D#015 The Salt Lakes of Florence (Les Salins d'Aigues-Mortes)

The Salt Lakes of Florence are inspired by an RL place, Les Salins d'Aigues-Mortes, saline marshes surrounding a small medieval village - Aigues-Mortes - located in the South of France, in the Camargue region. 

"La vie en rose".

Let me tell you a little bit about the RL place. 

As the name says, the salt lakes are ponds - swamps - of placid pink waters from which salt, also known as "White Gold", has been extracted over the centuries and still is today! The Salins d'Aigues-Mortes are the largest salt lakes of the Mediterranean and one of the most important birds reserves in Europe.  The characteristic pink color of its waters is due to the massive presence of microscopic pink algae, the Dunaliella Salina, that grows in these highly salted waters and is eaten by small crustaceans similar to shrimps called Artemia Salina. These, in turn, are a tasty treat for the famous pink birds - flamingos - which owe the color of their feathers to them.

"The visit".

At the landing point, the visitor is immediately projected into what is the main attraction which gives the sim its name: the calm pink water basins and the white salt dunes of the industrial area.

Continuing to the right, there is a beautiful naturalistic area where different species of birds can be observed besides the famous flamingos, such as ducks and herons. The area is equipped with several resting points where the visitor can relax, take pictures and simply appreciate the beauty and peacefulness of the place - alone or in good company.

The other part of the sim, reachable through a small stone bridge, is reserved for the small village and nearby beach - another reference here to the Camargue region, famous for its wild beaches of soft sand. 

A lovely lighthouse, a very characteristic little hotel with the adjacent deli area, and a simple and rustic farmhouse represent the little town. Worth noting is the cute mastiff dog guarding some suitcases at the hotel entrance, with the typical French hat and funny mustaches! 

Many are the wild horses on the sim, a perfect subject for photo lovers and another reference to the real Camargue region. The Camargue horse is, in fact, an ancient breed of horse indigenous of this area of the South of France that lives in semi-feral conditions in this marshy land and is considered one of the oldest breeds of horses in the world. 

Before returning to the landing point, the visitor meets another naturalistic area, again the reign of the flamingos. This little corner of France is the chosen habitat of these beautiful birds that reproduce and raise their chicks here. It is said that nearly 10.000 flamingos divided into 200 different groups live in this area all year round.  

"Final impressions".

Building a world in SL, whether it is a fantasy land or a city-like roleplay community, or a simple hanging out spot is not an easy job, it takes a lot of time for the creator/s in terms of planning, building, decorating. 

Behind this surprising work, the Salt Lakes of Florence, there is the creativity and ability of Iska and Tippah who have managed to recreate this RL location so well that it gave me the impression of really being there, in Camargue, walking among the salt dunes and the pink ponds. I was in awe for the whole duration of my visit.

In times like these, where travel around the globe is still limited by the pandemic that has been afflicting us for over two years now, having the chance to explore these little "worlds" inspired by RL locations is essential and, in some ways, also therapeutic.  

This is absolutely one of the sims I suggest everyone visit, at least once. It is free and open to all. 

Thanks for reading! 💗

SIM INFOS:

Name: The Salt Lakes of Florence 

URL: The Salt Lakes of Florence

Flickr: Florence at Low Tide