item/paeng-39-s-p44-revisited-66566 (https://www.simsdom.com/pt/download/simcity4/item/paeng-39-s-p44-revisited-66566).
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Alan_Waters on November 11, 2018, 10:29:41 AM
Quote from: evarburg on November 11, 2018, 10:17:04 AMthe two other ones are of course Simgoober's.
Here, probably, they also interest me.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 11, 2018, 01:33:59 PM
All things Simgoobery are here on the LEX  ;)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 13, 2018, 09:13:22 AM
While at the Art E. Aphem library, P. R. has had a glimpse of the port and she is itching to have a walk around.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-SWAMP-CANAL/i-dkDmTWR/0/a727be4a/L/LibraryBpark-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-CIVICS/i-rTXwxgg/0/6d34a1e6/L/OldChurchintown-L.jpg)

One of the librarians (who is a fan) offered to take her on a tour and she gladly accepted. The city has retained some of its agricultural past, but is mostly dedicated to (generally high tech and non-polluting) industries. But all the modern mayors have had the same politics : zoning so that people live where they work (and, when possible, play). Villatesta has zero traffic problems !

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-3bGjWrt/0/5311b315/L/11theruralpast%203-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-Ggp8c7s/0/fc49ca2f/L/Theruralpast%201-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-W9wDgTg/0/1cd7e04e/L/10Theruralpast%202-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-7tfJ6kr/0/378ab12b/L/4industries1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-qk5r9LB/0/c87118d2/L/5industries2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-4sRfwTq/0/96bc2db9/L/9industries4-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-9z7DXB2/0/96324b48/L/8industries5-L.jpg)

Produce is shipped all over the region ("Buy Local" is big here), as well a industrial freight.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-v6ChwXx/0/6cb55863/L/1industries-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-IND-RURAL/i-ZjSgLfk/0/166bd946/L/2freightcloser-L.jpg)

What P. R. really wanted to visit is the port, but the day was done ; Martha, the helpful librarian, obliged the following day.

Traffic being almost all by rail & road now, one (very) small part of the port is still used by industry, but it's almost...folkloric, like the logs still being floated down the river ; there is a Loggers' Festival, in summer, with nimble young men jousting on floating logs, and other such old-timey, muscular fare. But in fact, the logging upstream is being phased out as the logs become a hazard for the small Pondair's water planes.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-PORT/i-BzsLzVL/0/c1dc7f3c/L/Pondairmill-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-PORT/i-PfTn5cS/0/b8a9289f/L/pondmill1-L.jpg)

The port sector is now dedicated to other things. A swampy lake in the beginning, it has been almost entirely tamed, now with promenades along its banks ; P. R. wanted a walk : her wish has been granted, and then some !

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-PORT/i-VJptJMs/0/379c19ff/L/portwalk11-L.jpg)

But one part of the original swamp has been kept in its pristine state (more or less) for the edification of the younger generations, with a boardwalk from which they can observe aquatic birds and other critters (otters !)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-PORT/i-2CPwxZv/0/cbca0502/L/pondport-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-SWAMP-CANAL/i-qjZPKT9/0/a78b7c9a/L/swampboardwalk-2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-SWAMP-CANAL/i-BvVgS8W/0/e352da43/L/marinaswamp-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-PORT/i-fVwBbsg/0/3b3f2987/L/Port-L.jpg%20%5B/img%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%5Bimg%20width=800%5D%20https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-PORT/i-jz2rWtf/0/d84126c5/L/pondswamp2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-PORT/i-vsdDD25/0/2c269a9b/L/Portpond-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-PORT/i-QvZ6bpS/0/f926f811/L/PortSwamp2-L.jpg)

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 20, 2018, 10:03:58 AM
Today is Regatta Day in Villatesta !

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-SWAMP-CANAL/i-MVFJpKG/0/19c0f6ad/L/Regattacanal1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-SWAMP-CANAL/i-p3g9PPL/0/f4d80108/L/regattalake4-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-SWAMP-CANAL/i-j6Bz4j9/0/3232a5cc/L/Regattastart2closer-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-SWAMP-CANAL/i-T5bNgFz/0/8f71b243/L/RegattaStart-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-SWAMP-CANAL/i-2L755M6/0/40f1c073/L/regattalake5-L.jpg)

Martha's Regatta team won and during the ensuing revelry (that went far into the night), she said to P. R. "And you haven't seen the Castle yet!" Well, yes, she had a glimpse of it while sunbathing on the main Villatesta beach, and right across the lake from her hotel, but..."Oh, but you must visit it before you leave !"

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-HZdjVp5/0/132874f3/L/castlelake-L.jpg)

And so Martha rings P. R. awfully early the morning after, like around 10 A.M, annoyingly bright and bushy-tailed (she's young...) in order to go and visit The Castle. On a bike??? Why, yes, it is in Bicycle Park. Argh.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-JjMcZ5n/0/3720214d/L/BicyclePathslake-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-gZxDzHD/0/1b21d1f8/L/2BicyclePark1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-FqRcS8F/0/6f8344ad/L/BicycleParkpool-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-7wkSp4J/0/9a39d182/L/BicycleParklakecloser-L.jpg)

And so, well, yes, there is a castle – well, what's left of a castle, duly restored.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-C7Bwg2m/0/d99d1aaf/L/overviewcastlespark-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-m9b6Hf3/0/dd70e940/L/castleparkcloser-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-ZGPnmNv/0/e0a59d78/L/Castlespark1-L.jpg)

It has a pretty park – no bikes allowed there (relief...)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-9MTtCcL/0/4e31ee73/L/Castlespark-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLATESTA-BICYCLE-PARK-CASTLE/i-6PRkF4f/0/5b8b07bc/L/Castlesparkentry-L.jpg)

At the end of the day, her sore calves notwithstanding, P. R. had fun not altogether storming the Castle : beautiful tapestries on the walls, a very nice gallery of paintings from the XVth to the XVIIIth century, and a pretty decent three stars restaurant (all local food, of course). Friendly Martha puts her in a taxi to go back to her hotel, though. Enough is enough, and she has a long trip ahead of her to go home, tomorrow...
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Akallan on November 20, 2018, 11:19:14 AM
Oh my god! That's wonderful! Every update is better than the previous one, you always get better, great work! I can not wait to see more! &apls &apls
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on November 20, 2018, 12:20:15 PM
I'll second that! The Tahoe lake water (I think?) and mmp-ing is really lovely  ;D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 20, 2018, 07:25:47 PM
Thank you both ! I was experimenting with MMPs, at the time -- and it was before we had all the wonderful rocks and sands (and greens) we have now. But it was as much fun then as it is now, painting over the landscape...That's what I loved and still love about the game.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 26, 2018, 08:01:25 AM
A small, incomplete entry : "Once Were Farms"

Since P. R. is a country girl, I wanted to make a large tile with only farms and just enough people to work them.  I also wanted to check which farms were available and good-looking between what already existed before SPAM and what had been made since then. Oh, I had such grandiose MMPs plans for that tile ! Alas, a CTD put an end to my countrified ambitions: the tile was hopelessly corrupted. However, I had taken a few pictures before the catastrophe. I'll put them here, as a tribute to custom farms batlotters, for my fellow country travellers – and for people who wonder what kind of farms we have in SC4. We have a lot of them ! Apart from SPAM, check Andreas (on SimCity Kurier), Barby BLS & BMD Mediterranean farms, the BLS normal and CAM Farms (go on, cheatplop...), Barby, Colyn, CSX, D66, FrankU, JMyers, Kwakelaar, Manchou (on TSC), NewmanInc, Nexis, Simgoober, TTC (The Tea Cat), ... OMG, so many (and on SC4D, you can search by category  -- how I raided those, way back then !). They're not all in those pictures, far from it ! Some lots may look dated by today's standards ; at the time, I chose the ones that appealed the most to me, but tastes can differ. I wish some of the great current batlotters would try their hands at modern farms – I know some are (FrankU & Nexis, hurry up already ! And Mattb325 gave them a nod here not so long ago  :))  But now that I am a modest re/lotter, I might have a go at it – at least to relot some of the best ones of old that deserve a second life.

N.B. : The picts should be click-to-enlargeable. And disregard Windows' annoying message in the bottom right corner; I had just graduated to my virtual Windows partition and didn't know how to get rid of that. It took some time...


(https://photos.smugmug.com/FARMS/i-fxjnKBm/0/86c457d2/X3/Farms%201%20-%20copie-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/FARMS/i-3c2mw6s/0/48964445/X3/Farms%202%20-%20copie-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/FARMS/i-DhKgdq9/0/004f9ef3/X3/Farms%203%20-%20copie-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/FARMS/i-qGwxNF6/0/fda565e9/X3/Farms%204%20-%20copie-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/FARMS/i-zbPs7WV/0/8361d7c5/X3/Farms%205%20-%20copie-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/FARMS/i-MxZkdvF/0/9470b1f8/X3/Farms%207%20-%20copie-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/FARMS/i-fHLjbJH/0/79876145/X3/Farms%208%20-%20copie-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/FARMS/i-39JrHFx/0/086d4774/X3/Farms%209%20-%20copie-X3.jpg)

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 29, 2018, 11:14:30 AM
And... we're back to our usual programming !

Canalia

While tidying up her photo albums after her last trip, P. R. found her Canalia pictures, taken (with a not very good camera...) during a long, eventful trip to Europe, when she was young(er), and crazily adventurous -- for a writer, everything is grist to the mill.

Canalia has been buit methodically on a low plateau threaded through by a  river opening to the sea. At some point in its past, The City's Fathers decided that, the river being good for commercial use, they wouldn't mind having more than one, like : canals all over the place. And so they dug. They dug a grid of canals. They dug not one, not two, but three big harbours, with locks.  And it was a good choice because it kept the road traffic pollution to a minimum ; no gridlocks in Canalia's nor on its canals. Most people walk or bike around anyhow. Of course, they dont get minus 40° winters...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-1-Overviews/i-wCWPq5H/0/b96b9137/L/Canaliaregion-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-1-Overviews/i-c24kvd9/0/2b5e3782/L/Overviewportandrivermouth-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-1-Overviews/i-XQshV9q/0/1288210a/L/Seaportoverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-1-Overviews/i-TbGnNGh/0/96932fda/L/Overviewsud-nord2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-1-Overviews/i-bTQVcmb/0/a183a44c/L/Rivermouthportsbridgesoverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-1-Overviews/i-KhFZzDZ/0/34e15216/L/Upriverleftbankfieldsoverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-1-Overviews/i-RWBvmbW/0/f7c9639c/L/UpriverrightbankoverviewwaterCastle-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-1-Overviews/i-2Lxj3Df/0/fe34bc4c/L/CanalsFieldsWindmilloverview-L.jpg)

The city has room to grow, but its expansion is carefully managed, as agriculture is still its main industry, with many fields around and even in the city : farms have been experimenting with integrated, vertical hydroponics for quite a while now -- Pegasus Inc. is the leader of this type of intensive culture in the region. Canalia has always been on the cutting edge of technology : it was the first to get electricity from windmills, way back then. It has kept some of them, and not merely for the touristic appeal.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-GpNSgGt/0/f65f6ee9/L/1Upriverfieldsflowers-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-5KkQgWq/0/2a2c809d/L/2.1CanalsFieldsWindmilloverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-zQQLSTS/0/a2912919/L/2Fieldsirrigationcanalsrail-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-7nCpqjm/0/c727f20b/L/3Windmillfarmspoplars3-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-3c35f8J/0/736e2158/L/4IndustrialWindmillFarmcloser-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-2zqLxQv/0/997116b1/L/4WindmillFarm-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-xnLpWCx/0/9407e487/L/5Lowerleftbankfarm-L.jpg)

The Regional Fair is always a big event ; (it was a smallish thing back when P. R. visited, but it ate the adjacent rustic park since, for more exposition grounds and such.)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-LC2n9Gw/0/14ea25d0/L/6OldmillStateFairCanal-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-sjcd856/0/4b61282c/L/7StateFairMktpondoverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-Cb2LNh4/0/b2222c9b/L/8MarketFerriswheel-L.jpg)

The picturesque Youth Hostel where P. R. was staying (and yes, some skinny dipping on summer nights) :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-tgHxX68/0/b8d0fe95/L/9PondStateFairHostel-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-GJQLvGB/0/e1aae998/L/10Appleorchards-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-GcHDQfx/0/d81a5189/L/11RailBridgeFlowerfarmbetter-L.jpg)

There's plenty of Bucolia to enjoy for Canalia's citizens : some can go fishing right in front of their residence.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-D7Hbc8f/0/fcb621e5/L/12Samsfishingplacecloser2-L.jpg)

And the cows like bargespotting :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-2-Agri/i-vHrxWFj/0/5b9364e6/L/13Cowsbargewindmilltrucks-L.jpg)



Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on December 04, 2018, 09:23:56 AM
Canalia's river Ste-Marie as well as its net of canals bring the commerce of the whole region to the city's canal main ports and its harbour.

Port St-Martin :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-RhxtDLQ/0/8578709b/L/1PortBelvdreoverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-BMsTJ5d/0/4170810e/L/2PortBelvedretrafficcloser-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-nSvjdTW/0/4742b96c/L/3PortSt-MartinTrucksoverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-dBzjXw2/0/08f72cf6/L/5PortSt-Martinlock-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-BpjJcZ9/0/3448948a/L/6PortSt-Martintrafficcloser-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-3WWjzfm/0/1231dc60/L/7PortSt-Martintruckscloser-L.jpg)

The Harbour, with the coast-guard station and The Marina.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-xNtXBnS/0/69a60bed/L/8CoastguardMarinaoverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-gtgkFvd/0/92821c5e/L/9Coastguardmarinacloser-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-wxGKD7L/0/ff83a7df/L/10CoastGuardHelitrucks-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-q446j2q/0/af981f37/L/10Seaportindustriesbetter-L.jpg)

The old Harbour, now HarbourVillage Promenade :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-3rM9hh4/0/4cf55947/L/11OldseaPort1-L.jpg)

The Harbour Locks :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-g6ZB7Tj/0/f7a6face/L/12Oldseaortlocks12-L.jpg)

Main seaport industries :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-qKsznkD/0/9cc2ba3e/L/13Mainseaportindustry-L.jpg)

Paengue Shipping Inc. (for produce), at Port Issy :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-cWrgJLx/0/1f23d17d/L/15PortIssyProduce4-L.jpg)

Rorlasch Grain Loading Co. :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-dHRfJLL/0/bf2d880a/L/GrainLoadernew2-L.jpg)

Some (rare) heavier industry :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-3-Industry/i-StvMTms/0/10201a75/L/14Industries2-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on December 08, 2018, 06:42:55 AM
Canalia has a long history, illustrated by its many landmarks. Its university, to begin with, an old-fashioned wooded campus dating from the early XIXth century nested between its canals (in the quadrant called "University Square") and the St-Monica Basilica Gardens.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-Gvx3JZC/0/290fbcd0/L/1Universitygardensoverview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-wxsKkGD/0/eb5eaeff/L/2.1UniversityParkwayclose-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-PL3rqf2/0/0e0b891f/L/2.2Universitydrive2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-VQ4cN3b/0/bd033db0/L/2.3UnivGardenPark-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-s5T4dQt/0/8c0c2dda/L/2.4KewGardenBasilica-L.jpg)

The ancient Roman ruins unearthed during the construction of the park have been carefully restored and preserved.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-k39WsXJ/0/956ab8c5/L/2.6StCanaliaCathedralgardens-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-2ttSW2N/0/75a4e311/L/2.7KewGardenParkcloser-L.jpg)

Two specific landmarks illustrate Canalia's role as a city open to the sea : the Cousteau Aquarium...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-vLV8DpZ/0/bc355e3d/L/2.8CousteauAquarium-L.jpg)

... and the Orbisonn Oceanographic Museum, both on the waterfront, the former near the Old Port Marina, the latter overlooking the New Harbour, with its small park.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-GtCXzwj/0/e268ed22/L/2OrbisonnMuseumportwater-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-QhkXpK3/0/d8bcc0f4/L/3OrbisonnMuseumSeaportcity-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-CHdzXKL/0/bb18aca8/L/4OrbisonnMuseumParkCity-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-KDKMdCd/0/10923c2d/L/5OrbisonnMuseumPark-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-jLqQgrc/0/44dae78e/L/6OrbisonPark%20%26%20Tower-L.jpg)

The city is divided in squares or rectangles ("quadrants") by its canals, with the occasional pedestrians & bikes dedicated bridge, among which the oldest, and most picturesque, the Rorlasch Bridge ; but as you can see here by the little Rorlasch Metro Station, the city is on its way to implement a comprehensive subway transport system in order to maximize collective transport (there is an excellent bus system) and minimize the impact of individual cars on its road and street bridges, that were not built at a time of dense automobile traffic ; the City Council doesn't want to enlarge them at the detriment of well-established neighbourhoods.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-ZfB9gtv/0/d3376cc6/L/7RorlaschTowerBridge-L.jpg)

The Canalians like their parks, promenades and pedestrian ways ; some of the Old Canal Port has been converted for the sake of barges and ships spotters :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-PRRLpbS/0/2a1e1e3a/L/8.1BayPromenade1-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-9h2RtfT/0/f8d88c19/L/8Baypromenadetraffic-L.jpg)

P. R. remembers going to the City Archives Complex (close to the Mayor's rather unpretentious house), intending just a quick peek because it was listed in the Routard's Guide to Canalia : two buildings, a really old one which is more of a museum, and the (relatively) newer one, The Archives proper ; she met a talkative (and handsome) guy in the adjacent Japanese Garden, was persuaded to accompany him inside, and finally spent the whole day there (the two buildings are linked by a subterranean gallery with shops and food courts), fascinated by the wealth of History and time gathered in the labyrinthine corridors and show-rooms.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-m5XBW6n/0/55fc2455/L/9CItyArchivesMayor-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-dHFNkZm/0/87a50c18/L/10CityArchives-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-4-Landmarks/i-JcH6gHk/0/f0f622f1/L/11CityArchivesnewCloser%20-L.jpg)


Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on December 15, 2018, 07:13:52 PM
For young P. R. , walking around Canalia residential or commercial streets was a trip into a past much older than the one she was used to, either in her natal Queenbee or in the North-American cities she had already visited. It left a lasting impression on her. Some of the lovingly maintained buildings were three or four centuries old, some even older, and the city and region history went even farther into the past. She was told some people's genetic testing showed that their ancestors had lived in that same place for thousands of years. How did it affect people living there, such a long memory, such a wealth and weight of heritage ?

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-8mrcC9F/0/70539e1f/L/4BigBlockCemeterySantoroStn-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-bD4PwZx/0/6b6b5925/L/5canalHousesChurch-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-M9Sr7NQ/0/48a12c9c/M/6Canalhousesstately-M.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-bfqmxB3/0/348c506d/M/8.1Houses3-M.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-zwW8TrC/0/42f62915/M/8LeftBanksqueeze-M.jpg)
St.Magdalena Church :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-dbtFzxw/0/eae73ae5/M/9MagdalenaChurchPlaza-M.jpg)

The Lutheran Church
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-TDk59m9/0/5853a69d/M/16StBasilLutheranChurch-M.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-8QtBDJJ/0/4c9d9528/M/10ClockTowerCanal-M.jpg)

There is a small public golf course :
(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-v2t9VHd/0/b95d9d2a/M/11PublicGolfCanal-M.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-fCm6dW6/0/dbc83164/M/15Smallparkseverywhere-M.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-Vq44bDK/0/371da4ad/M/17WindingStreet-M.jpg)

Sometimes, despite looming modernity, life along the canals seemed timeless in Canalia...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-H9FFffP/0/25e3e130/M/2CanalSpringHouses-M.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/CANALIA-6-Res-Com/i-s9DGMkm/0/afbe65f7/M/1CanalHousesbarges-M.jpg)

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on December 16, 2018, 11:15:43 PM
I love the tour around canalia. It's great to see so many old-skool favourite buildings from the good old days of sc4  ;D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on December 17, 2018, 11:09:21 AM
Quote from: mattb325 on December 16, 2018, 11:15:43 PM
I love the tour around canalia. It's great to see so many old-skool favourite buildings from the good old days of sc4  ;D

Yes, those first CJs of mine are mostly a loving flash-from-the-past. Canalia is about the last one. After that I began fishing in earnest for New Custom Stuff. But it's really great to see how much of the old stuff still looks good. Some of it just needs some TLC re-lotting, but the bones are usually solid. (Which is why I'm into relotting now ! :-) )
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: eggman121 on December 17, 2018, 12:31:59 PM
Very nice evarburg

The blurred images actually give a nice touch. Like looking at travel book with pictures  :thumbsup:

-eggman121
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on December 17, 2018, 07:11:21 PM
Quote from: eggman121 on December 17, 2018, 12:31:59 PM
Very nice evarburg
The blurred images actually give a nice touch. Like looking at travel book with pictures  :thumbsup:
-eggman121

I did think so when writing the story accompanying them : old pictures in an album. It was actually my less than masterfull use of photoshop at the time (not that it is masterful now, just... less bad) ; but, yes, please, do feel free to interpret and see them like that, and thank you for it! :D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on December 20, 2018, 07:22:11 AM
A few years back, my companion challenged me with a big 3x3 region map of his own making, which he called Eden Bay. Challenge accepted! So P. R. Crastina spent six months as writer-in-residence there, touring through all eight cities. Yes, eight :  the ninth was never finished since the region suffered a catastrophic CTD as it was almost finished. I had pictures only for three of the nine tiles. Aaaargh and all that, I'd spent almost two years labouring on that map... But 'it happens.

The map, early on :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-1-Introduction/i-dNFKqbM/0/c582e57b/XL/EDEN%20BAY%20region%20map-XL.png)

And the (almost) finished region :


(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-1-Introduction/i-BbqFH3f/0/386a2451/L/1%20Region-L.jpg)

And now let's go to the first town.

......

The Eden Bay region is a subduction zone along the north-western seaboard, with big folds of land rolling parallel to the sea. It was settled with enthusiasm as the soil was fertile. The region was quickly "civilized", i.e. deforested.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-1-Introduction/i-LKtp2xR/0/e6caa0a9/L/3%20Smallville%20usine%20%26%20fields%20general%202-L.jpg)

The various towns have slowly extended their limits towards one another to finally form one big "amalgamated" agglomeration of about 1.500 000 hb ; it took the name of its main port (after a heated referendum as to which town would give its name to the amalgamated city) ; all the "neighborhoods" retained their initial names, however.

Villeray ["Smallville" at first on the region map, upper left corner] is still unhappy about it, as it was the first established town in the region and lobbied hard to win the referendum.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-1-Introduction/i-xnxz957/0/ff24f8e4/L/2.%20Smallville%20overview%20%28no%20canals%29-L.jpg)

It is a logging town, as they almost all were in the beginning. The geography may explain why : the first settlers came from the north-west to Mount Loden, discovering the vast panorama leading to the sea from there. They tried to find a passage across the Coyla River, that meanders around the whole region from the north-east to the sea (not on the whole map, though...).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-1-Introduction/i-hvQ62Lx/0/8e4a972e/L/4%20Firstown%201%20Field%20%26%20Waterfall-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-1-Introduction/i-pFNqpxP/0/21b9842d/L/6%20River%20Coyla%20rocks%20with%20fields%20%26%20logging-L.jpg)

It is a deep and fast running river, and they were not equiped to cross it at first. So they quite happily settled at first on Mount Loden, nestled in one of the many curves of the Coyla. There is not much left from the original town. Everything has been steadily replaced by logging, as the settlers finally crossed the river and began clearing and cultivating the relatively flatter lands beyond.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-1-Introduction/i-8skHmPz/0/998005e4/L/5%20River%20Coyla%20rocks%20%26%20fields-L.jpg)


1. Villeray Logging  : Hey-Ho Hey-Ho, And Off to Work We Go

The first settlers made do with what they had : in the flatter part of Mount Loden, there was a smallish stream and a swampy lake. The stream they couldn't do much about but it was usable; the lake they dredged as they could, and enlarged.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-cCks7Tf/0/50f7fbe5/L/1%20Logging%20cascade%20lakefields%20%26%20pasture-L.jpg)

They are still at it on Mount Loden – mostly for local consumption. They had a conservationist streak from the start : after the original clear cutting, the forest has been replanted at least twice since the early days.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-NdZm723/0/e3d7d320/L/1%20Logging%20road%20%26%20fields-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-M29hmG3/0/44fb5d4c/L/2%20Logging%20%26%20stream%20head%201-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-MBVSrBv/0/8b87bc50/L/2.1%20Logging%20roads%20%26%20streamhead%202-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-T9tb2HV/0/bc0723d8/L/3%20Logging%20vue%20g%C3%A9n%C3%A9rale-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-FJPPDLG/0/e6e6abb3/L/4%20Logging%20lake%20Sawmill%20%26%20river-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-xNpJSGz/0/b28a4b08/L/5%20Logging%20%26%20Coyla%20River%202-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-JJCfBbb/0/72ac9def/L/6%20Logging%20roads%20overview-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-q2GFDDT/0/df976d85/L/6.2%20Logging%20roads%20%26%20rocks-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-hvc8xQQ/0/94afe2bb/L/7%20Logging%20clearcut%201-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-HzFjgpD/0/949562c7/L/8%20Logging%20camp%20closer-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-Qm3bfWB/0/e15c6f1f/L/9%20Logging%20road%20from%20camp-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-bbgvmQB/0/b6690d54/L/10%20Logging%20roads%20%26%20small%20camp-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-PFw4Shf/0/5aa5cb08/L/12%20Logging%20at%20work%201-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-qZnRHKm/0/0df0ebe1/L/13%20Logging%20at%20work%202%20river%20%26%20fields-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-Cg2qGGj/0/b8f89a86/L/14%20Logging%20at%20work%20closer-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-MJQBh86/0/def5b68f/L/15%20Logging%20%26%20Forest-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-kV6GjQx/0/3f365a5f/L/16%20Logging%20usine%20river%20%26%20waterfall-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-2-Logging/i-k4w7JDv/0/28154095/L/17%20Logging%20wood%20reserve-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on December 21, 2018, 03:51:37 PM
This is a very nice thread.  You do good work with the mmp's.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on December 29, 2018, 08:47:39 AM
2. Villeray Rivers and canals

When the settlers finally crossed the Coyla and pushed east and south, they encountered another meandering stream, the Aurat River, but that one was much easier to tame. The problem was that it flooded rather regularly in certain places.  It didn't bother the first settlers, who kept away from the flood zones. But as the town grew into a city, it became a yearly problem.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-gVKKbV5/0/e5cb3fbb/X2/City%20center%201%20no%20canals-X2.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-474nHMf/0/a98c1e54/L/0%20Poplars%20weaving%20river%20general%200-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-SBrRfnn/0/9959427e/L/0.1%20Lazy%20river%20poplars%20city%20%26%20fields%201-L.jpg)

Then Mayor Zabnis (the Elder) began canalizing the Aurat. It is a major endeavour, still going on and quite costly ; some denizens of Villeray do not approve of the unavoidable tax hikes ; the battle has been fought ever since between them and the city administration. Some people were less at risk of being flooded, so the City began in others neighbourhoods, easier to convince. But some parts of the stream are indeed so low and lazy that transforming them into canals seems just like a pavement fetish gone overboard (so to speak).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-BWjbCq8/0/09f806d1/L/1%20canal%20stade%20%26%20commercials-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-nZgsgVh/0/9a0905e3/L/3%20Canal%20with%20commerce%20%26%20Birds%27%20Island-L.jpg)

Then, in the Seventies, the conservationist movement took off with a vengeance in Villeray and the battle became epic. By now, though, a truce has been reached and some parts of the river have been kept in their original state. Where it is channelized, the engineers often try to respect the meanderings of the river, dear to the citizens' hearts.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-gFgcTXt/0/078f1100/L/11%20canal%20promenade%20residentials-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-dS5GK8t/0/fc00c2a6/L/12%20canal%20promenade%201-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-8XM9JX8/0/7f83b703/L/13%20Canal%20promenade-L.jpg)

At some point, to convince some die-hards opponents to his project, Zabnis the Elder had a park built in the city as a sort of sample (he was getting on in years at the time). At once called "The Mayor's Folly", it was a subject for many satirical pamphlets in the local newspapers. Now, however, people are used to it and even like it.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-RnvZ7Mh/0/7207f529/L/6%20Zabnis%27%20folly%202-L.jpg)

But the Greens keep a watchful eye on Mayor Zabnis (the Younger, who followed in his father's footsteps in the mid-Nineties). For instance, one part of the unchanneled river was a bird sanctuary. The Greens demanded that the sanctuary be reconstituted. And it was. Sort of.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-VZGVpC4/0/9e34aefd/L/2%20Canalized%20river%20Aurat%202-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-9Pbmkjb/0/8b9a1191/L/7%20River%20%26%20sandstone%20park-L.jpg)

Many parts of the river, however are still in their pristine state :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-9Pbmkjb/0/8b9a1191/L/7%20River%20%26%20sandstone%20park-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-sCTWcpF/0/08d02c85/L/10%20Lazy%20river%20with%20houses%20%26%20field-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Themistokles on January 01, 2019, 07:35:25 AM
I love the style you're building in so much... It is down to earth in some way and creates very nice cityscapes. And I love this picture

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-nZgsgVh/0/9a0905e3/L/3%20Canal%20with%20commerce%20%26%20Birds%27%20Island-L.jpg)

especially, because it has such a nice composition with the railway and the little island.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 05, 2019, 07:45:29 PM
(This is a rather long one...)

3. A City is as a City Does : Agriculture, RCI & Services

Although commerce is now the main activity of the city, there is still a vibrant agriculture, which the slow crawl of housing has sometimes included in the city proper

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-tNFQ62f/0/ed1521b4/L/1%20Rolling%20fields%20et%20stream-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-Mn4p89k/0/2ccc9ef4/L/2%20Rolling%20fields%20closer-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-3xg5ztn/0/b7d8668e/L/3%20houses%20et%20agri%20%28grain%202%29-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-r8Pmd9j/0/ac93b61d/L/5%20Agri%20paths%201-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-7f3CQDS/0/183735f8/L/6%20Fields%20et%20Pretty%20Farm-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-SJ24CLP/0/058f9376/L/7%20Pasture%20with%20cows%20et%20farms-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-QTzBxqB/0/bbb9403d/L/8%20Agri%20wheat%20pond%20et%20pasture%201-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-HKNFcR4/0/6a660e3f/L/9%20Pasture%20farms%20et%20flower%20beds-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-nrmX45H/0/4457a701/L/10%20Agri%20Pasture%202-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-psbLXJf/0/c41714f6/L/11%20Pasture%20with%20sheep-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-5Wvcxwp/0/b97d3677/L/12%20Pasture%20sheep%20et%20farms%20closer-L.jpg)

the modern Agri College (left) testifies to the importance of agriculture in the region :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-6dWJmnC/0/fbda6795/XL/7%20Comm%20et%20Agricollege%20%2B-XL.jpg)

Therefore, the citizens never forget where their food comes from ; they often buy directly from local producers, and the annual Fair is an occasion for well-attended cook-offs celebrating the local products.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-6-Agriculture/i-w2gfrKQ/0/8449f446/L/2%20Lazy%20River%20et%20Fair-L.jpg)

As the town grew by fits and starts, there are no dedicated commercial, residential or even industrial zones : at first they tended to pop up unexpectedly here and there – and the City Fathers noted that it did wonders for traffic. So they began zoning accordingly. In Villeray as in all the region, people mostly live close to work and they walk. A lot

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Green-City-services/i-kV3VHfh/0/feec34c3/XL/1Greenery%20Residential-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Green-City-services/i-jPNFBcT/0/ee59c022/XL/2Greenery%20field-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Green-City-services/i-bZKhKvn/0/24db1b11/XL/3Greenery%20et%20Mayor%27sMansion-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Green-City-services/i-B926qk8/0/17b73cc1/L/5Houses%20et%20New%20PowerPlant-L.jpg)

Commerce is doing swell, spawning at least two bona fide skyscrapers, near Tobin Arena :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-4RFHVpj/0/c28b012f/XL/26canal%20stade%20%26%20towers-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-jRBfRcC/0/b8604787/L/0%20River%20%26%20RCI%202-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-R6dNCx5/0/a51c8322/L/2%20Commerce%20big-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-VSkW5M8/0/daa7b9a8/L/3%20Commercial%20et%20Park-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-XcHk3mM/0/962bd6d8/L/6%20condos%20et%20commerce-L.jpg)

And tax incentives have encouraged high tech, mostly non-polluting industries to come to Villeray.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-qcdrrDq/0/911166a6/L/8%20Industry%20HT-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-V6LvQnJ/0/33aadf13/L/9%20Industry%202-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-bCz3z7N/0/f77c5106/L/10%20Industry%203-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-gzwVGxb/0/cc348f79/L/11%20Industry%20HT%20et%20fire%20station-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-sHF4tGP/0/02c8aa5c/L/12%20Industrial%20%26%20roof%20Park-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-4PMwBHf/0/534cc032/L/13%20Industry%20HT%20closer%20-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 12, 2019, 07:54:22 AM
5. Services & Parks

P. R Crastina arrived in Villeray by rail, but the town also boasts a heliport :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-4-Com-Ind/i-pTmJd7t/0/dd1ba834/X2/1%20Commercial%20district%20heliport-X2.jpg)

... and now an airport or, for the moment, an airfield, (which is more in keeping with the decidedly green bent of the city !)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Green-City-services/i-NbB8nZn/0/c4e9a40b/L/4Grass%20Airport%201-L.jpg)

Still, the Villeray citizens are very proud of their (future) airport, and of their town in general. Except of course for the occasional tiff about the Coyla Channelling Project, they enjoy its many services and amenities : city hall, hospital, the Teynman College, football... and  a bowling alley.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Green-City-services/i-rTGdWgK/0/ee332398/L/6Services%20Park%20et%20Sports-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Green-City-services/i-dTmbdGc/0/cefcd3d3/L/8Services%20with%20tower%201-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Green-City-services/i-Pr4vdKH/0/23c00270/L/9Cathedral%20cityhall%20et%20Bowllng-L.jpg)

So, citizens of Villeray are a fit bunch. Their main sport, though, is walking ; Zabnis the Younger in particular is known for his love of walking all around the city (jogging, when he was young). He inaugurated is first mandate by having promenades built along the canals wherever it was possible.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-3-Water-Canals/i-8XM9JX8/0/7f83b703/L/13%20Canal%20promenade-L.jpg)

Parks flourished  all over town under his administration.  P. R., who's always loved discovering a city with her feet, and who loves parks, was in heaven. She was a bit surprised, though, as most parks have moody names :
Meditation Park...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-ntrgm8d/0/33842eee/XL/6Mayor%27s%20et%20Meditation%20Park%20closer-XL.jpg)

Mélancholia Park...
(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-VMXCQxR/0/daa5520a/XL/7M%C3%A9lancolia%20Park-XL.jpg)

Resolution Park...:

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-5CwkJSJ/0/defe0f6a/XL/22Resolution%20Park%202-XL.jpg)

She would learn later the provenance of those names :  most of the city's parks were designed at the end of the XIXth century by the same landscaper-architect, a German immigrant named Ernst Sturmdrang, very much into Romantic stuff. He generally put his parks around or close to the many churches built by the successive waves of settlers, each with their own brand of religion. Villeray is a city of parks and churches !

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-BDVbcL8/0/0f6aa38a/XL/1Baptist%20et%20park%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-75s3D3P/0/dee9540b/XL/2Baptist%20Church%20%26%20Serenity%20park-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-7Nhgt7v/0/c96520c3/XL/10St-Antoine%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-8FNQQq6/0/c37cf5e1/XL/11St-Ephrem-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-qcmxvtK/0/4134be78/XL/15St-Thomas%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-VppKbK8/0/f357de2c/XL/9St-Antoine%200-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-L6rCfzv/0/81eccd8a/XL/20Ste-Gilda-XL.jpg)

Zabnis the Younger's daughter Cora, who is being groomed to replace him soon and will certainly win the election hands down, is responsible for the Parks Administration Services and already saw through a project of hers, to public applause : a vast majority of the duly referendumed citizens voted for the name "Cora's Park", thus acknowledgeing her good work.  Symbolically, it links the city to the fields.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-pCTm4FM/0/279318d5/L/1Cora%20park%202%20pond-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-bHBpwD9/0/68a187e1/L/2Cora%20pond%20Wheat%20field-L.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 12, 2019, 09:15:45 AM
I looked very closely at the plants used, in some parts the compositions look a bit artificial, but my favorite is the airport and its green surroundings, that part of presentation is the best for me, so congratulations  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 12, 2019, 10:03:13 AM
I'm not sure what you mean by artificial compositions, but I'm glad you like the airport and its surroundings, thank you !  ;)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 12, 2019, 03:21:26 PM
Artificial compositions - it means unnatural looking compositions of plants, but it is only my private opinion, who is the author of the plants you use?
Yes airport is very good for me, I generally like the concept of using a large amount of plants  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 12, 2019, 07:29:38 PM
Quote from: pressus on January 12, 2019, 03:21:26 PM
Artificial compositions - it means unnatural looking compositions of plants, but it is only my private opinion, who is the author of the plants you use?
Yes airport is very good for me, I generally like the concept of using a large amount of plants  :thumbsup:

hey, me too :thumbsup: ; I'm a green freak and tree hugger (My "Trees etc." folder is just all over the place) That region was built quite some time ago -- I think Girafe was not yet in the landscape then, so to speak ! I used CP and Simfox and Jeronij and any trees that were available B. G. (Before Girafe  :))
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 13, 2019, 05:30:25 AM
Yes, I just noticed a lot of greenery from a lot of eyear ago. I had the same(I think) aesthetic problem related to the arrangement of green areas. There were mainly Jeronij, CP, Simfox, Pegasus, Andres, probably also, and others.
As I wrote, I appreciate your work and the overall effect achieved. A lot of 'green' details  :thumbsup:
I think that the best set is the Girafe offer currently - the green Girafe era, the best for me. It can be perfectly complemented by other non-green elements of the landscape.
Realism and good composition in the game - not concrete configurations only  ;)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 13, 2019, 09:37:56 AM
Quote from: pressus on January 13, 2019, 05:30:25 AM
(...)  not concrete configurations only  ;)

Well, I'm a country girl, and I live in a medium smalltown (!) ; I tend to paint what I see around me. Big cities are a whole other challenge, in SC4. There will be some, at some point in these MDs, but I definitely feel more comfortable downscale :P ! Also, I am somewhat ideologically (!) against SC4's heavy transport infrastructure & big financial cities bias (thank SC4 Gods -- Pegasus and the PEG team-- for SPAM, and giving some continuous role to agriculture !). And there are only so many functional megapolis(es?) one can build, with (too many) CO$$$ highrises popping up everywhere. When you've done the urban canyons once or twice, what challenge is left, when you're not into realistic gameplay ? I totally admire those who are, mind you, but there is only one Korver !  :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 14, 2019, 03:46:35 AM
There are different styles of building cities in the game, it's good, we can be creative and play considering the limitations of the game and our own technical capabilities, ingenuity, sense of aesthetics.
Regions can be very diverse, with large cities, industrial zones, but we have to remember that every city exists in a natural area, all of it can be done very precisely.
I do not like dead, plopped cities that look like mock-ups - nice but empty ...
The best cities seen here have been built in varied terrain in terms of the level difference. It is also a big challenge for the player. Flat are boring and unnatural.
There are a lot of game accessories. Limit - the power of the computer, a large plugin folder can slow down the game.
But we make a choice and decide on the final effect, just like you do it - in a very painterly way  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 14, 2019, 07:42:30 AM
Quote from: pressus on January 14, 2019, 03:46:35 AM
There are different styles of building cities in the game, it's good, we can be creative and play considering the limitations of the game and our own technical capabilities, ingenuity, sense of aesthetics.
Regions can be very diverse, with large cities, industrial zones, but we have to remember that every city exists in a natural area, all of it can be done very precisely.
I do not like dead, plopped cities that look like mock-ups - nice but empty ...
The best cities seen here have been built in varied terrain in terms of the level difference. It is also a big challenge for the player. Flat are boring and unnatural.
There are a lot of game accessories. Limit - the power of the computer, a large plugin folder can slow down the game.
But we make a choice and decide on the final effect, just like you do it - in a very painterly way  :thumbsup:

Amen to all that. The game has been created in the US, with very North-American biases, and despite the variety of terrains offered with it (San Francisco !), once sandboxes regions were available, flat and griddy and skyscrapery and potentially boring became too tempting. I usually try to terraform my regions myself, but I am also guilty of beginning test plops on a flat tile and letting them runaway from me into a full city :) The enemy then is especially the Grid :). One will never praise the NAM's team enough for giving us the antigrid options we have today, and other ingenious batters for making all the runarounds to fill in those curves !
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 15, 2019, 04:47:46 AM
Fortunately, this American style of the original game can be perfectly changed.
Terrains, plants, NAM and other mods, lots, bats, MMPs etc.etc., so everything to our imagination, to model our own preferences  ;)
Hmmm ... and free time to play  :)  This is a big problem sometimes   ;)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 15, 2019, 08:17:49 AM
Quote from: pressus on January 15, 2019, 04:47:46 AM
Fortunately, this American style of the original game can be perfectly changed.
Terrains, plants, NAM and other mods, lots, bats, MMPs etc.etc., so everything to our imagination, to model our own preferences  ;)
Hmmm ... and free time to play  :)  This is a big problem sometimes   ;)

Yes indeed. It's a big time sink. Way back when I was playing a on Mac I played on a macbook that I could take with me when travelling. Officially, it was for reading and writing. HA.

And yes, we can de-Northamericanize, but when building big cities, we get locked in pretty fast in that model (visually AND economically), what with a zillions CO$$$ skyscrapers (they're generally beautifully done and a batting feat, I don't argue with that) and transport networks spaghettis :). City Skylines doesn't do anything else either. I wish there were more, ah, prospective in the game, i.e. buildings (and eyecandy) allowing us to try another type of city. (IMO, SPAM is the last innovation trying to at least stretch the economic biases built in the game.) There is Terring's lonely and worthwhile enterprise -- the problem being that as far as I know he's alone in doing what he does [SOMY, in his time, did some futuristic-looking bats, but still in the Mega-Is-Better frame of mind] whereas a frapload of batters are still doing the usual skyscrapers. Which is perfectly OK as it allows realistic players to impressively emulate the present megapoles. Including their decay. But. Where are the green buildings, for instance ? They are beginning to sprout in RL, here and there. There are none legit that I know of in SC4. I would ask for someone to make some, but I'm afraid it would fall on deaf ears. Besides, the good or great batters are busy having fun with their own stuff, and who am I to disturb them ?  :) Then again, if you don't ask, you will never have a chance to get. I might try again !
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 15, 2019, 10:14:28 AM
You have a lot of reasons in what you write. However, we must remembered that the game has already been going on for many years and what we have at our disposal now is due to the engaged fans publishing their collections on the existing pages.

Green, futuristic buildings - attempts were, this is a little example(I think) from 2010 http://simcitymemo.seesaa.net/upload/detail/image/BiosphereZero1.jpg.html
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 15, 2019, 12:46:55 PM
Ah, yes. Thank you. I don't think I had that one. A priori, I downloaded it ! And, as you saw, I posted my not-a-requests-more-like-a-comment ;-) We'll see it if it gets any traction from batters.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 15, 2019, 03:08:45 PM
I have some photographic memory and I remember that I saw something in this green style. This is not exactly what you wrote about. It is possible that something so futuristic was on the pages of SimPeg, it was probably "utopian" series. Maybe it is on STEX.  ;)
Yes, it's now on STEX>PLEX>The Utopian Series, but I think you know it  ;)

A few years ago I ran a list of sites with SC4 additions, in 2012 I monitored 68, including almost 50 Japanese. Many of them no longer exist, and traces of those additions can still be found on the main Chinese site.  :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 15, 2019, 09:25:11 PM
Indeed : Pegasus' vertical gardens -- I love them. There have also been at least two pseudo-green buildings from Capital City, the Spanish site, one industrial, one commercial (if I remember well.) You'll see them in my MDs at some point  ;)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 16, 2019, 09:09:50 AM
Very interesting what will be the effect, I think it will be another tasty feast for the eye  ;)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 19, 2019, 08:50:15 AM
The Present Past

There is not much left from the original settlers, except a little bit of the first village on the north-west side of the Coyla, the Durvage Farm.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/SMALLVILLE-INTRO/i-h4nN65t/0/3c9aa763/L/4%20Firstown%201%20Field%20%26%20Waterfall-L.jpg)

... as well as the many churches in the city and their parks – and cemetaries : Zabnis the Younger is into parkifying even old cemeteries. And why not ? They are places of tranquil repose.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-pWK8vNB/0/cf159c6f/XL/23Ste-Croix%20cemetery%201-XL.jpg)

Take for instance the Teynman Park – Teynman is a renowned pianist, the one and only celebrity born in Villeray, and is buried there under the big spruce tree ; they named the College after him, among other places in Villeray,

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-XFkKLtL/0/1bc09e0d/XL/24Ste-Croix%20cemetary%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-5-Churches-Parks/i-CLTQ6nS/0/d1815d75/XL/25Ste-Croix%20cemetery%203-XL.jpg)

Still, P. R. did have her Kodak moments as two historical relics of the past have been lovingly preserved : the St Frulla's Abbaye and a Franciscan Monastery in what is now aptly named St-Francis Park. St-Francis Park is especially loved as a walking destination, and well-kept by the city –and its citizens. Nothing is left of the monastery itself except stones hidden in the luxuriant vegetation, the main pieces of the (at the time) grand church and the paths that led to the various dependencies.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-7-Touristic-Attractions/i-Ln7wmXf/0/6518825f/XL/1.Monastery%20far-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-7-Touristic-Attractions/i-gz64xRz/0/0ec6ee38/XL/2.Monastery%20Entry-XL.jpg)

An impeccably kept lawn, in the middle of the church ruins, has ample sitting room for music or theater in summer (the, you guessed it, Teynman Summer Festival)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-7-Touristic-Attractions/i-tFQ76ZR/0/15ab3707/XL/3.Monastery%20close-XL.jpg)

That particular park is a favourite outing of school children at Easter – eggs' hunts are organized, people come to picnic and help the local Scouts repair the little stone walls, and couples go to the Well to pledge eternal love, or something. Lots of small or not so small change in that well ! It is dredged each year at summer's end, and the proceeds go to planting trees in the city's parks.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-7-Touristic-Attractions/i-XnMpzpD/0/46d7d970/XL/4.Monastery%20The%20Well-XL.jpg)

The St-Frulla's Abbaye, being a bit farther away, is a more retired and peaceful destination, but it has its fervent visitors – often painters or photographs in the winter months, as ice from the hidden spring incase the jumbled rocks above the little pond in fantastic sheets. Far less spectacular in the other months, it still is a peaceful place to spend a contemplative afternoon among the greenery.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-7-Touristic-Attractions/i-2KN6SKn/0/57db282f/XL/5.Abbaye%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-7-Touristic-Attractions/i-7KRzKXr/0/422f0dcf/XL/6.Abbaye%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-7-Touristic-Attractions/i-GVJ3J6k/0/8ce97efb/XL/7.Abbaye%203-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-7-Touristic-Attractions/i-7JNV6Pc/0/38ae1bf1/XL/8.Abbaye%20closer-XL.jpg)


P. R. has fond memories of Villeray  : it was and hopefully still is is a quiet, pretty little town, with calm and green neighbourhoods. And she liked it even more because it didn't feel like a city, despite being almost 196 000 hb strong. The same applies to the other cities of the Eden Bay region, P. R. soon found out. The habitat is quite widely disseminated all over the territory : as water is abundant, any settler could clear a place anywhere, dig a well and be set for life. And so water is an ever present feature of the city : river, ponds or swamps.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-8vsW6t3/0/b66e11d4/L/9Private%20pond%2B%20poplars%20river-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-XnMWXTM/0/e48a182b/XL/4Cora%27s%20Pond%20Park-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-mcbXf5c/0/a2f39b9a/L/5Fields%2BOdellia%20swamp-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-dC4NGBg/0/e7e7fbb9/L/6Greenery%2Bswamp-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-vnjVLPT/0/e1d0039a/L/7Pond%20path%20%2B%20fields-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-rkFVC2n/0/a0b32dc3/L/8Private%20pond%20closer%2BSt-Francis-L.jpg)


(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-QPGZfMj/0/5116ab51/L/10Railroad%2B%20Swamps%20close-L.jpg)

There is also the spring & waterfall below St-Frulla's Abbaye, the Keri Spring, haunted, they say, (but it is true, P. R. Crastina saw it with her own eyes) by a wild llama escaped from a nearby zoo, and that none has managed to capture since. It has been captured only once on film, and it is one of the most popular postcard from Villeray.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-B7jmds7/0/424d6f17/L/12Spring%20Cascade-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-BnJWcJc/0/76505453/XL/11Spring%20et%20Abbaye%20%2B-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-8-Water-Everywhere/i-62mBZpT/0/56a74480/XL/13Spring%20Cascade%202%20%2B-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: pressus on January 19, 2019, 02:51:51 PM
Wonderful, a real miracle  ;)
My general opinion about plants is the same.
First of all what I like most then other are the well-established open-airs:  :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
spring and waterfall, railway line embankment, The St Frulla 's Abbaye and Fran Monastery, etc. etc. - amazing amount of details ...  :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: there are plopable people too?
Nature is a great challenge in SC4 - green is life  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on January 19, 2019, 11:59:26 PM
Lovely MMP work!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: dedgren on January 22, 2019, 09:25:21 AM
Well, well, well... Always great to come across the work of a master detailer, especially when rural scenes are involved.  This MD reminds me a lot of a really excellent one I've seen somewhere else.  Hmmmm...

Will be watching closely for more.

David
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 22, 2019, 11:03:08 AM
Yes, David, I confess, I have been migrating my Simtropolis CJs here (if that is what you remember)... It's a way to get my fix while I can't play --revisiting cities past ; and also I hope to persuade myself to play again even though my main fun is lotting/relotting now that I've dared at last to tackle the SC4 various tools (took me only 12 years ! :P)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 28, 2019, 08:21:17 AM
All in Green Went My Love Riding

When P. R. thinks of her days in the Eden Bay region, she remembers green... and the strong O2 kick ! Logging towns sometimes have an ambivalent relationship with trees and natural habitats, but not here, and not because most of those town dont do much logging any more. All the deforested zones that have not been irremediably built upon are preserved and kept by the city even when they are not bona fide parks, and building permits for them are emitted sparingly.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-ALL-GREEN/i-cV4KHgb/0/91375dbd/X2/Greenery%20%26%20Wheat%20field-X2.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-ALL-GREEN/i-4qdgkZb/0/48964593/XL/Greenery%20Residential-XL.png)

Empty lawns are frown upon, in Villeray. Home owners are required to keep trees on their property or to plant new ones. Only sick trees can be cut – and must be replaced. At every turn, in every neighborhood, there are trees or stretches of woody areas. With very few paths – to keep those places pristine, people have to be kept off, and they are, as those zones are generally densely packed with greenery.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-ALL-GREEN/i-6gzcKWQ/0/6df77198/X3/Greenery%20general-X3.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-ALL-GREEN/i-S7nPXQ8/0/3777c942/X3/Trees%20waterfall%20%26%20Houses-X3.png)

Some fearless nature lovers do hike here and there. If they meet bears – or the not so mythical wild lama – it's their luck : the wildlife is not used to having humans around, and so not very shy. But bears et al. have plenty to eat and keep to themselves. And so, in short, it can be said that the whole region, and especially Villeray, is a tree hugger's paradise.  High Tech industries like the greenery. On hot days, people breathe better in the shade. The birds and the bees are happy too ; many home owners are apiculturists ; Villeray's Wildflowers Honey is famous in the whole Eden Bay region, and beyond...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-ALL-GREEN/i-rpsVRh2/0/11677287/X3/Trees%20%26%20Rocks%201-X3.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-ALL-GREEN/i-cQ3DTGb/0/0abdb756/X3/Trees%20%26%20Industry-X3.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/VILLERAY-ALL-GREEN/i-Jb93pQh/0/c8026588/X3/Trees%20wi.Houses%20%26%20Beehives-X3.png)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: dedgren on January 28, 2019, 11:24:12 AM
Really nicely done waterfall in the third pic!  What are you using for the cliff face rocks?- I see some of Peg's gigunda boulders, but these look different.

David
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 28, 2019, 02:09:24 PM
Thank you. Those are Murimk MMP Bedrock ; they exist in grey and brown versions, and they are absolutely wonderful !https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/26855-murimk-mmp-rocks-pack-2-bedrock/ (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/26855-murimk-mmp-rocks-pack-2-bedrock/)

So are you wholly back or still sharing with CS ? ;)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: dedgren on January 28, 2019, 02:44:39 PM
Quote from: evarburg on January 28, 2019, 02:09:24 PM...snip...

So are you wholly back or still sharing with CS ? ;)

Cities what?  I'm sorry, you must be mistaking me for someone else.

[My heart's always been here, in any event]

David
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 28, 2019, 06:41:58 PM
Quote from: dedgren on January 28, 2019, 02:44:39 PM

Cities what?  I'm sorry, you must be mistaking me for someone else.
[My heart's always been here, in any event]

David

I can see that in your MD :) You're inviting players to share one of your region or am I completely mistaken ? (I can't play presently, my game is completely borked, and perhaps it is The Hardware (cue sinister music). Until this is solved I can't do anything but obsessively tidy up the millions plugins that I have so niftily categorized in my Stash; it is rather pleasant, in fact, but but I must say it's a rather pale replacement for playing, or lotting.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on February 06, 2019, 11:43:17 AM
Kathy Vale

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-f3sFsr9/0/a6ad0bbd/M/1.Overview%20Kathy%20Vale-M.png)

Kathy Vale is another borough of the amalgamated Eden Bay City/region, with a rather dispersed population up to about 160 000 hb, much resembling its neighbours, except for the fullfledged airport and its shuttle bus service, smallish but serviceable :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-2zgM2Sv/0/ef596dfd/XL/3Airport%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-krjjbJF/0/6484d400/XL/2Airport%20%2B1-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-krjjbJF/0/6484d400/XL/2Airport%20%2B1-XL.jpg)

Apart from that, it is a harmonious mix of agriculture, industry and commerce, with calm and pretty residential neighbourhoods, wher you find some repurposed farmhouses.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-LHPmwrh/0/6f2ec5a7/XL/5Ancient%20%26%20Modern%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-q3wMFbG/0/a1eccb95/XL/6Ancient%20%26%20Modern%2003-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-55NTG7w/0/7660140a/XL/8Repurposed%20farms-XL.png)

It is the city where the Zabnis family (ex-mayor, current mayor, future mayor) likes to come and relax, especially with the horse stable Grand-Dad had built for his grand-daughter Cora's children :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-X627hdZ/0/3e3971f7/XL/7Mayor%20house%26%20Horses-XL.png)

...and again water, water everythere :  meandering streams, small lakes, ponds and bogs...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-BWzHR69/0/74bb6c86/XL/9Comm%20by%20Long%20Lake-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-4ftLsM9/0/1d8ee5c9/XL/14Water%20Stream%201-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-CRjxDKz/0/e60e2867/XL/15Water%20Stream%202%20closer-XL.png)

Lake Long, which is the deepest, is mostly reserved to boating (except for a small beach), as its banks have been deliberately left wild.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-whnVw5q/0/5cefaed3/XL/10Lake%20Long%201-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-vsQSw8k/0/2d3f0bab/XL/11Lake%20Long%202-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-VFtSWWL/0/6af87401/XL/12Water%20everywhere%201-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-R5BqTwp/0/5bfd5539/XL/13Water%20everywhere%203-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-dMq4XRV/0/efbeceeb/X3/16Mosaic%20LL%202-X3.jpg%20%5B>img%5D%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3EAnother%20lake%20is%20mostly%20dedicated%20to%20swimmers%20:%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%5Bimg%5D%20https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-dMq4XRV/0/efbeceeb/X3/16Mosaic%20LL%202-X3.jpg)

But Kathy Vale's watery places have often been left alone, as small wildlife sanctuaries :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-G7jJ3t5/0/7584ffde/X3/18Mosaic%20lake-bog-X3.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: eldaldo on February 10, 2019, 11:59:58 AM
Wow, your MMP work is incredible.  I have been away from the community for a several years and it is insane how much the quality of people's MD's have increased, I am blown away, and have no idea how people are achieving this level of beauty! 
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on February 10, 2019, 03:14:07 PM
I don't think the creators of the game ever thought this would be possible.  Great work.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Akallan on February 12, 2019, 01:39:23 PM
Wow, that's great, your mmp job is always amazing and you have good ideas through your images! :popcorn:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Ralfger on February 15, 2019, 12:14:03 PM
Great rural development -I really like the are around the ruins of that church!
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on February 15, 2019, 07:48:58 PM
Quote from: eldaldo on February 10, 2019, 11:59:58 AM
Wow, your MMP work is incredible.  I have been away from the community for a several years and it is insane how much the quality of people's MD's have increased, I am blown away, and have no idea how people are achieving this level of beauty!

I see I missed your comment. Thank you. And you're so right, we can now achieve stuff I would never have thought possible when I came to the Custom Side of the Force in 2005 or 2006 --what the NAM does, for instance, is extraordinary, considering how old SC4 is !  I just cross my fingers and hope our newfangled computers are able to support the game for years to come...) And, yes, MMPs. Aaaah, MMPs ! They allow us to become painters. Other construction games, City Skylines for instance, cannot seem to achieve that despite being very interesting and entertaining otherwise. I'll always happily give away "real 3D" for the possibility of painting my little landscapes  :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on February 23, 2019, 10:17:35 AM
Kathy Vale RCI & Services I'm not sure I managed the pictures' size correctly, despise the wise advices received

Kathy Vale has stayed true to its agricultural vocation, with well-tended fields (the farmer switched to maize in between takes...)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-2BXwVrc/0/5d868352/XL/Field%202%20closer-XL.jpg) (https://%20photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-2BXwVrc/0/5d868352/XL/Field%202%20closer-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-3x32mS5/0/3cb29386/XL/Maize%20Farm-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-3x32mS5/0/3cb29386/XL/Maize%20Farm-XL.jpg)

The Agricultural and Environmental Research Center (a.k.a. the Biolab) which works hand in hand with the Mendel Agri-College

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-TVZqKXM/0/405a2a5f/XL/BioResearch%202-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-TVZqKXM/0/405a2a5f/XL/BioResearch%202-XL.jpg)

The Mendel Agri-College :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-sKNxkPz/0/da40b976/XL/3%20Downtown%202-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-sKNxkPz/0/da40b976/XL/3%20Downtown%202-XL.jpg)

An ancient quarry has been refaced, re-earthed and rezoned agricultural, with excellent yelds :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-Xz37wcj/0/22177763/XL/0%20Terraces%201%20overview-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-Xz37wcj/0/22177763/XL/0%20Terraces%201%20overview-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-4fHXGSK/0/aff5616e/XL/1%20Terraces%20closer%20%28z4%29-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-4fHXGSK/0/aff5616e/XL/1%20Terraces%20closer%20%28z4%29-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-JDK8Ktb/0/6a15f194/XL/4%20Terraces%202%20closer-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-JDK8Ktb/0/6a15f194/XL/4%20Terraces%202%20closer-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-J9L56WS/0/c12c96a1/XL/2%20Terraces%203%20closer-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-3-Agriculture/i-J9L56WS/0/c12c96a1/XL/2%20Terraces%203%20closer-XL.jpg)

Kathy Vale nevertheless has a robust industrial sector that perhaps distinguishes it from some of its neighbouring, more decidedly agricultural sisters cities. A requirement for all industries is planting trees all around their lot. Mostly, they like it and try.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-vbxmvsP/0/9aa3fa51/XL/1.Industry%20g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-vbxmvsP/0/9aa3fa51/XL/1.Industry%20g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-W7jXz2d/0/436992d9/XL/5%20Industry%201%20w.fields-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-W7jXz2d/0/436992d9/XL/5%20Industry%201%20w.fields-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-qtHt5bC/0/24d29241/XL/7%20Industry%205-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-qtHt5bC/0/24d29241/XL/7%20Industry%205-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-HpFS9jS/0/2a974f0d/XL/8%20Industry%204-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-HpFS9jS/0/2a974f0d/XL/8%20Industry%204-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-Kzqzh2s/0/cc5c3bb9/XL/Various%20industry%203-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-Kzqzh2s/0/cc5c3bb9/XL/Various%20industry%203-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-HM58xdj/0/e28f04ef/XL/10%20Industry%202-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-HM58xdj/0/e28f04ef/XL/10%20Industry%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-Crc489t/0/5be15be5/XL/Various%20industriy%201-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-4-Industry/i-Crc489t/0/5be15be5/XL/Various%20industriy%201-XL.jpg)

As for the rest, like everywhere in the region, you find peaceful residentials neighbourhoods where ancient and modern cohabit harmoniously. The old belfrey tower flies the Eden Bay flowery flag.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-bKL3Zfm/0/98f437b8/XL/Ancient-%26-Modern-1-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-1-City/i-bKL3Zfm/0/98f437b8/XL/Ancient-%26-Modern-1-XL.jpg)

The town enjoys all the required services, sports and cultural amenities, for instance Radio Vale and City Hall :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-RLw5RKz/0/a9214d63/XL/6.City%20Hall%20%26%20Radio-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-RLw5RKz/0/a9214d63/XL/6.City%20Hall%20%26%20Radio-XL.jpg)

... or the local branch of the regional university, where P.R. has got her writing residence gig from July to October. The Museum of Agriculture is close to the University, a charmingly quaint reminder of days past ; this was taken in September, when some trees turn real early...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-9j3F4TB/0/5e2e63d9/XL/1.Universit%C3%A9%201-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-9j3F4TB/0/5e2e63d9/XL/1.Universit%C3%A9%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-DfLCnP5/0/1560723b/XL/2.Universit%C3%A9%203-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-DfLCnP5/0/1560723b/XL/2.Universit%C3%A9%203-XL.jpg)

and there are well-developped and prosperous commercial zones

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-5JJ69pv/0/0d8794cf/XL/5.Cathedral%20%26%20Commerce-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-5JJ69pv/0/0d8794cf/XL/5.Cathedral%20%26%20Commerce-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-7hSPwST/0/3175202f/XL/4.Big%20Commerce-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-7hSPwST/0/3175202f/XL/4.Big%20Commerce-XL.jpg)

Some parts of the city are booming, especially near the rail terminal

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-BP4bvwf/0/3f515af1/XL/8.%20Booming%20town-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-2-Civics-divers/i-BP4bvwf/0/3f515af1/XL/8.%20Booming%20town-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on February 23, 2019, 01:35:17 PM
Very nice update.  I really like the The Mendel Agri-College, where can I find it?
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on February 23, 2019, 07:22:41 PM
Thank you, and alas, I am sheepishly sorry I cannot tell you that because (1) this is an old region, long gone (2) I had --and still sometimes have, I'm afraid-- the reprehensible habit of renaming lots to suit the MD's narrative; but especially (3) : that wasn't an education lot at all but a commercial one. I could have found again an education lot, my stash is well organized as far as Services are concerned. But a commercial one ? OMG, no.  I have 5.06 gigs of them (about 1 G+ is by alphabetical order with the author's name, the most recent ones ; the rest is still divided, with or without author's names, between CS, CO, PLOP, G&P, GROW ONLY, BIG, MEDIUM, SMALL and BULK...) I'll try to keep it in mind, though, and if ever I find it again, I'll hail you, promise.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on February 24, 2019, 03:58:45 AM
I totally understand. Thanks anyway.  ;D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on March 10, 2019, 08:06:01 AM
Kathy Vale : The Castle

Yes, there is a castle in Kathy Vale, another folly of one of the first Zabnis mayors' ; but curiously, that one did not elicit as much contrary passions as the channelization of Eden Bay's streams. Everyone bought the "It will bring tourists" line. Talk about tourist traps ! That one is a higher-end tourist trap, however. Located on a small hill among the fields, but close to town, it is a re-imagination of what a Middle-Age castle should be according to Bollé-le-Duck, a XIXth Century historian and would-be architect. It was built using a mix of ancient and modern techniques, (all by local artisans and workers) so it took only four years. None of the nitty gritty of what real life was inside those walls, however, for it has been arranged as an enclosed park. Nevertheless, the view of the country side from the hill is pretty, and it made for a nice bicycle ride for P. R. on her off days.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-5-CAstle/i-KDctHvM/0/dd51dbc2/XL/1Castle%20overview%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-5-CAstle/i-DfNWw52/0/de27709d/XL/2Castle%20%26%20parkings%20%28z5%29-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-5-CAstle/i-Z6Sskm2/0/9b459c5c/XL/3Castle%20bus%20parking-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-5-CAstle/i-T7SZt2k/0/84fa92a1/XL/4Castle%20moat%20%28z4%29-XL.jpg)

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2FKATHY-VALE-5-CAstle%2Fi-6KhTGZL%2F0%2F1b48967f%2FXL%2F5Castle%2520Gate-XL.jpg%255B%2520%2Fimg%255D%253Cbr%2520%2F%253E%253Cbr%2520%2F%253E%255Bimg%255D%2520https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2FKATHY-VALE-5-CAstle%2Fi-nHMQbhw%2F0%2F2a8698bd%2FXL%2F6Castle%2520Donjon%2520%2528z5%2529-XL.jpg&hash=6515aeea1e07b16303d3745ce3fa7f4ab5c68099)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-5-CAstle/i-%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3EP.R.%20especially%20liked%20to%20come%20on%20Saturdays,%20when%20there%20is%20a%20street%20fair.%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%5Bimg%5Dhttps://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-5-CAstle/i-ZvnLnzG/0/f78dc272/XL/7Castle%20%26%20Street%20Fair-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on March 13, 2019, 04:18:03 AM
Love the castle, is that done with puzzle pieces?
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on March 13, 2019, 07:00:45 AM
Thanks you, and yes ;those are the modular castle relots by Paeng : https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/26715-paengs-castle-walk/ (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/26715-paengs-castle-walk/) and https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/27884-paengs-historic-castle-walls/ (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/27884-paengs-historic-castle-walls/). If you are interested in castle pieces, Simmer2 has uploaded another, grittier version of them (either here on the Stex or both.)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on March 13, 2019, 11:20:59 AM
Thanks for the reply and the links evarburg!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on March 23, 2019, 08:44:02 AM
NB : Techical stuff : I tried the click to enlarge trick for the PNGs Istill had (not all the picts.) I hope I got it right this time.
EDIT : apparently not yet ! &mmm What did I do wrong?  ???

And, WARNING : This is essentially a MMP orgy.
_____________________________________

Kathy Vale 6: Lazy Summers

Fortunately for the future of Kathy Vale, vast tracts of previously logged land are still available; but for the time being, they are left alone, except for the omnipresent hikers. The most usual scenary in the Eden Bay region is undoubtedly greenery, either carefully tended between houses or in vast undevelopped tracts ; and the citizens take good care of their park, as they do in the whole region : not one accidental fire since its opening twelve years ago.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-mpP46Jq/0/c17fe5a5/XL/Unbuilt-tract-1---copie2-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-R6jx3sj/0/ed3a322d/XL/Unbuilt%20tract%201%20-%20copie2-XL.png)

One large area in particular, Nature Park, has been dedicated to campers and cyclists, to be their own playground. P. R. often took her students there, with no laptops or assorted gizmoes but a good old notebook instead : walking is not incompatible with writing or learning, quite the contrary, as demonstrated by the Greek Peripatetic Philosophers' School.  Here you can see the aftermath of the Family Bicycle Race that takes place at the end of Summer – not quite a real race, more like a pretext to go out and have fun together.

(mosaïcs)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-9-Lazy-Summer-mosaics/i-NTwnpBM/0/bcf23bd6/X3/Lazy%20Summer%201-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-9-Lazy-Summer-mosaics/i-QGH4G2S/0/488aaf7a/X3/Lazy%20Summer%202-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-9-Lazy-Summer-mosaics/i-jV276VS/0/ac7498f2/X3/Lazy%20Summer%203-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-WZk3gND/0/0374b516/XL/0Lazy%20Summer-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-TDbMkkg/0/cf402db9/XL/1Hikers-bikers%20%2B%20Rallying%20point-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-twVZgmd/0/b9f86eed/XL/1Hikers-bikers%204-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-Jq9L8Q2/0/4ccd8cfd/XL/1Lazy%20Summer%20Stonebridge-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-PKw8bF2/0/79f4ca14/XL/3Lazy%20Summer%20closer-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-PnHmwmd/0/de73476a/XL/4Lazy%20Summer-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-t8v9w5g/0/9ad03c5f/XL/5Lazy%20Summer%20Fire-XL.jpg)

--------

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-VNWrQ8Z/0/5e66e805/XL/P10Lazy-Summer-3.3-Stonebridge-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-Nc8xQ5g/0/2a70525d/XL/P10Lazy%20Summer%203.3%20Stonebridge-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-CVGwQk9/0/6a93bba1/XL/P11Lazy-Summer-3.4-campers-%26bridge-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-vSK7W2M/0/95874ea4/XL/P11Lazy%20Summer%203.4%20campers%20%26bridge-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-WtqrLPp/0/8722cb28/XL/P14.Lazy-Summer-fire-closer-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-brFq9rR/0/1d71c83a/XL/P1Hikers-bikers%20%26%20fishermen-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-df7v5ht/0/d4f25a2a/XL/P2Hikers-bikers-%2B-Rallying-point-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-gZt8ssQ/0/f5affe55/XL/P2Hikers-bikers%20%2B%20Rallying%20point-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-CJTF95X/0/baa6ad54/XL/P3Hikers-bikers-1-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-v6jBw22/0/f2a2e6ba/XL/P3Hikers-bikers%201-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-hzqpXhR/0/65ffb7d0/XL/P4Hikers-bikers-2-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-bwbpsF8/0/ed2b3fa7/XL/P4Hikers-bikers%202-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-N3tGVg4/0/abdf3137/XL/P5Hikers-bikers-3-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-dpkMwjv/0/d957944a/XL/P5Hikers-bikers%203-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-FJsM5vq/0/0650c79e/XL/P6Hikers-bikers-4-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-RfrQ9bK/0/dcae0213/XL/P6Hikers-bikers%204-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-353ht3R/0/7faa690a/XL/P7Lazy-Summer-1-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-H785rfd/0/8e91bdf7/XL/P7Lazy%20Summer%201-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-FjNHfjm/0/dc42a573/XL/P8Lazy-Summer-2-closer-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-zLqm9qG/0/2af65af8/XL/P8Lazy%20Summer%202%20closer-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-kgSxrbC/0/5a03e54d/XL/P9Lazy-Summer-3-Stonebridge-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-JzcwRdd/0/8616cb95/XL/P9Lazy%20Summer%203%20Stonebridge-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-ZXxtFgW/0/7c847d96/XL/P12Lazy-Summer-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-Wgx4R7g/0/af6ca9a9/XL/P12Lazy%20Summer-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-D2GBgqM/0/9b91d040/XL/P13Lazy-Summer-4-Fire-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-LJGdNHm/0/e2a5f654/XL/P13Lazy%20Summer%204%20Fire-XL.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Kathy-Vale-Lazy-Summer-PNGs-retooled/i-WtqrLPp/0/8722cb28/XL/P14.Lazy-Summer-fire-closer-XL.jpg) (https://photos.smugmug.com/KATHY-VALE-8-Lazy-summer/i-w4dPPTS/0/a5738f92/XL/P14.Lazy%20Summer%20fire%20closer-XL.png)

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: 89James89 on March 23, 2019, 10:34:24 AM
This is gorgeous, your MMP work is absolutely on spot, nothing seems out of place but it all seems so natural and creates some amazing things to look at!
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: c.p. on March 23, 2019, 12:14:05 PM
Nice camping sites.  The creek is great. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: fantozzi on March 23, 2019, 03:01:43 PM
The small romanic church and the silent pathways ... you created a sunday evening full of velvety light like those french painters in the transition from realism to impressionism– Berthe Morisot, Camille Corot, Charles-François Daubigny or Camille Pissarro Corbet – used to do.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on March 23, 2019, 07:04:09 PM
The MMP work is beautiful  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on March 23, 2019, 07:13:23 PM
Simply marvelous mmp work, incredibly natural looking.   &apls &apls
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on April 09, 2019, 01:05:20 PM
Martin Falls : Introduction

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-JBcxJ82/0/3da216a3/M/1%20MartinFalls%20Overview-M.png)

Martin Falls is another "borough" , or "township" in the bigger, amalgamated Eden Bay city; a town in its own right like all the others in the region before the Amalgamation, it has two main poles of attraction : the regional Medical Research Center...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-LLhpvz8/0/7f66e7f5/XL/2%20Research%20Center%20%2B%20Water%20treat-XL.jpg)

... and pieces of the regional University, which has been dispersed in several towns in order to offer a better service to the whole community ; Radio-Eden CKJB has a very good School-of-The-Air program

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-Zbf9chg/0/361a15d4/XL/3%20University%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-z2q3VQZ/0/06df6e3d/XL/4%20University%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-bCx7Gpg/0/d998eb12/XL/5%20University%203-XL.jpg)

Martin Falls is also the place where all the regional rail lines meet ; in the upper part of the picture you can see the Big Oak, which managed to survive the rail interchange – but only for a little while ; the Greens were livid, and rightly so ; it is said that tree was about 800 years old, predating the town by a large margin. just so no one  else chokes on that particular pic, this was before Nam at least 30... ;)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-8WgMkwx/0/722e61d9/XL/6%20Rail%20exchange%2Bgiant%20oak-XL.jpg)

But Martin Falls is mostly an intensively agricultural part of the Eden Bay Region.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-J8r7n4L/0/a7e562ea/XL/7%20Overview%20River%2Brail%26Agro-ind-XL.jpg)

Agriculture, and commerce linked to agriculture, is the big thing in Martin Falls, although there is also a bit of industry (the non-polluting kind). The town, as could be seen in the otherview, is mostly built around the fields

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-KbRkM46/0/77474edc/XL/8%20Overview%20City%20Rivers%20%26%20Fields-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-FD8DzVg/0/0f36337c/XL/9%20Lake%2Briver%2Bfields%20close-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-wQKvBLN/0/54c1cd62/XL/10%20Lake%20%26%20Fields%20close-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-FkrLzW9/0/39b666f0/XL/11%20Agri%20Comm%20%26%20Agri%2Bstade-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-tfqL9Fj/0/5f55e10e/XL/12%20Agri-commerce-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-PHjpqQv/0/e27dfcb4/XL/13%20agri-Comm.%20transports-XL.jpg)

All in all, like the other towns in the region, Martin Falls is a quiet and green place.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-rrT7cbN/0/cf7abb9a/XL/14%20Close%20to%20Fields-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-gKC2StF/0/f90e22af/XL/15%20Peaceful%20Street-XL.jpg)

It was. Until it became the place where people from all over the region went for the summer, had a second residence built, and retired. The reason is obvious : Martin Falls, the lowest bassin in the region, is where most of the regional rivers and streams converge, to form the biggest lake in the region, Lake Martin. Needless to say P.R. made a beeline for that lake as soon as she set foot in town.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-RCdBJQz/0/ab94bd5c/XL/4%20Overview%20Lake%20%26%20delta-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: 89James89 on April 09, 2019, 01:18:29 PM
Love it!

Especially the massive lake in the middle with the usual gorgeous MMP work and, for some odd reason that screen with the massive warehouses next to the rural farmland!

A really nice tile!
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Tyberius06 on April 09, 2019, 05:24:30 PM
Hi!

What the .... that rail interchange? It looks like the avenue Y interchange, just with rail textures? Where did you find that? I've never seen that stuff... Ok since I'm using mods, I've been playing with RRW (and that interchanges looks maxis rail to me), but still...

Nice pictures anyway! Really nice work!

- Tyberius
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on April 09, 2019, 06:18:35 PM
I was wondering if someone would comment on that ;) ... That MD dates back to before NAM... oh, 30, I think.:-) We've come a long way, baby, havent we ?  ;D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on April 10, 2019, 02:49:34 PM
I love the rail stacks  :thumbsup: I keep forgetting that they are in there waiting to be used  :D

It must have taken so long plopping and mmping all that water, but it looks fantastic....lets hope you can get sc4 working again to ensure that this md has many more episodes.  &apls
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on April 10, 2019, 08:10:30 PM
I do believe the rail interchanges we have now are much better  :) (I seem to remember having a helluva time trying to plop those here in place...). Although I haven't checked the NAM 36 ones. Hmmm...

As for the MMPing, it is the part I like most about MDing or CJing. It's so... zen. Plus I wanted to be a painter, when I was a child, not a writer !  :D

(By the way my partition and game seem OK now, via STEAM -- but the writing part of P. R. Crastina's life has taken over again. Hopefully I'll be able to post for a few more months, migrating my STEX CJs here...)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Tyberius06 on April 11, 2019, 04:57:45 AM
As far as I know in NAM36 with RRW (RealRailWay Mod) installed, you don't have these rail interchanges. I've never seen any of them before. That's why it hit my eyes immediately. Maybe among the Maxis rail addons there are these interchanges, but with RRW definitelly not. :)
Anyway it's interesting to see these relics :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on April 11, 2019, 06:59:19 AM
Ah, Tyb, you little green horn you !

You young' uns don't know how good you have it. Like the Relic, I come from a time before NAM, and I went through all its iterations. (In fact I come from a time when SimCity was in black and white.)

[I went to school on foot, too, ten miles ; and it went up all the way, both ways.]

:D :D :D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: c.p. on April 11, 2019, 08:07:28 AM
My eyes went to the beautifully MMP'd wetland/swampy area between the rail intersections.
I like Martin Falls' combination of agriculture, urban development and nature :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: manga rivotra on April 14, 2019, 09:12:46 AM
As others have pointed out, I must admit that your mastery with natural scenes is remarkable for achieving such results at that time when the MMPs had just appeared in our way of playing.
Excellent work !  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on April 20, 2019, 07:19:29 PM
Martin Falls Lake & Marina

The Summer People arrive by the small rail station and fan out through the town...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-8dxmxLs/0/80df3514/XL/0%20Small%20Rail%20Station-XL.jpg)

...making a bee line to the summer houses, and, for a lesser class of tourists, the summer condos.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-pBSSRWv/0/17546f87/XL/1%20Summer%20Cabins-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-bWdj5Fv/0/1b122a8c/XL/1.1%20Summer%20Condos-XL.jpg)

A few people rent summer cabins or poontoons houses, too  (cheapskates !)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-SVh2Rck/0/267ff104/XL/1.2%20Summer%20Pontoons%201-XL.jpg)

Martin Falls, one must admit, is quite picturesque, what with its Lake Chartrain, and the waterfalls on the St-Eulalie river (here, seen from the south)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-j8cWq4c/0/6108f3f3/XL/3%20Overview%20Lake%20%26%20Chutes%20from%20South-XL.jpg)

It even has what coud be called a delta at the mouth of the St Eulalie, where it flows into Lake Chartrain

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-N5LM6j6/0/d358d8c7/XL/4%20Overview%20Lake%20%26%20delta-XL.jpg)

The city (and at first, the farms) grew around the Lake ; it is now mostly residential

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-CrVnF28/0/b6024775/XL/5%20Lake%20City%20rivers%20%26%20Fields%20g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-WgkNWcs/0/f7c48cac/XL/6%20Overview%20City%20%26%20marina%20g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral-XL.jpg)

Near the small marina, many people rent rooms-with-a-view in private homes...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-FVZw6BM/0/3445c802/XL/7%20Marina%20%26%20Residentials%20g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-W5ntfPv/0/3e9aa26a/XL/8%20Lake%20Marina%20general-XL.jpg)

..or a whole villa, while the owners flee somewhere else for the summer.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-WjxFvvP/0/0f75b99a/XL/7.1%20Summer%20Villa-XL.jpg)

The recent extension of the marina goes up to the small Dollard River

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-6cmHffd/0/fe9a36ec/XL/9%20Lake%20marina%201-XL.jpg)

Another close-up of the marina

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-S8fggKP/0/5e2e8bfc/XL/10%20Lake%20Marina%203-XL.jpg)

... and closer...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-nVjfH7P/0/089a74ff/XL/11%20Lake%20Marina%2Briver%20closer-XL.jpg)

... and again, from the other side, ('cause P. R. stayed a few nights in that modern house and loved it).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-KmzhpRR/0/17c9495b/XL/12%20Lake%20Marina%20closer-XL.jpg)

Now, if you had a good look at the town's small overview earlier... But let me refresh your memory :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-1-Intro/i-JBcxJ82/0/3da216a3/M/1%20MartinFalls%20Overview-M.png)

... you may have noticed that Lake Chartrain seems shockfull of islands. Well, it was. In fact, when the settlers first came in, it was more of a big watery bog than a lake. But when the Zabnis dynasty came into power... er, when the very competent Zabnises were elected, from the Elder to the Younger(s), they saw an opportunity and seized it. While embarking on their ambitious project of taming the unruly rivers and streams of the place, they also dredged the lake, and dredged, and dredged, and took some boggy  islands out, and added to others, reshaping them in order to have a functional, properly touristic lake. So yes, almost everything there has been man-made – including La Patte.

The tourists don't want to know. They come for their Nature Fix.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-jspK222/0/11fb28db/XL/13.%20Canal%20isles%201%20in%20delta%20general-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-2-Lake-Marina/i-R9jBr2p/0/925deeb3/XL/14%20Delta%2BLake%20L%27%C3%8Ele%20aux%20Angles%20general%202-XL.jpg)


Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on April 20, 2019, 09:33:09 PM
Very nice, great looking lake area. The farmland looks really great as well.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on April 21, 2019, 08:09:48 AM
Thank you. For the farmlands (and the streets and parkings and a lot of other places), when I was playing on a Mac I used to spend hours on photoshop erasing the damn grid -- which doesn't respond totally to the G command on Mac and is especially visible in fields. I availed myself of the opportunity to also blurr the plantation lines in various fields, all the while regretting there were less like those we can plop now, at least for wheat and maize (girafe  -- or Vnaoned ? on TSC, in any case --& RFR). Some grains and vegetables and fruit trees do come in rows, but not all of them --and certainly not in squares !  :D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on April 21, 2019, 08:23:06 PM
Square fruit and vegetables are usually to be avoided  $%Grinno$%

Great pictures! Your patience with that plop water is always commendable  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on April 24, 2019, 05:40:52 AM
Dear travel companions, coming here on SC4D I told myself that if my MD had 7000 visits I would drink myself into a stupor. Well, this is it. And I want to thank y'all for it. I am not sure (still ain't) about the MD's etiquette here : I tend to just Like, or answer comments as they come up, not in bulk after each entry. But such a momentous occasion deserves a round of effusive gratitude, and Naming Names. And so thank all of you for your patience (those who'd already seen my attemps at CJ-ing elsewhere) and thanks to those who took the time to write a comment. This is you, as you came in :

Tarkus, Seaman,Themistokles, MattB325, Akallan, Scott1964, Metarvo, Allan Waters,Eggman, PaPa-J, Pressus, Dedgren, Eldado, Falfger, 89James89, C.P, Fantozzi, Tyberius, Manga rivotra

There are names in there that I never thought I'd meet personally (so to speak) in SC4, reverently admired batlotters who have nourished my game for gn-gn-gn years (not counting anymore), and still do -- especially Mattb325 and C.P. I am all a-fluttter each time I see your names here. And etc. Time to go and have that drink !
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on April 24, 2019, 05:45:00 AM
A toast to you and your 7000th visitor!
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: c.p. on April 24, 2019, 06:53:05 AM
I'll drink to that (though coffee in my case, as it's 7 a.m. here now  :D ).

Martin Falls is very picturesque, for sure.  I like how the town sort of flows to/from the lake, as if it were another river.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on April 25, 2019, 02:05:38 AM
Quote from: evarburg on April 24, 2019, 05:40:52 AM
I am all a-fluttter each time I see your names here.

A drink will definitely fix that, no matter the time of day  ;)

Congrats on the milestone  &apls
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: 89James89 on April 30, 2019, 09:12:27 PM
Congrats on the very well deserved milestone!

The latest update easilyu shows why you deserve to reach such milestones. God knows how long it takes to do all the MMP's. I spend long enough MMPing a single river let alone 8 or 9 of them! True dedication that really pays off!
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on May 08, 2019, 09:08:20 AM
Martin Falls : Lake and Islands

Tourists flock to the city in summer, enjoying the lakeside and the Ste-Eulalie little delta, affectionately dubbed "La Patte", The Paw. The river flows leisurely into Lake Martin, hardly touched by Mayor Zabnis the Elder's grand Canalization Project (except where one artificial island was built for the rail viaduc). Here, going to the Paw, a bit of Pointe-à-Lacalle (the southernmost tip of Île Lacalle)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-ST6mZFb/0/8b6d31bd/XL/1%20Canals%20banks-XL.jpg)

And the Paw :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-bvcnJ7H/0/98256896/XL/5.2%20Near%20The%20Paw%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-RD5JSwz/0/aa08c14c/XL/2%20Delta%20general-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-8PVSK3T/0/f5ecd6b4/XL/2.2%20Delta%20Marina%2B%20Fields-XL.jpg)

The Paw is divided into four islands that have been left in their pristine state. L'Île Morisset is the first one :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-wpV7TKt/0/b9fafdc8/XL/3%20Canal%20Ile%20Morisset%20in%20delta-XL.jpg)

The three others constitute the Paw itself : l'Île-à-Tronchet, l'Île Gravel (which is technically part of L'Île Morisset, but...) and l'Île Dumaisne :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-FVDRkTJ/0/144704d8/XL/5%20Delta%20La%20Patte-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-83nMtjK/0/c23b4291/XL/5.3%20Near%20the%20Paw%202-XL.jpg)

And then we come to the Lake. As I said before, all the islands in Lake Martin have been more or less built there by enlarging or erasing existing islands or semi-islands and then dredging industriously (it was mostly a big bog, in the beginning).The islands have been given local names, after some of the people who worked on them, for instance, l'Île-à-Martin (another hommage to the Founder)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-vn7pvnj/0/6740ea0f/XL/15%20Lake%20L%27%C3%8Ele-%C3%A0-Martin-XL.jpg)

Or l'Île-à-Jacou (Jacou was an ill-tempered woodcutter who is supposed to have been killed there. Kids go the island hoping to see his ghost) :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-g7kRKMq/0/ace22335/XL/14%20Lake%20L%27%C3%8Ele%20%C3%A0%20Jacques-XL.jpg)

The most important island, however, is l'Île-Aux-Angles, also called "The Summer Village", although is it inhabited all year round ; the people who own the houses rent them and go to Eden Bay or other places for the summer. No car allowed, and no electic poles : all wires are tucked away underground and underwater.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-2B48Zqk/0/39d87b69/XL/6%20Delta%20general%2BLake%20L%27%C3%8Ele%20aux%20Angles-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-cJqBP7p/0/643d2422/XL/7%20Lakeside%2B%20%C3%8Ele%20aux%20Angles-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-HV62hXZ/0/c7d098cd/XL/8%20Lake%20L%27%C3%8Ele%20aux%20Angles-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-dCQ76pS/0/4c16c232/XL/8.2%20Ile%20Aux%20Angles%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-JG4dDhq/0/a0b78e6a/XL/9%20Lake%20L%27%C3%8Ele%20aux%20Angles-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-2DtjGKt/0/d1f9db15/XL/8.3%20Ile%20Aux%20Angles%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-CDsWmph/0/a2668cd0/XL/9.2%20Ile%20Aux%20Angles%203-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-DP2DLsh/0/41105c9d/XL/9.3%20Ile%20Aux%20Angles%204-XL.jpg)

A proud son of Martin Falls, Normand Mollantz, a software billionnaire, is also a semi-crackpot who bought one of the main islands (now named L' Île-à-Normand) and now lives there as a hermit in a small farm – a virtuous ecological life (despite his three old trucks).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-twG8Dxh/0/eb7a4546/XL/10.Ile-%C3%A0-Normand%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-6NXZtDh/0/816c2791/XL/11%20Ile-%C3%A0-Normand%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-TprvdJX/0/a9f5ab10/XL/11.2.Ile-%C3%A0-Normand%204-XL.jpg)
[and that one I managed to make a mosaic of...]

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-3/i-dFx4MFF/0/03be8c78/XL/12.2%20Mosaic%20Ile-%C3%A0-normand-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on May 08, 2019, 05:27:26 PM
I love the MMP work of the little islands, so well thought out and beautifully done  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on May 21, 2019, 09:03:06 AM
(the Martin Falls travelogue continues...)

We leave the lake, with closer shots of Pointe-à-Lacalle :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-9MsJZm9/0/223c898b/XL/13%20Pointe%20%C3%A0%20LaCalle%20g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-QTdwtxX/0/2c85ed5a/XL/14%20Pointe%20%C3%A0%20Lacalle%20closer-XL.jpg)

However, the mandatory tourist spot in Martin Falls is the Martin River falls, on the other side of the lake, which gave the town half its name (the Founder, Ephrem Martin, being of course the other half)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-XShbzrX/0/c5e3fe0d/XL/0%200%20Chutes%20general%201-XL.jpg)

from the North (Haut-des-Chutes)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-qXsMwK3/0/ae3ab2a8/XL/2%20Chutes%20from%20North%203-XL.jpg)

from the south (Bas-des-Chutes), with l'Île Thérien

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-HZQ6BnS/0/b55cfab9/XL/5%20Chutes%20south%20%C3%AEle%20Th%C3%A9rien-XL.jpg)

That's where the Lux Hotel has been built –always booked solid in Summer.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-sXWwPNR/0/08140966/XL/4%20Chutes%20from%20South%20%2B%20hotel-XL.jpg)

Going farther  down the river ...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-K3LkF94/0/e4ce71eb/XL/6%20Bas%20des%20Chutes%201-XL.jpg)

In all seasons, with or without summer people, Martin Falls citizens always enjoy leisurely walking (and living) along the banks of the many gentle streams that grace the countryside

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-tBJjZDT/0/d6c1c9b5/XL/16%20River%20St%20Eulalie%20%2B%20%C3%A9glise-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-rh4FLcR/0/97313488/XL/17%20River%20St-Eulalie%20closer-XL.jpg%20%5Bimg%5D%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%5Bimg%5D%20https://photos.smugmug.com/MARTINFALLS-4-Falls-Rivers/i-rh4FLcR/0/97313488/XL/17%20River%20St-Eulalie%20closer-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on May 28, 2019, 08:40:11 AM
Let's conclude this visit to Martin Falls, and to the Eden Bay region with some more MMP love fest (and meanwhile, I learned a new trick)

River Leisure

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-6XQb37D/0/ef91b876/X3/River%20Mosaicb-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-8d5CSqz/0/508052cb/XL/River%20Leisure%209b-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-bFpX2gp/0/1b4b1914/XL/River%20Leisure%204b-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-VtCDS5L/0/613b46db/XL/River%20Leisure%2011b-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-mvpcLjv/0/fb4ef964/XL/River%20Leisure%203b-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-75DnJKq/0/7d2244ea/XL/River%20Leisure%205b-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-79R2H9g/0/01a06db4/XL/River%20Leisure%207b-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-fQZgzJ5/0/0f84312e/XL/River%20Leisure%208b-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Martin-Falls-River-Leisure-B/i-KW7VCzh/0/68ed846c/XL/River%20Leisure%206b-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Tyberius06 on May 29, 2019, 05:32:48 AM
Really beautiful images! Really nice village! I love all these MMP details. Nice work!

- Tyberius
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on May 29, 2019, 06:41:16 AM
Thank you. But did you see, did you see, I learned how to do real water! &hlp  :D  (Photoshop Is Our Friend)
https://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=6545.0 (https://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=6545.0)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on May 29, 2019, 04:09:10 PM
Beautiful! I love the water reflections. They are subtle, but just enough to make your incredible MMP work pop. :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on June 01, 2019, 12:39:24 PM
The ripple effect you have on the water is awesome!
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on June 07, 2019, 12:43:08 PM
We all have, surely, at least one tile that ran away from us ? Thille was is for me. I was trying the modular airport I had found and... the rest was hystery. (Sorry for the poor qualty of the tile overview...)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-AIRPORT/i-pptgcWc/0/4cef2f61/XL/0.Overview%20Thille-XL.jpg)

1. How Things Change

Thille was once a quiet agricultural community of little hamlets, devoted to their fields and pastures. Then it became the dormitory of Strosswald, the nearby, bigger city east of it. But those vast stretches of flat land also became the target of the region developers : it was the ideal place to put a bigger, more modern [but still not very realistic, ahem...] airport. And so farmers were bought off or expropriated, amidst much anger, demonstrations and civil disorder. But the Juggernaut of Modernization knows nothing too big not to be rolled over and so the airport came to be. And Thille began to Develop.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-AIRPORT/i-tjMPtKd/0/df810d90/XL/6Airportparking-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-AIRPORT/i-qKLztGH/0/4f3e967b/XL/5Airport2-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-AIRPORT/i-pxdCbK5/0/41b1863f/XL/2Airport3-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-AIRPORT/i-z8ckD5B/0/6c4b0012/XL/7AirportampFreight-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-AIRPORT/i-bBPfTCr/0/fcb7e7dc/XL/8AirportampComm-XL.jpg)

The Thille airport is a hub of communications (passengers and freight both) for the whole region, and not one but two bus shuttles link it to the city (here's the north one, near Northey Lake, upper right). A heliport and a big passenger terminal, at the end of a short highway, also help commuters.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-AIRPORT/i-sx3xCgg/0/20f43650/XL/9BusShuttlenearlake-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-dJjrLvK/0/3d9da12e/XL/3.%20Heliport%20%26%20Commercials-XL.jpg)

Thille's farmers have so far successfully kept any highways from coming farther in, as they don't want to loose any more farming land, (especially has they successfully reclaimed the marshy terrain of the ancient riverbed). But it's the subject of heated debates at the City Council. Agriculture in Thille is still going strong and well protected, even though it is slowly gnawed at here and there. The ancient river bed, for instance, is carefully zoned so the residential and commercial encroachments do not become irreparable.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-G6dHQfS/0/97ef640d/XL/2.Res%20in%20the%20fields%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-G6dHQfS/0/97ef640d/XL/2.Res%20in%20the%20fields%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-mLmjMpt/0/2dbc7cc1/XL/4.Res%20%26%20Comm%20in-country-XL.jpg)

https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-7GKLnpG/0/38adf875/XL/5.Farm%20%26%20Energy-XL.jpg [/img]

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-hCkkfs8/0/3cd49fd2/XL/6.Pasture%20%26%20Farm-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-zsL74fv/0/b3e26ed5/XL/7.Pasture%20%26%20Rail%20terminal%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-NwrwnmB/0/03877568/XL/8.Pasture%20close-up-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-39mN4hv/0/f0beeb61/XL/9.Pasture%20%26%20Lake2-XL.jpg)

But the city has developped beyond its mayor's wildest expectations.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-HELIPORT-FIELDS/i-2p553fq/0/f1c15e41/XL/2.River%20overview%201-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: 89James89 on June 08, 2019, 01:22:35 AM
Looks lovely. I love how the farmers are being stubborn despite the fact that theres a load of mid rise apartments on the other side of there hedgerows lol.

The only thing I find a bit off is the height of the bridges but I realise that if you want them ferry proof they need to be that high.

Cheers
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on June 09, 2019, 07:41:29 AM
I was experimenting with Simgoober residentials at the time -- and I was too dumb to a) zone accordingly and b) to bulldoze in order to get or to plop some more realistic res. where I wanted them !

As for the bridges, yes -- in fact, I never understood (and still don't)  why some were like the foreground one and others like the other -- I didn't really choose them so that ferries could pass under, if I remember right...
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on June 09, 2019, 05:18:48 PM
So many great pictures, but I really love the diagonal tree-belt that separates the fields from the residentials...it's like a miniature boundary between two towns
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: kbieniu7 on June 27, 2019, 10:38:04 AM
First time I look at this topic. I tried to read the story and take a longer while to look at pictures, but I must admit, that the amount of content is quite challenging to handle it at once. I'll try to look longer at it later :)

The idea of a story of a person is a neat idea! I like the approach to visit different cities and region toghether with the public :) At the very beginning, after I opened the thread, I had a "maxis-alert" in my head, but after a while I realised that it was a false one! ;) If I have to chose something that I like the most from the "building" perspective, that are forests and nature. Some shots of mountain trails and beaches are stunning and shows this diversity of a countrywide travel.

Also, this oversaturation that is visible in many images reminds me times of around year 2007-2008 when it was quite popular technique, as I remember ;)

Regards!
Kamil

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on July 06, 2019, 12:07:21 PM
Hey, thanks for reminding me how old I am  ;D

But seriously, the oversaturation of some picts has more to do with my haphazard use of Photoshop than with any way-back-then trend. I went from one computer to the next, i.e. from one graphic card to the next and it changed the way the picts looked and I tried to compensate and...
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on July 06, 2019, 01:12:40 PM
2. Northey Lake

The first area to develop way back then was, bizarrely, away north from the airport : Northey Lake. The lake is a bizarre thing in itself : a small salted water lake, the implausible remnant of the sea that used to cover the region. Some "hippies", as they were called at the time, came to build a Research Institute for Sustainable Fishing Industries (now known as RISFI). And they decided to build it on the water, a decision that made them the butt of many jokes from the locals – but gained them a grudging respect when they pulled it off. The RISFI fish farms now provide excellent, fresh seafood (way inland...) to all Thille's restaurants, as well as to the whole region, and are not laughed at anymore, especially as the Institute brings in tourists and scientific conferences. P. R. was disappointed : no bathing in that lake. She compensated by visiting the Institute and enjoying a hearty bouillabaisse at its restaurant.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-NORTHEY-LAKE/i-z6BxRGh/0/0a15837d/XL/2LakeNortheyResidentials2-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-NORTHEY-LAKE/i-pTF46Wr/0/b6c1706a/XL/Fish%20Institutex4-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-NORTHEY-LAKE/i-Bs8Pm7q/0/576d5255/XL/3LakeNortheyFerryclose-up-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-NORTHEY-LAKE/i-q4sxwPj/0/61054c45/XL/4FishFarms2ampInstitute-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-NORTHEY-LAKE/i-5Jrjvhd/0/1dd3b84a/XL/8FishFarm1close-up-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-NORTHEY-LAKE/i-h7NWzGL/0/295f763c/XL/Fish%20Institue%20x5-XL.jpg)

3. Work for the walking man (and woman)

Thille is a city made for P. R. who loves walking : almost everybody walks to work – the Thillois are in excellent health ! That was not really intended – industries came flocking in as soon as the airport was built and the city's fatherd scrambled to house all the people that came in their wake, with little regards to city planning. But it worked nicely out for everybody in the end. There is very little car traffic and the buses are almost always half-full at best (but the city has the means to keep them running and does, mostly for outsiders !)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-xdNfgVs/0/043ab855/XL/1IndustryampResoverview-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-WfShvph/0/ccc34616/XL/2ResP44ampIndclose-up-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-XdbQ3Wd/0/6545c962/XL/3IndustryampRes-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-5g3QnF3/0/2c16a97d/XL/5Industry3-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-Bnnf2CB/0/b43eb590/XL/6Industry4-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-cTKgVH5/0/18f5a8ed/XL/7Industry6-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-7RFZKt3/0/5e74c1f4/XL/8Industry8-XL.jpg)

[imghttps://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-H4csB88/0/acff1bc4/XL/9Industry7closer-XL.jpg]http://[/img]

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-8LWj5zf/0/7f9c00ab/XL/33Industry1-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-kVg83Qk/0/bc112214/XL/55Industry2-XL.jpg)

As industry is almost all high-tech and low-pollution, its vicinity is not a deterrent, and residentials are in high demand anyway, even near the new recycling center and the PagenTM Water Treatment Plant.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-INDUSTRY/i-pcbcM2H/0/ad0e9019/XL/CommnearUtilities-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Tyberius06 on July 06, 2019, 09:42:52 PM
Wonderful pictures!
What is that ferry terminal on the 2nd picture? Looks pretty good. I like the futuristic part of the bay. Thanks for sharing these pictures!

- Tyberius
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on July 07, 2019, 01:50:01 AM
Thank you ! And it is GDV Water Taxi : https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/3355-gdv-water-taxi-station-wbus-stop-new-water-taxi/?page=13&tab=reviews (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/3355-gdv-water-taxi-station-wbus-stop-new-water-taxi/?page=13&tab=reviews), an oldie but a goodie  ;)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on July 07, 2019, 04:39:34 AM
The past two updates are wonderful! Great work!  &apls The airport in the previous update is outstanding, and I like the fish farm in the last update.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on July 07, 2019, 11:07:12 AM
Thank you ! I don't have much credit to take for the airport, it is a modular one by SimcityFuturist  https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/27006-regional-airport-v1-road-enabled/ (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/27006-regional-airport-v1-road-enabled/) (in nine, easy to plop parts) that you just plop there and tinker with a little on the Freight TE end. Revisiting it now, I am thinking that it could be made more up-to-date with just a bit of TLC lotting, which I might do once I'm finished with my relots backlog. It's perfect for the lazy bones and non-airport savvy like me !  ;D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on July 28, 2019, 09:55:25 AM
Relics of the Past

Thille is mostly a modern city now, but at least three churches hint at its past : The Old Church (Saint Ermentrude), which was once the main piece of a fortified town long gone since, Saint-Francis, and the smallest, Saint-Apotolska, built by the first immigrants in the region (Polish farmers). Saint-Ermentrude and Saint-Apotolska were the biggest, in fact the only, towns of the place way back then. Only their churches remains. They have been absorbed, as all their much smaller sisters, by the modern city. Those churches' proud spires, once the highest buildings in the region, are now dwarfed by condos towers and such. So it goes.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-4-Old-Churches/i-SXdnjdx/0/c320015e/XL/1OldChurch21-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-4-Old-Churches/i-p8wk4x9/0/34af73ba/XL/2OldChurch2close-up1-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-4-Old-Churches/i-TVGZg67/0/d8398d72/XL/2OldChurchampBigtoweroverview-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-4-Old-Churches/i-5HTLPsv/0/5fceea50/XL/3OldChurchampBigtower1-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-4-Old-Churches/i-WFkF5PR/0/3745013d/L/5.Big%20Res%20%26%20Church%201-L-L.jpg)

Easy Living

Thille's citizens enjoy all the benefit of the big city with not too much of its drawbacks. Sports and Culture...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-T3fhdJr/0/3c0e16b8/XL/1ResCommampSports2-XL.jpg)

On the Right Bank, in front of City Hall (upgraded many times as the city was booming) one megaplex, aptly albeit unimaginatively named The Megaplex, provides popular films and fun for all ages – having killed most of the city's other small movie theaters in the process ; for good measure, there is also an IMAX theater.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-4WtwK6w/0/d81dbb0c/L/7CityHall-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-F3WdTnh/0/61c65cd1/L/3Megaplexsouthbank2-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-Rnr527z/0/50b9ec38/XL/6Megaplexcloser-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-7vcvTbg/0/40879453/XL/5MegaplexampImax-XL.jpg)

However, The Moondance theater, in the suburbs, has managed to survive by offering quality programming and thematic film festivals.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-Lw23WDN/0/f43672a9/XL/8CenturyTheater-XL.jpg)

Closer to Downtown, the Rivard Convention Center (named after the first mayor) doubles as the City Theater and Opera (the accoustics are to die for, the afficionados say). This neighbourhood is in fact the cultural hub of the city, with the Rivard Center, its subterranean semi-open commercial Plaza and the RKO Radio Building, which also sports a much reknown auditorium.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-xQWtnZx/0/7edc7279/L/8.Convention%20center-L-L.png)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-Cj526Mt/0/a854b6fd/XL/9Conventioncenterclose-up-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-3PzSGrx/0/b0df463d/XL/11RadioPKOampSubplaza3-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-7qLBQFg/0/6037a10d/XL/12RadioPKO1close-up-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-6-Entertainment-Services-Right-Bank/i-TBBcrhm/0/3edb5fc8/XL/13SubplazaClose-up-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on August 25, 2019, 11:22:53 AM
(Well, P. R. Crastina's travel album is open again!)

Thille's Entertaining Commercials

Although the fields rather abruptly begin at its suburbs, Thille is a prosperous modern city, where commerce and services are well developped. The airport is no stranger to that, as witnessed by the commercials close to the airport bus shuttle, or the big office and residential building in downtown.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-COMMERCIALS-2/i-72Gsgzs/0/b3b18d57/XL/2Centurytheaterinthefields-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-COMMERCIALS-2/i-WhLVLqt/0/c9c5f447/XL/5Commnearbusshuttle-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-COMMERCIALS-2/i-82MJCbC/0/558274dc/XL/9Parkingshoppingcenter-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-COMMERCIALS-2/i-TGB4TbP/0/4d979f8f/XL/11Downtownmega-XL.jpg)

In all modern cities, Malls small and big are often places of entertainment, where you go buy stuff – which can be entertaining in itself – but also to meet friends, have a nice cup of something or other and some fun. Thille's twist on that is that most of its big commercial centers are also cultural centers. The case in point is the Desjardine Commerce Center, only known locally as "Omega Blue". Its architect, Paule-Marie Desjardine, was the daughter of one of Northey Lake's RISFI "hippies", but no one laughed at her when she proposed her plan for the new commercial center. It was instead officially hailed as a splendidly daring project (dissenting voices were drowned in the applauds). Whatever the Thillois thought of it then, they love coming there now and go all the way to the upper floor restaurants and lounges for a look at the river and its banks stretching in both directions.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-COMMERCIALS-2/i-Lf4BHQS/0/5b21072e/XL/10Downtownoverview-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-s8TTtmz/0/661c57c8/XL/4.1BlueRiveroverview-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-4zfdqT6/0/83b45864/XL/4Blue3ampSkatearena-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-rPcff25/0/4d497128/XL/4Bluecloserampriver-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-ckRM76s/0/86591507/XL/4BluePlazacloseup-XL.jpg)

Last but not least, companion to the small, old City Hall, some distance from Blue on the Left Bank, there is the Public Library – affectionately dubbed "The Spaghetti", another Desjardins's design. It hosts workshops of all kinds, literary festivals (guess what P. R. went to Thille for !) and the Art Department of the distributed regional university.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-FdMmD7h/0/d47ff2d9/XL/0Omegaampparkoverview-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-kTvZbJD/0/27c08dbc/XL/1OmegaandPark4-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-MBz8MKT/0/0352291f/XL/2OmegaampPark-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-WKX9Ls2/0/7205f74b/XL/3OmegaampPark-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-fBr6ZGN/0/f10ed51c/XL/3OmegaampPark3-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-9GJCvRH/0/37552ffa/XL/3OmegaampParkrealclose-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-BLUE-OMEGA-2/i-vtkzqQN/0/8212002b/XL/3Omegaminigolf-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on August 25, 2019, 03:01:59 PM
Good to see another entry! That curvy building is so eye-catching. Is it dmscopios?
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on August 25, 2019, 09:44:09 PM
Thank you, Matt, for accompanying me over the 10 000 line mark !  :) And I wish I still knew -- that city is long gone and, at the time, I didn't keep a list of the plugins I used in this or that tile. It may be Di Scorpio, but I don't find any "Heywood" looking like that in his folder (it seems to be what is written on the thing) although there is that gigantic Heywood "Inn".
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Tyberius06 on August 26, 2019, 03:08:07 AM
Yepp, it is his work! It was restored on STEX a while back by TowerDude.

Heywood In by DmScopio (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/28837-heywood-in-by-dmscopio/)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: AsimPika3172 on August 26, 2019, 06:40:00 AM
Awesome! :D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on August 26, 2019, 09:00:14 AM
Nice entry!  There are some wonderful BAT's you are showcasing.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on August 27, 2019, 08:02:13 AM
Quote from: Tyberius06 on August 26, 2019, 03:08:07 AM
Yepp, it is his work! It was restored on STEX a while back by TowerDude.

Heywood In by DmScopio (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/28837-heywood-in-by-dmscopio/)

er, no, Tyb', I'd checked and the STEX Heywood Inn is this (splendid nevertheless, but.) The one I used is a commercial, if I remember well (I cheated calling it a library ;) because it fit the story)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Tyberius06 on August 27, 2019, 08:41:51 AM
Quote from: evarburg on August 27, 2019, 08:02:13 AM
Quote from: Tyberius06 on August 26, 2019, 03:08:07 AM
Yepp, it is his work! It was restored on STEX a while back by TowerDude.

Heywood In by DmScopio (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/28837-heywood-in-by-dmscopio/)

er, no, Tyb', I'd checked and the STEX Heywood Inn is this (splendid nevertheless, but.) The one I used is a commercial, if I remember well (I cheated calling it a library ;) because it fit the story)


Er, nope. Check it again. I just downloaded from STEX the content of that link (what I shared) and I got the very same building as in your CJ image.

(https://i.imgur.com/zTx4qEU.jpg)

It is a landmark. There are two lots. One even requires ingame water to be plopped. That highrise building is the LEX version of the Heywood Inn from DMScopio. I found that on STEX as well, see EDIT. I know because I spent a little time to organize his creations at the end of last year. The STEX version is what it is in your CJ, the LEX version is what you shared in your last post.

- Tyberius


EDIT: This is the version which was uploaded by DMScopio himself:

Heywood Inn (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/18344-heywood-inn/) - this what is on your last two images.

And this one was made by DMScopio too, but was uploaded by TowerDude in the behalf of DMS:

Heywood In by DmScopio (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/28837-heywood-in-by-dmscopio/)

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on August 27, 2019, 11:30:25 AM
Thoroughly confuzzled. I reDLed it from the STEX when I checked and I got the megalot ; all the other URLs on Google for Heywood Inn go to a similar lot. With your URL, indeed, it goes to the Spaghtetti  :) But if I do "Heywood Inn by DM Scorpio sc4" in google, it goes absolutely nowhere. Is something wrong with the links ?A search for Di Scorpio's content on Simtrop' goes nowhere either for me. Weird.

EDIT : of course it goes better with DMScopio no R  :D But still, I don't find that lot in his content on the STEX...
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Tyberius06 on August 27, 2019, 11:49:20 AM
Quote from: evarburg on August 27, 2019, 11:30:25 AM
EDIT : But still, I don't find that lot in his content on the STEX...

Because it's not under his account. As I said above, this one was uploaded by TowerDude, in the behalf of DMS after hia site went down. You will find more DMS stuffs under TowerDude's account.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on August 27, 2019, 01:13:07 PM
AhHA ! thanks, going there.
...............
LATER : Raaaaaah, lotsa stuff I didn't have  :bnn:  -- well, at least four lots (squirrel frenzy nevertheless !)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on September 09, 2019, 09:10:22 AM
Thille River banks

One of Thille's quaint traits is that there are not many bridges linking its north and south districts on the St-François River. But "to link or not to link" is a subject rather tepidly debated at the City Council, as the anti-linking party always end up successfully arguing that residential, commercial and industrial zones being judiciously disseminated all over the place as well as essential services & utilities, it is not necessary : "Build it and they will come" is not a positive motto around here – not anymore, after the somewhat rocky and unchecked beginnings of the city. And indeed, all polls, both on the Left and Righ Banks, give mostly the same results : the citizens are happy where they are – and the relatively sparse traffic on the two bridges (for a 400 k + population) proves it. The fact that several mayors have seen to it that both banks are nicely developed as parks, cycleways and promenades, also linking them underground in many places for pedestrians and bicycles, may have something to do with that quasi-unanimity...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-Nfstd5m/0/e4ff485f/XL/2Riveroverview2-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-5LPrghM/0/0912a7b1/XL/3Riverpark1-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-gwVWV2M/0/986578e5/XL/4RiverParkplaygroundcloser-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-XFdB7tq/0/293d69e6/XL/5RiverParkPlayground1-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-QVLJzVb/0/3135aa2d/XL/6Riverpark3-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-cZ9K69q/0/f1655fa5/XL/7RiverPark2-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-PBqPQ68/0/15b6179e/XL/8RIverparkcloser2-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-CDDtMqB/0/b7ebf40e/XL/9Riverparkcloser4-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-q7NBw8j/0/34bdba6d/XL/10Riverparkcloser3-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-DwMzXjD/0/14a67203/XL/11RiverParkcloser5-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/THILLE-RIVER-PARKS/i-5bxZLcz/0/418c6dd9/XL/12Riverparkcloser-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on September 13, 2019, 10:20:44 PM
Another great entry!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: kbieniu7 on September 26, 2019, 04:17:43 AM
Nice embankments! Those parks and plazas seem to fit quite well. Looks like a nice place for some relaxing walk :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 03, 2019, 10:21:33 AM
Zinfandel

1. Sometimes, P. R. hits the big time, and is invited in a Big City. It happened during her stint in Eden Bay, when her new novel came out to some applause. Some fan heard of her being there and agitated in order to invite her. It worked. P. R. could not not accept the invitation although it was a rather long trek to get there. She availed herself of the opportunity while she was in Eden Bay (remember Eden Bay ?), just before Spring Break.

Zinfandel is a really big city -- not a more or less haphazard concatenation of existing smaller towns into one big municipal fiction, like Eden Bay was. Lots of commercials, lots of industrials, lots of residentials and a bit too many people as far as P.R. was concerned.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-SpZkzqf/0/5cc65096/XL/1.Com%20%26%20Ind%201.jpg%20-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-5vsZvSD/0/f79ba3c9/XL/2.Com%20Ind%20%26%20Res%20nite-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-gTrWxJr/0/3aebb6e2/XL/3.1%20Ind%20hiteck%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-467rdfd/0/fcf8640f/XL/3.Ind%20%26%20Res%20massive-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-fN39sDT/0/de1a8b88/XL/3.mosaic%20diag%20galore-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-3r8Txbp/0/93808341/XL/4.Res%20%26%20Com%20diags-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-3vj2HCG/0/fa5fc26c/XL/5.Res%20%26%20Com%20diags%20nite-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-QdCpVbp/0/06ad7975/XL/6.Res%20%26%20Com-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-SN3gSCN/0/56866dd6/XL/7.Res%20%26%20Com%20nite-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-FDLj7BS/0/a9e8c1fb/XL/8.Suburb%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-hz9mLDx/0/2de4476e/XL/10.Mosaic%20Diag%20other%20angle%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-xCj2GN8/0/3745f4b6/X2/11.Mosaic%20no%20grid-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-rVfx6Gw/0/c4b0235c/L/12.Mosaic%20park%20diag%20closer-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-ppJChKK/0/770603f5/X3/13.Mosaic%20sand%20park-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-H5Fg3HT/0/e77367fe/X3/14.Mosaic%20sport%20IND-X3.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: kbieniu7 on October 07, 2019, 07:56:24 AM
Well, indeed feels like a big city. A bit chaotic  ;D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 07, 2019, 07:36:49 PM
"chaotic". Hm. Please explain ?  :) Always some learning to do.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: kbieniu7 on October 08, 2019, 09:54:29 AM
Well, seems for me like everything is mixed with everything - w2ws, long series of w2ws, standalones. Especially this diagonal (at this photo (https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-1-Res-Com-Ind/i-3r8Txbp/0/93808341/XL/4.Res%20%26%20Com%20diags-XL.jpg)) w2w that is placed everywhere, no matter its orientation toward the road. I'm just the type of player that always need to have w2ws properly placed   ;D
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on October 08, 2019, 01:07:14 PM
hm. I wasn't aware that the diag buildings were not oriented towards the roads (wasn't even aware it was possible - they just don't look right when not properly oriented...) Maybe I did not look at them the way you do, though. As to mixing, OK -- I'm the kind of player who likes to mix things up, in zoning and in buildings ! :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: Ralfger on October 22, 2019, 10:56:40 AM
First time posting here - but I have to say that I like the complex of multi-storey
buildings in the sixth picture and near the sports park some pictures further down.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on October 26, 2019, 09:59:03 AM
Nice update, I agree with @Ralfger on picture 6 and I can see @kbieniu7 point about being 'chaotic' but hey, you play the game your way and how it suits you. 
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on November 03, 2019, 09:00:55 AM
Zinfandel Downtown

P. R. spent a day walking around Downtown, through the high-rises canyons (always windy, but you appreciate it when the temperature is above 80°F). That's where the big posh hotels are (not where she was booked a room !) :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-jmQ4qRQ/0/f6189ebb/X5/1.Big%20%26%20B%201024-X5.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-rS4jcdQ/0/a89e5d98/XL/2Downtown%202.1%20nite-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-88jXhrC/0/588d1c25/XL/8Downtown%20police-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-K8QkHxJ/0/c2304134/XL/3Downtown%20day%20-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-WXtPcb6/0/cbd2351d/XL/4Downtown%20nite-XL.jpg)

Thankfully it's not all canyons, and a bit farther you can rest your eyes on some green(hish) horizon  like the mayor mansion, close to the Town Hall, or a park or two :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-CPSfSRB/0/f0021e58/X4/7Courthouse%26%20Mayor-X4.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-HS8qzFn/0/3fde4636/XL/6Downtown%20park-XL.jpg)

One must admit the city gets an E for Effort : they did some parkification, with a bike path, along the railway track that cuts through it :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-DVB4zL5/0/af1ad42f/XL/9Downtown%20railpark-XL.jpg)

And there is Alley Park, closer to the suburbs ; they're supposed to plant trees there, at some point.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-MvwZtT4/0/72551669/XL/10Mosaic%20going%20downtown-XL.jpg)

So where to tourists go in Zinfandel when they are through with walking around ? Well, to a mall, of course. Zinfandel has that. Not "a" mall. THE Mall. Where you can can walk & shop until you really drop, it is that big. Thankfully it has its own dedicated subway line, she didn't have to walk there (it's closer to the suburbs).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-8GJfJ4p/0/2f049ba5/XL/8.1.Big%20Mall%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-2-Downtown/i-4XGVbqx/0/3ae6ba7a/X2/8.1.Mosaic%20Big%20Mall-X2.jpg)

P. R. barely managed to get back to her (modest) hotel that evening. She had to recover before going to the Amusement Park. Touristing in big cities is SO exhausting.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on December 20, 2019, 09:09:46 AM
And now for good clean mindless fun : the Amusement Park ! Not as many rides as P. R. would have wished for but still half a day aaaaarghing on the big wheel (she's afraid of heights but is willing to be desensitized) and go-karting, and splish-plashing all over the place (now that's better, more horizontal !), and then go and eat ice creams (plural) AND lots of deliciously dubious foods, shuffing beer... After all those Serious Talks about Art, a girl needs to unwind, doesn't she ?

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-7-MAPP/i-Q39gBNr/0/8cf028f0/XL/1.Mapp%20overview-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-7-MAPP/i-T2srBx4/0/34889dd5/XL/2.MAPP%20overview%20nite-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-7-MAPP/i-vpvRDTb/0/3ad98d87/XL/5.MAPP%203-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-7-MAPP/i-5KRz9MC/0/4b591631/X3/7.Mosaic%20MAPP%202-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-7-MAPP/i-T8cxz7k/0/7fd72c4c/XL/3.MAPP%20wheel-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-7-MAPP/i-nxPfcfk/0/87f9159d/XL/4.Mapp%20wheel%20nite-XL.jpg)

Also, it sport a unique, experimental energy source that looks like... a modern sculpture forty meters high ? Or something. Something devised by the Science Department of the University of Zinfandel (that happens to be just beside the MAPP, how convenient) And close to the MAPP is the ECO-Park, Zinfandel's other hyper-tech answer to the ecological concerns of its citizens : futuristic model buildings... in a park.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-7-MAPP/i-BztcNX8/0/5e08744b/X3/6.Mosaic%20MAPP%201-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-7-MAPP/i-LK7Sq96/0/e98b4328/XL/6.MAPP%20energy-XL.jpg%20%5Bimg%5D%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%20%5Bimg%5D%20https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-6-Ecopark/i-q5zt4jV/0/926adc23/X3/4.Mosaic%20ecopark%201-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-6-Ecopark/i-szgrzMg/0/f35a52c4/X2/5.mosaic%20Ecopark%202-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-6-Ecopark/i-pBJgtss/0/e25252c7/XL/3Eco%20park-XL.jpg)

Culture beckons, again : the Eco Park is close to MAM, the big Modern Art Museum ; there are several other museums and art galleries. But she has two more days to visit them. Later. Her feet are crying for mercy.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-6-Ecopark/i-NWTFt8w/0/6675ca71/XL/1Eco%20park%20%26%20Museum-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-6-Ecopark/i-hh62v8c/0/59dbcd35/XL/2Ecopark%20%26%20museum%20nite-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on December 22, 2019, 02:02:34 AM
Really like the Amusement Park, looks rather fun!
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 19, 2020, 10:40:22 AM
Zinfandel Museums & University

The oldest museum in Zinfandel is the Conservatory (center), which was the Music Academy way back then but, as a new one has been built (blue sphere top right), it has been recycled as a Museum. It holds a fascinating collection of rare and very weird musical instruments from all over the world and epochs – as well as various versions of well-known ones, showing their evolution in time.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-2x9LWbZ/0/a8888955/X3/1.Conservatoire-X3.jpg)

The old style Aquarium (they still have live animals in captivity) is close to the Watts College (top left) and to the Oceanographic Institute (bottom right).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-rkXfbst/0/1903c32e/XL/2.Aquarium%20%26%20College-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-BqctVV8/0/6f5ed48e/XL/4.Museum%20%26%20Inst.%20oc%C3%A9anographique.1-XL.jpg)

The Gaivern Museum of Arts & Crafts (splendid collection of... kimonos ? Well, why noit. And, ah, also patchwork quilts.)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-2NRJ897/0/acf0819a/XL/3.Gaivern%20Museum%201-XL.jpg)

The City Archives (bottom) and the Natural Sciences Museum (top)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-JvtzXX6/0/f75983aa/XL/5.Science%20Museum%20and%20City%20Archives-XL.jpg)

P. R. kept the Big One for last : the Gallery, a multi-function Museum /Exposition Halls (very plural) ; it also holds painting and sculpture workshops all year round, as well as workshops in Electronic Arts ; and it has three auditoriums underground, varying in sizes.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-tn4kZXP/0/fb01b088/X3/6.Gallery%201-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-9bPw5jC/0/6daa19c6/XL/7.Gallery%203%20close-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-zmnhPfn/0/24a4ef3d/XL/8.Gallery%205%20close%20nite-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-HkTQNrS/0/1582f74b/X3/9.Mosaic%20Gallery%20day-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-3-Museums-Sports/i-8RMhmcN/0/0cb97b61/X3/10.Mosaic%20gallery%20nite-X3.jpg)

The day after, P. R. finally ventured to the University -- Universities, as there are two campuses.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-8-University-Complex/i-4dpjb2f/0/9005db4a/XL/1%20University%20overview-XL.jpg)

University Square (as they call it) is quite recent ; it is a complex lined by student residences, with a vast underground parking ; it is close to the Amusement park (most of the attractions of which, after all, are applied physics, right ?). Science & Technology dominate there, with the Korrigan Physics Institute...

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-8-University-Complex/i-nb29HVN/0/e4b55014/XL/4%20Mosaic%20Korrigan%20institute%201-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-8-University-Complex/i-crdZRmt/0/b4b75705/L/5%20Mosaic%20Korrigan%20institute%202-L.jpg)

... and the twin buildings of the Sagan Astrophysics Labs (left) and Biology Department (bottom). The Administration occupies an entire building (center.). There also is the Bethune Teaching Hospital (far left), that works in tandem with the Zamora Clinic (see first picture).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-8-University-Complex/i-RqpWtv6/0/8d6d2209/L/3%20Korrigan%20TechInstitute-L.jpg)

The Old University (not so old) is a completely separate campus in another part of town, with its student residences, close to City Hall and to the Big City Market ; it is now dedicated exclusively to "the Humanities".

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-8-University-Complex/i-Wh2JX8J/0/4893f736/XL/6%20Universit%C3%A9%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-8-University-Complex/i-tQGbmMT/0/2ee2760e/XL/8%20Mosaic%20University-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-8-University-Complex/i-KJkSh2s/0/09dad17a/XL/7%20Universit%C3%A9%20nite%202-XL.jpg)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: mattb325 on January 21, 2020, 02:03:17 PM
Great pictures! An excellent variety of BATs, and I love the diagonal pattern in the plazas  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: kbieniu7 on January 22, 2020, 11:24:51 AM
Nice! I repeat after Matt, this plaza around the gallery looks pleasant with this pattern :) Also, the church is an interesting addition, seems like a unchanged witness in a dynamically changing neighbourhood.

Btw, I feel like we have some more order compared to previous updates  ;D

PS. What is that black and grass-roofed building at this photo (https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-6-Ecopark/i-NWTFt8w/0/6675ca71/XL/1Eco%20park%20%26%20Museum-XL.jpg)? Could you give some hint where to find it, please? :)
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on January 22, 2020, 07:53:17 PM
Thank you.  ("Order in the city, order !" -- hammer banging  :P )

the green-roofed one ... Ah. Let me spelunk into my SC4 Stash (remember, all these CJs are from way back then.)

FOUND IT  ! (my filing system works, sometimes...) : it's the Center For The Performing [Preforming, hum] Arts by Xiloxadoria. https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/27885-center-for-the-preforming-arts/ (https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/27885-center-for-the-preforming-arts/)

Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on February 08, 2020, 08:19:13 AM
P. R.'s long week-end in Zinfandel was coming to a close, the buzz of the Big City was getting too loud for her country girl's ears. She was ready to leave, with a jumble of impressions stored in her mind (and camera). First and foremost : that city is almost infuriatingly clean, Switzerland-like clean. There was even a time when both its dumps were clean, though they partly process the garbage of Eden Bay -- there was talk of closing the big one down, but it would have been silly, so the Mayor stood firm. It made for Once-In-a-Lifetime pictures for the city Archives, though ; and people really don't mind living near.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-Hf9fnBQ/0/bca546ce/XL/3Mosaic%20garbage%202-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-8jqTGfT/0/a161b889/X3/4Mosaic%20garbage1-X3.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-PNz9ZKD/0/1d505f42/X2/5Mosaic%20Utilities%2Bpark-X2.jpg)

They also don't mind living close to the waterworks, for that matter :

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-bjVc9bg/0/5b9cd501/XL/1Utility%20%26%20Res-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-cpbmtHb/0/6630b341/XL/2Utility%20nite-XL.jpg)

A last visit to the Central Balthazar Market, where one can find hundreds of delicious regional products ; it's close to the bunkery Courthouse (and its historical Archives) and to the university.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-5LxXJSC/0/e33fe158/XL/8TownHall%20%26%20Halles%20day-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-2P6fGmc/0/4be83ebd/XL/9Townhall%20%26%20halles%20nite-XL.jpg)

There are two rail stations in Zinfandel, the East Market station, the first one in Zinfandel when it was just a rather small town ; the market has disappeared but the name stayed.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-LkqFzVz/0/ae9535c3/XL/6Midrailway%20%26%20Com-XL.jpg)

And now the main one, Central Station, where people of a nocturnal bend can have a drink at any hour : it never closes).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-kxjRHWN/0/411f6cf6/XL/10Central%20station%20day-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-n4XPPTD/0/2e8f64e3/X2/0.2Gare%203-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/ZIFANDEL-4-Services-Utilities/i-QsZLSCr/0/58ca7fc7/XL/11Central%20Station%20nite-XL.jpg)

And that's from there that P. R., not bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but having secured an invitation to come back for lectures and workshops, went back home -- she snored all the way back and almost missed her stop. Big Cities are exhausting.
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: PaPa-J on February 12, 2020, 04:59:38 PM
Nice entry.  Tell P.R. that I'm just as tired as she is.  LOL
Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on March 08, 2020, 01:18:03 PM
Did you ever have a city run away from you? Sandboxing to find new combos of buildings, rooting in your stash ("Hey, I never used this !") to see what works, what doesn't, what needs to be added, what is too weedy... and while it grows, you add this, you add that... and you end up with a full big or medium tile. Well, it happened to me too. Of course, I also ended up falling in love with that test city, and am now inflicting it on you. I had just become able to get night lights, going from Mac to a virtual Windows on a partition. I had not subdued Windows yet, as you'll notice if you look at the picts' bottom right corner (don't look too long!) and I was out of control, so lots and lots of night pictures ! Cities at night are magic...

........................................................

Among all the cities and towns visited par P. R. in her travels, Poutine City is certainly so far the most utilitarian: a no-nonsense, daily-grind kind of city. Not actually a city in itself but the creeping Eastern borough of a larger metropolis, Caraway. Poutine is not even its real name (it is Caraway East), but that's what the inhabitants call it, because it developed quite quickly and a lot of people had to be housed fast, so the Mayor wanted un-fancy and sturdy : lots of prefabs and concrete buildings jammed together on a grid, the most people in the smaller space for your buck. Of course, with time, a few higher-end buildings sprouted up here and there. And there are still all the amenities: schools, sport fields, a rather pretty little city hall, a hospital (Poutine is home to 250 000 people), some commercial places, some industries linking it to Caraway West's industrial zone ; and even a few places where the citizens can breathe and relax at the end of a dutifully busy day, like the peaceful Bon Secours Church cemetery, or the Zoo (a small, urban affair, but the kiddies like it) ; or Windy Park – thrice windy, P. R. was told : named after the Mayor's daughter, no straight lines in sight and always sporting a refreshing breeze (yeah, I know ; the daughter's name is Wendy, of course ; but the Poutinians like bad wordplay).

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-qKfbn85/0/c6f47611/XL/1Downtown%20day%20small%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-8QdKvh7/0/f702088b/XL/2Downtown%20nite%20small%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-nsM2sMJ/0/04a2c4fd/XL/3res%202%20day%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-tDHmMKd/0/cddba99f/XL/4res%202%20nite%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-J6F3rKd/0/1572baf0/XL/5res%203%20day%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-Kx4v6C6/0/0ee9ae49/XL/6res%204%20day%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-f77ZSDg/0/9af2464b/XL/7res%204%20nite%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-2Vwk3Lp/0/5c7ab3d9/L/8res%205%20day%20copie-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-PvD2Z3T/0/5e4f55c9/XL/10res%206%20nite%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-xHXxVZs/0/c8eee5f5/XL/11Sports%20%26%20Hospital%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-MxjVjfm/0/15c47263/X2/12Com%20place%201%20day%20copie-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-tZSCSvQ/0/26b24b6a/XL/13com%20place%201%20nite%202%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-tGxHjXP/0/9422fbd7/XL/14com%20nite%20pretty%201%20%2BHospital-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-TX3mDt7/0/0867bd9c/XL/15Res%20%26%20Ind%201%20day%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-Tcv4kmG/0/a44bcfea/XL/16res%20%26%20ind%20nite%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-X7NNLNq/0/7a62a865/XL/17church%202%20day%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-9xwdbML/0/a2987a7a/X2/19Church%20nite%201%20copie-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-KFPBt2J/0/8c683186/XL/20Res%20%26%20park%20day%201%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-3jcB9SV/0/6cae0910/XL/21Res%20%26%20park%20nite%201%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-KQD7F9j/0/22c94721/XL/22Park%20close%20day%201%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-ZwVKjMf/0/9bde2d79/XL/23Park%20close%20nite%201%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-K5HB9Qb/0/ed5542d2/XL/24Zoo%20%26%20park%20day%202%20copie-XL.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/POUTINE-CITY/i-3KCvMjv/0/616f88ae/XL/25Zoo%20%26%20park%20nite%20copie-XL.jpg)




Title: Re: P.R. Crastina's Travels
Post by: evarburg on March 26, 2020, 12:39:40 PM
I had a grandiose region planned and half-filled when it crashed, aaargh etc.. Fortunately, I had taken lots of pictures of the center piece city, which was to be the skyscrapers runamok part of it – the rest was suburbs low and medium, and agri galore. I was very happy with that city, (hence the numerous picts) because I'd managed to grow a lot of skyscrapers I'd never grown before (Altura Tower ! Paeng-P4 !! Big residentials !!!). I'd named it Gardine, because I didn't want it to be just a porcepic of a city, I wanted it to have breathing spaces -- as many as I could, parks big and small, parkings, whatever. And last but not least, I was still in the happy daze of being able to have night lights ! I'd also discovered how to make the magic flying carpet pictures (alas, it doesn't work too well for night ones...)

----------------------
(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-Dm3Snb5/0/b20a5a5a/X2/overview%20%231%20day%20-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-XRMszCn/0/beaa6cd2/X2/overview%20%231%20nite-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-2n98PmC/0/adf1992f/X2/overview%20%232%20day-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-3QQmPSr/0/0fa097ae/X2/Overview%20%232%20nite-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-k4GbSMq/0/cb7b7139/X2/Overview%203-X2.jpg)

Gardine is a booming city, with mostly high tech, high paying industries cheek to jowl with residentials and commercials, and quite close to downtown.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-vWjJVW4/0/ae9186cc/X2/Booming%201%20day-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-kMXPzCk/0/da37abb5/X2/Booming%201%20nite-X2.jpg)
(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-b78jJcW/0/d0bd5028/X2/Booming%204%20nite-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-rr9SF2M/0/70bf38ae/X2/High%20tech%204%20day-X2.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/GARDINE-2-Booming-City/i-9tHJ8sM/0/d0799ad9/X2/Rescom%20%26%20industry%20day-X2.jpg)