Furillen

If you're in the mood for wintery weather and striking expanses, don your coat and head to Furillen, a new creation by Serene Footman based on the real world island by the same name, situated off the coast of Sweden, on which deserted limestone factory and military installations have been oddly converted into a hotel and tourist destination. That curious dichotomy is plainly evident in the virtual space — probably more an evocative than literal interpretation — to gorgeous effect.

"I saw pictures of Furillen two years ago and wanted to do a version in Second Life," Serene explained. "I love the contrast between the luxury hotel and the wasteland — it just took me two years to get around to doing this ... One person visited here who knows Furillen in real life, and he seems to like what I did." Serene plans to keep the sim going as long as visitor interest continues — he has additional ideas he'd like to develop as well — and adds that some elements in the build are continually changing, such as the furniture and decor inside the hotel.

Explorers will find plenty to discover as they venture through the surreal landscape, ranging from the curious hotel area itself to forgotten industrial areas, a garage, a docked boat named Queen of Denial, a forlorn tree and chair perched high overhead, a trailer (photo below — "the Airstream is a signature of the real Furillen," says Serene), and a long pier lined with colored chairs, mirroring a quirky real world sight. (If the snow gets to be too much for you or your browser, you can toggle it on and off by hiding or showing alphas using shift-option-command-2 (Mac) or shift-alt-control-2 (Windows)). Please consider leaving a contribution toward the sim's support if you enjoy Furillen.