ThomasSimpson

Absolutely amazed, and honoured, to have won a Trixie. I did not expect Cattala to get a Trixie, ever, and simply to be nominated over the past couple of years has been a privilege. I'm so pleased with how Cattala has been received over the past three and a half years. It's developed a very long way and that's thanks to the help and support of the generous members of the Simcity community. After 116 updates, my time to produce updates and work on my cities and my (seemingly more popular!) rural regions is much diminished. I won't be doing another update until at least June or July due to my final A2 exams coming up this summer. But I hope that Cattala will be back soon. Thank you again to everyone that voted and nominated Cattala.

Another strong week for Cattala. Fair point about the amount of time it takes to make updates. It is a shame that the Simtropolis CJ function doesn't work very well though. Your advice was most useful!

Congrats to Kruness! Out of interest, Ben, have you ever considered providing hyperlinks to the Top Ten journals?

TekindusT: Thank you! MilitantRadical: Yep, I've spent three years building, demolishing, rebuilding, fixing, altering and improving Celeste. It's taken a long time to, I think, almost complete that tile. Mr Saturn64: Thank you! Lord Branham: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Huston: Thank you, that means so much. I never intended for these cities to have that green style, it just sort of happened. I wish you the best of luck with ME:TMW, and it's good you enjoy making it so much! Prophet42: Thanks! The diagonal lots that have been produced by JENX and Xannepan, I believe, are excellent. This week, we're heading north to Calora, Cattala's second-largest city. We'll be visiting three parts of the city - the historic quarter, the commuter town of Iralli and the suburb of Cydonia. I hope you like it. First up, the Royal Estate in Old Calora. Historically home to House Aroe of Fieranti, who reigned as Princes until 1532 and Lords of Calora until the 19th century, it became the home of the Governor under British rule and later the President of Cattala under Italian rule. It was restored to Crown rule in 1950 and is now the home of the Duke of Fieranti, currently the husband of Queen Alexandra, Duke Luciano. Cydonia is a prominent suburb of Calora, and forms part of the city's industrial belt with a number of high-tech companies operating out of the town. It benefits from direct rail access to Calora's CBD, the Harbour, Celeste and also has strong road connections with the city's main airport and the capital by the M2 motorway. Now for a night shot of Cydonia, showing the prominence of the railway divide between the two distinct sections of the suburb. A rare sight in my actual journal - a view of Iralli, under construction. Whilst I was doing some work on the city at the weekend I decided to show you a work-in-progress shot detailing what happens when you have R$$ demand in a city where your lots are almost all R$. This night shot, taken during autumn, shows some of the expansion work I have done to the east of the city (south in this image). Note the classical styled building in the bottom, near what looks like a military checkpoint... And a mosaic of the Cattala Observatory, home to the country's most prominent astrologists and space researchers, it forms part of a park in the east of the city that is known as Classical Park, based on its neo-classical architecture. The memorial to the south of the observatory is the town's war memorial, whilst the park further down is home to a chapel and a cafe. Here is a larger view of the suburb, which lies to the east further along the M2 motorway from Cydonia. And to end today, a mysterious building, buried deep in the forests of Iralli... The ISC Building, home to the Intelligence Service of Cattala, a seemingly small facility at first glance... Reportedly, also home to one of the top-secret Military Communications Service (MCS) operational outposts as well. I hope they don't find this picture... Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

Update 113 IRE505: Thank you! Here's more now. elavery: Hi, I believe the buildings your referring to are from Simcity China. They were recommended to me by a friend but I don't have a download link. They're from a collection called the ROMA series, if that helps. Prophet42: Thanks! ilikehotdogsalot: Thank you! ioh969: Thanks. I'm glad you like it. Hazani Pratama: Thanks! CGMozart118: Thank you - it's good to hear the cathedral fits better than the last one. Paulobergonci: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. feeroz123: Thanks! I hope you enjoy this entry. Benedict: Thank you. I don't think it's particularly Mediterranean for it to be so green but that was a bit of an accident. A good one though, I reckon. darkaliendude: Thanks! Huston: I'm so glad you like it, thanks! I hope to see you back at the AIN again soon. Update 114 Benedict: Thanks! The heart shape is a commemoration from the AINVision Song Contest, which was hosted in that arena and had a heart in its logo. MuricanMike: Welcome to Cattala! If you mean the ones in the header, they are a fantastic set by Jeronij: https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=112 Huston: I'm glad, thank you! Happy new year to you too. SimRico: Thanks so much! City_Master: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed them. Schulmanator: Thanks! Happy New Year to you too! NMUSpidey: Thank you for being such a loyal follower. I'm glad you liked it. MilitantRadical: Three year's worth of work. I've never done a full tile view before because I've never built a city to the depth and detail of Celeste. This is the 29th update from Celeste, which I think says it all about the changes and alterations I've continuously made. Phew, a lot of comments! Thank you all. I hope you all had a joyous New Year. For our first update of 2014, it's time to finish the tour of the refreshed Celeste, starting with Vittoria Palace, the home of the Royal Family of Cattala since the 17th century. On a quiet Saturday morning, Celeste is a beautiful city, even in winter. The Palace overlooks a lake in the middle of the Fiume Celestica, which is as much a river as that famous channel in Panama. The dome of the Palace was supposed to be the highest point in the city, although that has long since changed. The lake separates three distinct areas within the capital: Alder Hill, the political heartland of the city; Amadeus, the historic home of the monarchy; and Franogei, the contemporary home of the sovereign and the nation's embassies, high commissions and some government offices. Franogei is also home to one of the country's most controversial buildings. The King's Reach Tower is the tallest outside of Aziens, standing at 129 metres tall. Built in the 1990s to replace the old Telegraph House, home of the Daily Telegraph newspaper, it was strongly opposed by conservationists, urban designers and, ironically, the newspaper group that sold the building to developers. Celeste Metropolitan Council and the Government of Amosseri supported the controversial tower, which was completed in 1995. Leaked military documents after the building was topped out suggested the royal protection force, the Arms Supreme, also opposed the development as it posed a "sniper risk" to Vittoria Palace, which is one block away. Moving to a less controversial district, Alder Court is the tennis capital of the nation, and home to the NM Group, Cattala's second-largest media corporation behind RMI. They relocated to Blue Square, the blue tower, upon its completion in 1996. News broadcasts from the top floor show a live panoramic view of the city. Imperial Court is west of Alder Court and home to Celeste's main university, Imperial University. It is the centre for the capital's medical and high-tech industries. Now, for a view of central and south-western Celeste by night. And a mosaic of three parts of the city - Franogei, Alder Hill and Aziens. To end today's update, I've annotated that view of the city from the last update. The white areas show the districts of the city, and the orange show the key places elsewhere in the country and province. Please note that the city is laid out incorrectly to a normal compass - the east is west, and west is east. Don't ask why. Clockwise from the top, Vittoria is a suburb of Celeste that we have visited several times, Calora is the country's second largest city and the capital of Fieranti province. Avias is the location of King Marco Bonnecelli Airport, Celeste's main airport. Brunel is the nearest suburb of Celeste that forms the start of the "Albert Belt" of suburbs along the south west of the city. Celeste Harbour is the port serving the capital, and Sutton is the main railway junction town south-east of the city. Jennai is Cattala's largest city. Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

WOW! Having seen this journal pop up on Ben's Top One Hundred, I was truly amazed to read through it. It's a true masterpiece, you should be really proud of yourself.    I've never seen a British styled CJ created so magnificently. It's incredible. I can't wait to see what you've got in store in 2014.

Welcome to the United Kingdom of Cattala. This is my first real City Journal here on Simtropolis, and I've been told for a while to bring it onto here. Cattala is a member state of the Alliance of Independent Nations. Please check Update 42 for the most recent update of facts about Cattala. Contents Update 1: Cattala | An Introduction (outdated) Update 2: Calora | The Old Town Update 3: Celeste | Alder Hill Update 4: Celeste | Victorian District Preview Update 5: Aldoak | Mini Musical Update 6: Celeste | Victorian District Update 7: Rhodes | North and North East Update 8: Calora | Trepistaz Gate Update 9: The Daily Telegraph | 3rd November Update 10: Seina | First Update Update 11: Calora | Eastbrook Village Update 12: Aldoak | Warm Wilderness Update 13: Calora | Lake and Lago Update 14: Celeste | Revisiting the Capital Update 15: Calora | Lagos and Doveamo Update 16: Daily Telegraph | 10th December Update 17: Brunswick & San Pietro | Fruits of our Labour Update 18: Brunswick | New Graphics for a New Village Update 19: Cattala | Buon Natale! Update 20: Seina | December Update Update 21: Brunswick | Dalaemos and Teliseri Update 22: Cattala | Felice Anno Nuovo! Update 23: Cattala | 2010 Overview Update 24: Seina | January Update and Voting Update 25: Seina | Growing into a Rising Sun Update 26: Calora | Lil' Ol' Vecchio Update 27: Calora | Vecchio e Nuovo Update 28: Important Announcement Update 29: Seina | The Sky is the Limit Update 30: Celeste | Je m'appelle Franogei Update 31: Celeste | The Grand Capital Update 32: Brunswick | Ye Olde Vista Update 33: Eurellia | Seven Thousand Droplets Update 34: Seina | Digging South Update 35: Celeste | A Damp Dusk Update 36: Postcards | Grand and Belluterra Update 37: Aldoak | Return to Ontano, Part One Update 38: Aldoak | Return to Ontano, Part Two Update 39: Celeste | Grandeur in Vittorius Update 40: Aldoak | Rocking it up to Fourty Update 41: Celeste | Vittorius Throughout Update 42: Overview of Life after Fourty Update 43: Bringing Up the Past Update 44: Celeste | Amadeus without Mozart Update 45: Calora | Marcillera Mornings Update 46: Ionia | Lakes and Luxury Update 47: Celeste | Regal Dedication Update 48: Calora | New Heights in Altura Update 49: Seina | The Church Doest Roar Update 50: Monte Calida | A Change in Daernos Update 51: Celeste | Imperial Demands Update 52: Ontano | Defend the Walls Update 53: Calora | Beside the Seaside Update 54: Celeste | Panoramic Procedures Update 55: Calora | Healthy Nights Update 56: Jennai | Cecilia Rising Update 57: Seina | Building for the Future Update 58: Amano | Crossing the Bridge Update 59: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic Update 60: Celeste | Lights and Action Update 61: Seina | A Duke's Welcome Update 62: Ontano | Stark Night Update 63: Allea | Don't have a cow Update 64: Seina | Feeling a bit Blue Update 65: Jennai | Upstate Downstate Update 66: Ontano | Autumn Reigns Update 67: Jennai | Confines of the North Update 68: Jennai | Western Surprise Update 69: Jennai | Out in the sticks Update 70: Roumeli | One, Two, DC If you wish find out more about Cattala, visit the Cattala forums or the Cattala wiki at the AIN.

Benedict: Thanks! I hope you all had a joyous New Year. For our first update of 2014, it's time to finish the tour of the refreshed Celeste, starting with Vittoria Palace, the home of the Royal Family of Cattala since the 17th century. On a quiet Saturday morning, Celeste is a beautiful city, even in winter. The Palace overlooks a lake in the middle of the Fiume Celestica, which is as much a river as that famous channel in Panama. The dome of the Palace was supposed to be the highest point in the city, although that has long since changed. The lake separates three distinct areas within the capital: Alder Hill, the political heartland of the city; Amadeus, the historic home of the monarchy; and Franogei, the contemporary home of the sovereign and the nation's embassies, high commissions and some government offices. Franogei is also home to one of the country's most controversial buildings. The King's Reach Tower is the tallest outside of Aziens, standing at 129 metres tall. Built in the 1990s to replace the old Telegraph House, home of the Daily Telegraph newspaper, it was strongly opposed by conservationists, urban designers and, ironically, the newspaper group that sold the building to developers. Celeste Metropolitan Council and the Government of Amosseri supported the controversial tower, which was completed in 1995. Leaked military documents after the building was topped out suggested the royal protection force, the Arms Supreme, also opposed the development as it posed a "sniper risk" to Vittoria Palace, which is one block away. Moving to a less controversial district, Alder Court is the tennis capital of the nation, and home to the NM Group, Cattala's second-largest media corporation behind RMI. They relocated to Blue Square, the blue tower, upon its completion in 1996. News broadcasts from the top floor show a live panoramic view of the city. Imperial Court is west of Alder Court and home to Celeste's main university, Imperial University. It is the centre for the capital's medical and high-tech industries. Now, for a view of central and south-western Celeste by night. And a mosaic of three parts of the city - Franogei, Alder Hill and Aziens. To end today's update, I've annotated that view of the city from the last update. The white areas show the districts of the city, and the orange show the key places elsewhere in the country and province. Please note that the city is laid out incorrectly to a normal compass - the east is west, and west is east. Don't ask why. Clockwise from the top, Vittoria is a suburb of Celeste that we have visited several times, Calora is the country's second largest city and the capital of Fieranti province. Avias is the location of King Marco Bonnecelli Airport, Celeste's main airport. Brunel is the nearest suburb of Celeste that forms the start of the "Albert Belt" of suburbs along the south west of the city. Celeste Harbour is the port serving the capital, and Sutton is the main railway junction town south-east of the city. Jennai is Cattala's largest city. Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

Superb stats Benedict!

Congratulations to all of the Top Ten, a fantastic achievement. All very worthy journals. :)

Welcome back to Cattala, where the celebrations of the New Year are already underway! This year, we're visiting Celeste, the capital, and Jennai Harbour for the countdown and fireworks. Replies to your comments from the previous update will be on our next edition. Our first stop is the capital, Celeste. This year, the fireworks are focused on Aziens, the vibrant economic heart of the city. Princess Maria and Lord Celestine are representing the Queen and the Government in the capital this New Year. Moving on swiftly to Jennai. This is the first year that Jennai has featured in this journal's New Years celebrations. It has been a marvellous year for Jennai, which I hadn't even begun to build this time in 2012. Now, it's hosted the AINVision Song Contest from the Jennai Arena that you see below. Jennai has also developed its waterfront in the past year, and has been the main focus point of this City Journal in 2013. I know that this year I haven't provided the normal quantity of updates that you have had in the past. Hopefully, the improving quality of updates has gone some way to making up for this. 2014 is likely to be even less active than this year, due to school pressures, so I want to leave you this year with a thank you gift. Here is the most complete view of central Celeste since I began this journal, three years ago. I hope you like it. Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

I'm really amazed that Cattala was even on the list, let alone that high up. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to this project Ben, it's brilliant and I wish you the best of luck in 2014.

Welcome back to Cattala, where the celebrations of the New Year are already underway! This year, we're visiting Celeste, the capital, and Jennai Harbour for the countdown and fireworks. Replies to your comments from the previous update will be on our next edition. Our first stop is the capital, Celeste. This year, the fireworks are focused on Aziens, the vibrant economic heart of the city. Princess Maria and Lord Celestine are representing the Queen and the Government in the capital this New Year. Moving on swiftly to Jennai. This is the first year that Jennai has featured in this journal's New Years celebrations. It has been a marvellous year for Jennai, which I hadn't even begun to build this time in 2012. Now, it's hosted the AINVision Song Contest from the Jennai Arena that you see below. Jennai has also developed its waterfront in the past year, and has been the main focus point of this City Journal in 2013. I know that this year I haven't provided the normal quantity of updates that you have had in the past. Hopefully, the improving quality of updates has gone some way to making up for this. 2014 is likely to be even less active than this year, due to school pressures, so I want to leave you this year with a thank you gift. Here is the most complete view of central Celeste since I began this journal, three years ago. I hope you like it. Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

MilitantRadical: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. Ace: Thank you! Forthwall: Thanks. I hope you like the mosaics and panorama in this entry too! Hazani Pratama: Thanks! Sylvio Jorge: Thank you very much. I always try and build my cities so they function, as well as looking nice. That often means that they aren't as beautiful or realistic as plopped and custom lotted or very photoshopped cities, but all of my cities work in-game as well as in updates. I had a water supply issue that crippled Celeste recently and I had to do a lot of redeveloping and growing to get the population and jobs back. spursrule14: Thanks again! So I failed completely in the plan to restart regular updates in the summer. This was because of a number of problems I've had with Simcity which ultimately made it unworkable for a long time. I've had another go over the past few days and I've been making a lot of headway with my cities which I'm very happy with. I hope you enjoy this, the 28th update of the capital. Welcome to the new and improved Celeste. Celeste Cathedral was rather more Germanic than I had liked, so now I have changed it to a more fitting structure. The statue is of Lucius, King of Cattala during the Golden Revolution in the 16th century. It was he who established Celestinian supremacy over the other royal houses of Cattala and sowed the first seeds of democracy within the nation. That's after causing a seven-year civil war through absolutist policies, and then ending that war through the violent conquering of Jennai. But that's not really in the tourist guides. Alder Hill is the political centre of Cattala. The political bubble may appear to be isolated from the rest of society is in many other countries, but in Cattala it literally is - Alder Hill is effectively an island in between the canals of Celeste, that were built in the 18th century, along with much of the rest of the city. Alesso is a rather more recent addition to Celeste. Spreading out northwards from Alder Hill, it carved what was known historically as the White Forest into two. To the west, the White Peak was pushed back by the construction of the Solium in the early 19th century and in east, the White Widow became an industrial port in what is now known as Aziens. Alesso was created in the Dutch style, favoured by the Harolden Kings of the 17th and early 18th centuries. It relied upon river trade and the industry in the White Widow area for employment. Once this diminished in the 1900s, Alesso fell into decay and much of it was abandoned. As part of the Aziens development programme in the post-war era, Alesso has been heavily invested in and is now a cultural centre in the city. Dionysus Court is the centrepiece of the Alesso redevelopment. The Dionysus Arena is the main concert venue in Celeste, and hosts international pop superstars, talent contests and even the National Philharmonic Orchestra. It is owned by the Dion Group, which built and owns the Trisys Towers, three of the tallest buildings in Celeste that are home to major multinational corporations including Cattala Post. Moving west, I mentioned the Solium earlier. Built by King Marco V, it was created as a regal manor house worthy of a King. Yet it was to be the home of the Lord Chancellor, a political leader who was head of the government and the Council of State in the days before democracy in Cattala. By the time the palace was completed in 1816, Marco had died and the country had been colonised by Britain, through the barrel of a Royal Navy gunship. This is a panorama - open in a new tab to see it in full size. The Solium sits on the edge of the Citadel di Celestica, the old quarter of the city. Renamed in 1920 as "Amadeus" after the Crown Prince who fought to resist an Italian invasion in 1860 and kept the Celestine's in a position of some power, the buildings in this part of the capital date back to the 11th century. Some additions during the Lucian era in the Renaissance remain outside of the castle walls alongside later additions from the Harolden era. The architectural mix of buildings covering 900 years of history are major tourist attractions in Celeste. On the southern edge of Amadeus, here seen as the north, lies the great Chapel of Kings. Commissioned by Philip IV in 1617, it was built to celebrate the previous monarchs of Cattala and was opened to the public on the 630th anniversary of the coronation of Roger Celestine, the first King of Cattala, in 1625. It forms part of the Ecclesiastical Triangle in Celeste, from the Cathedral in Alder Hill, to the Chapel of Kings and the Shrine of St Paul, both in Amadeus. The Shrine of St Paul is one of the oldest churches in Cattala and is where the Seven Princes of Cattala surrendered their titles to King Lucius the Absolute in 1532. Subterranean vaults between the Shrine and the Chapel house the tombs of every King between Lucius and the last Celestine, King William III. Next time... We head south, to Franogei. But here's a sneak peek of the new Vittoria Palace. Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

Ultimate727: Thanks, that means a lot! vinlabsc3k: Thank you, and hopefully this will live up to your expectations. Huston: Thank you, that means a lot coming from you. No farms in this city but hopefully you'll like it nonetheless. So I failed completely in the plan to restart regular updates in the summer. This was because of a number of problems I've had with Simcity which ultimately made it unworkable for a long time. I've had another go over the past few days and I've been making a lot of headway with my cities which I'm very happy with. I hope you enjoy this, the 28th update of the capital. Welcome to the new and improved Celeste. Celeste Cathedral was rather more Germanic than I had liked, so now I have changed it to a more fitting structure. The statue is of Lucius, King of Cattala during the Golden Revolution in the 16th century. It was he who established Celestinian supremacy over the other royal houses of Cattala and sowed the first seeds of democracy within the nation. That's after causing a seven-year civil war through absolutist policies, and then ending that war through the violent conquering of Jennai. But that's not really in the tourist guides. Alder Hill is the political centre of Cattala. The political bubble may appear to be isolated from the rest of society is in many other countries, but in Cattala it literally is - Alder Hill is effectively an island in between the canals of Celeste, that were built in the 18th century, along with much of the rest of the city. Alesso is a rather more recent addition to Celeste. Spreading out northwards from Alder Hill, it carved what was known historically as the White Forest into two. To the west, the White Peak was pushed back by the construction of the Solium in the early 19th century and in east, the White Widow became an industrial port in what is now known as Aziens. Alesso was created in the Dutch style, favoured by the Harolden Kings of the 17th and early 18th centuries. It relied upon river trade and the industry in the White Widow area for employment. Once this diminished in the 1900s, Alesso fell into decay and much of it was abandoned. As part of the Aziens development programme in the post-war era, Alesso has been heavily invested in and is now a cultural centre in the city. Dionysus Court is the centrepiece of the Alesso redevelopment. The Dionysus Arena is the main concert venue in Celeste, and hosts international pop superstars, talent contests and even the National Philharmonic Orchestra. It is owned by the Dion Group, which built and owns the Trisys Towers, three of the tallest buildings in Celeste that are home to major multinational corporations including Cattala Post. Moving west, I mentioned the Solium earlier. Built by King Marco V, it was created as a regal manor house worthy of a King. Yet it was to be the home of the Lord Chancellor, a political leader who was head of the government and the Council of State in the days before democracy in Cattala. By the time the palace was completed in 1816, Marco had died and the country had been colonised by Britain, through the barrel of a Royal Navy gunship. This is a panorama - open in a new tab to see it in full size. The Solium sits on the edge of the Citadel di Celestica, the old quarter of the city. Renamed in 1920 as "Amadeus" after the Crown Prince who fought to resist an Italian invasion in 1860 and kept the Celestine's in a position of some power, the buildings in this part of the capital date back to the 11th century. Some additions during the Lucian era in the Renaissance remain outside of the castle walls alongside later additions from the Harolden era. The architectural mix of buildings covering 900 years of history are major tourist attractions in Celeste. On the southern edge of Amadeus, here seen as the north, lies the great Chapel of Kings. Commissioned by Philip IV in 1617, it was built to celebrate the previous monarchs of Cattala and was opened to the public on the 630th anniversary of the coronation of Roger Celestine, the first King of Cattala, in 1625. It forms part of the Ecclesiastical Triangle in Celeste, from the Cathedral in Alder Hill, to the Chapel of Kings and the Shrine of St Paul, both in Amadeus. The Shrine of St Paul is one of the oldest churches in Cattala and is where the Seven Princes of Cattala surrendered their titles to King Lucius the Absolute in 1532. Subterranean vaults between the Shrine and the Chapel house the tombs of every King between Lucius and the last Celestine, King William III. Next time... We head south, to Franogei. But here's a sneak peek of the new Vittoria Palace. Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

Forthwall: Thank you, that's very kind! Hazani Pratama: Thanks! Huston: Haha, thank you very much! Guy: It's taken a long time to build Celeste, especially Aziens, but I'm really happy with it. It's my favourite city. NMUSpidey: Thanks! But I don't do any custom lotting with Cattala. I've been incredibly busy of late, and I'm not sure whether I will be able to return to regular updates again for quite some time. However, it's time now to leave Celeste, the capital, and head off to the rural east for the first time this year. As I do every summer, this journal will be relocating to the countryside and the vineyards of Lessito. Before we do I wanted to give you at least a glimpse of Vittoria and the improvements I have made to it since we last visited. I hope you like it. The last time we were in Alberto, there was a large construction site next to the station. Now, it's home to a complex of offices and IT companies. And to close this brief return to Vittoria, a wide view of the suburb at night. Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

Fantastic! It looks really good, I like the way you built the city up around the cove.

Ultimate727: Thanks! It's the comments I receive that keep this going over in this section of Simtropolis so I hope you will keep following Cattala. I've been incredibly busy of late, and I'm not sure whether I will be able to return to regular updates again for quite some time. However, it's time now to leave Celeste, the capital, and head off to the rural east for the first time this year. As I do every summer, this journal will be relocating to the countryside and the vineyards of Lessito. Before we do I wanted to give you at least a glimpse of Vittoria and the improvements I have made to it since we last visited. I hope you like it. The last time we were in Alberto, there was a large construction site next to the station. Now, it's home to a complex of offices and IT companies. And to close this brief return to Vittoria, a wide view of the suburb at night. Comment, rate and let me know what you think! Thomas

Just one picture and it's spectacular! It must have taken you ages to create.

Jennai KonstantinII: Yes. Thanks? Forthwall: Yep! I'm glad you like the smaller details. Huston: Haha! Well, I try! NMUSpidey: Wow, that's a real shame. It's strange that we look over from here in Britain at America with a lot of envy, especially at your growth rate and return to prosperity. Perhaps it's not all it's being made out to be. hoodlem13: The hospital is Bywater Springs Medical Centre, and it's available on the LEX. coolwiththecool2: Thanks! Follow Hellken's link. vinlabsc3k: Thanks, I'm pleased you like it. Hellken: Thanks for helping coolwiththecool and for the kind words! It's strange because I think Celeste feels a bit more lively than Jennai, so I get what you mean, perhaps I need to try and sort that out. Gugu3, DirtyDanx, City Builder 9111: Thanks! AINVision CanuckWild: Thank you! I'm truly glad that you enjoyed the concert. I will ask the next host whether or not they intend to post it on Simtropolis, as I think it's a fantastic experience for people that may not be familiar with what we do at the AIN. Fox: Thank you very much! NMUSpidey: Yes, AINVision is a fantastic contest - although I am looking forward to not having to do all the results next time and just enjoying the concert! TekindusT: Thank you, that's very kind. I'. glad you enjoyed the show. vinlabsc3k: Thanks! kagamiya: The seawalls are by Jeronij on the BSC Exchange. They're very easy to find! This update has taken a lot longer than I expected to finalise, but I have been doing a lot of preparations for some events and other things I have planned for future updates so it should all be worth it. Anyway, today we've left Jennai and returned to the capital. Since we last visited Celeste, there's been a few changes. After more than 20 years of court battles and petitions, the businesses that had been trading along what was once Aziens high street, now a motorway, have been defeated. Within weeks of the final appeal being rejected, the developers were eagerly demolishing the shops and pub that had been standing for almost a century. Aziens is now a centre for finance and commerce that some believe will rival Jennai within a few years. Development has rebounded since the recession and investment from multinationals is increasing again. Just under a week ago, Andy Murray won the Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first British man to do so in 77 years. To commemorate this, we return to Alder Court Park, the home of Cattalian tennis. This summer, I'll be showcasing Celeste, Jennai and returning once again to Lessito for the now-traditional summer tour. I'm away for two weeks in early August but I hope to restart regular updates after a busy few months. For some context, I've spent the last three weekends building up parts of Celeste and Vittoria that you may have caught a glimpse of today, but will do in the next fortnight or so. Thanks for visiting Cattala today, and I hope you're enjoy your summer! Unless you're in Australia... In which case, enjoy some British weather for once! Thomas

MamaLuigi945: Thank you for commenting and rating. Ace of Hearts: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Kakado_to_save: It only took two and a half years but I got you to Jennai in the end. InvaderNat: Thanks, I've wanted to do that location for a long time and I'm really pleased with how that worked out. Sirron Kcuhc: Thanks! Forthwall: Thank you! titanicbuff: Thanks. I really like those breakwater walls and they suit Jennai quite well, I think. RepublicMaster: Well, it's coming along slowly. It's taken me two years to start Jennai but hopefully it won't take that long to do some of the centre of it at least. MilitantRadical: Sorry about the loading times, I will write a note in future. I'm glad you did see it in the end though! KonstantinII: The arena is by Davidluart I think, and I don't know if it's available any more. Might be worth asking in the Find It Here thread. Hazani Pratama: Thank you! Huston: Thanks. Your nightshots are always really bold and I would love it if mine were even half as good. It was very hard selecting the right buildings for the (fully functioning!) harbour. Sylvio Jorge: Thank you very much for the comment. I haven't done a waterfront CBD for three years now and it was absolutely horrendous then, so I'm glad to hear that this one is marginally better! Welcome back to Jennai, a harbour city in an eponymous bay in southern Cattala. The heartland of Cattalian resurgence, its rise as a regional economic hub is the defining highlight of the country's post-war revival and economic boom. The parliament is devolved and controls provincial matters, led by the regional government. Jennai Harbour is the second-busiest station in the city, serving the north, the south coast and the east. Built in the early 20th century, it includes an extensive park area known as Harbour Park that still remains today, despite encroaching development. But obviously Jennai, as we have seen previously, extends far beyond the business centre. Porthis is a suburb to the north-west of the harbour and I'm currently developing it as a commuter town. In the past I've shown you the imperial suburbs of Celeste and the traditional sprawl of Calora. This preview may give you an idea of the style I'm hoping to create in Porthis. Please do comment and let me know what you think about Jennai and Cattala as a whole. Your input is very important to me. I hope you have all had a lovely Easter and we'll be back soon! Thomas

Your cities are most beautiful! I am in awe! And I second what ggamgus says.

Benedict: Thank you! This update has taken a lot longer than I expected to finalise, but I have been doing a lot of preparations for some events and other things I have planned for future updates so it should all be worth it. Anyway, today we've left Jennai and returned to the capital. Since we last visited Celeste, there's been a few changes. After more than 20 years of court battles and petitions, the businesses that had been trading along what was once Aziens high street, now a motorway, have been defeated. Within weeks of the final appeal being rejected, the developers were eagerly demolishing the shops and pub that had been standing for almost a century. Aziens is now a centre for finance and commerce that some believe will rival Jennai within a few years. Development has rebounded since the recession and investment from multinationals is increasing again. Just under a week ago, Andy Murray won the Wimbledon Championships, becoming the first British man to do so in 77 years. To commemorate this, we return to Alder Court Park, the home of Cattalian tennis. This summer, I'll be showcasing Celeste, Jennai and returning once again to Lessito for the now-traditional summer tour. I'm away for two weeks in early August but I hope to restart regular updates after a busy few months. For some context, I've spent the last three weekends building up parts of Celeste and Vittoria that you may have caught a glimpse of today, but will do in the next fortnight or so. Thanks for visiting Cattala today, and I hope you're enjoy your summer! Unless you're in Australia... In which case, enjoy some British weather for once! Thomas

Loving it!

Welcome to the Grand Final of AINVision Cattala 2013. Below, 71 images will be loading as you read this message. Please ensure you wait for all images to load, including the GIF in the second image. Text is below the image that it relates to. Several images will have links on them to videos. Thank you very much, and enjoy. Teresa: Good evening and welcome to the Grand Final of the AINVision Song Contest 2013, here in Cattala. I’m Teresa Demalla… Victoria: …And I’m Victoria Cabello. By the end of tonight, a new winner of AINVision will be announced and we will know where we’ll be this winter for the next Song Contest. But before we get down to business, we’ve got a few special guests in tonight. Victoria: Her Grace, Queen Alexandra is attending tonight’s grand final. Here she is arriving just a few minutes ago. Announcer: Please stand for the national anthem of the United Kingdom of Cattala. Teresa: Thank you to Katherine Salessito for that moving performance of our national anthem. This is of course the Seventh AINVision Song Contest, and over the past few years there’s been winners from across the globe. Tonight we’re doing what no song contest has done before, and bringing them together. We’ve got every past winner in the audience tonight, but a few of them are also about to perform. From Petrova, to Illu’a, Corraile, Ascadylea and Cattala, these, are the winners of AINVision. Teresa: Some great performances there! But now the real action starts. Over to you, Victoria. Victoria: We’ve seen these 22 countries perform, now 24 will vote to decide who will join that esteemed list as the winner of AINVision 2013. Let’s begin with Asgard. Good evening Triton City! Alecia: Hello Jennai, and thank you for the beautiful show tonight. Here is the vote from Asgard. Victoria: Now over to the Atlantic Federation. Boa tarde, Luke! Luke: Thank you Victoria and Teresa for a fantastic AINVision. Here’s the results of the Veratlantian votes. Victoria: Assalamu' alikum, Masel. This is Jennai calling. May we have the Atlantsian vote, please. Kalin: Hello Cattala! The show has been great! Here is the vote from the Emirate of Atlantsia. And now, all the way to Celeste for the vote from Cattala and my good friend Anna – hello! Anna: Good evening Jennai! We’ve really enjoyed the show here in Amadeus on the big screen, live outside Vittoria Palace. The Cattalian people have voted. Victoria: Good afternoon Dan, may we have the Corrailite vote please. Dan: Thanks Victoria, and here is the vote from the people of Corraile! Victoria: Hola Natalia, from Costa Palma! May we please have the vote from your nation. Natalia: Good day Jennai, what a fabulous show you have. Here is the vote, from the Costa Palma. Victoria: Hello Hiigara. May we have your votes please. Ulia: Yes you may. Here it is. Victoria: Good evening Histalpol! May we have your votes please. Christian: Yes, of course! Thank you for a wonderful show, we have all really enjoyed it here in Bastilia. Here is the result of the Histalian vote. Victoria: Over now to Hong Kong, and Allyson Hau. This is Jennai calling. Allyson: Hello Vittoria! Thank you for such a great spectacle. Here is the vote of Hong Kong. Victoria: Zdravstvujtye Anita Choi, may we please have the Kamchatkian vote. Anita Choi: Zdravstvujtye Victoria, and thank you for such a superb night. Kamchatka votes… now! Victoria: Good evening Karasem, this is Jennai calling. May we have your vote please. Delima Rizky: Hai Jennai! Thanks for such an awesome show. Here’s our vote! Teresa: Thank you Karasem. We’re now about halfway through the voting, so it’s time for some advertisements. When you come back, we’ve got some special guests for you! Teresa: Izzy Azalea, K Kole, Rita Ora and Nina Zilli everyone! Now it’s time to get back to the voting. Victoria? Victoria: Thank you Teresa. Kingston and Boyce, the current leaders, are up next. Manjeet: Hello Jennai, Victoria and Teresa, you have been wonderful hosts. Here is the vote from Kingston and Boyce. Victoria: Just across the Alouette Channel now, to Kendall and Lower Columbia. Tor: Thank you Cattala for such a great contest. A big thanks to RMI for organising this. Here is the Federal Kingdom’s vote. Victoria: Thank you Tor. Staying in North America, it’s over to Marquette now. George: Bonjour, hello, to all in Jennai. Thank you for such a fascinating contest; I hope that next year we will be able to field a candidate. Here’s the vote from Marquette. Victoria: Melanesia, this is Jennai calling. May we have your vote please. Celina: Here is the vote from the people of Melanesia. Thank you Cattala! Victoria: South we go, to Mirani. Hello, Emma Rawa. Emma: Hi! Here’s our vote from Crestview and all the people of Mirani! Go Pieter T! Victoria: Right next door, it’s New Holland, and Mark Sewell! Mark: Good evening, and thank you to Cattala and RMI for hosting such a great event. Here is the vote from New Holland. Victoria: Guten abend Caprica City! This is Jennai calling. May we have the vote from your nation please. Lina: Guten abend Victoria, here is the vote from Neu Westfalen. Victoria: We now move on to Okatabawashi. May we have your vote please. Dj JamJam: Hallo! Here is the vote from the wonderful country of Okatabawashi! We loved your show so much Victoria and Teresa! This is so good! Victoria: Some interesting voting there from Okatabawashi, thank you. Now over to Queensland! Kate: Thank you Jennai for such a brilliant show, it has been a joy to watch. I have the privilege to present the vote from Queensland to you, now. Victoria: Thank you Kate! Zdravstvujtye Soviyya! May we have your vote now. Pavlo: Zdravstvujtye Victoria! Here is the Soviyyan vote. Victoria: The final Asian country to vote is Takyoto. Shojiro Takasu, may we have your vote please. Shojiro: Hallo, and thank you for a wonderful contest. Here’s the vote from Takyoto. Victoria: Our penultimate voting country is Calare. Susanah: Thank you for this opportunity, Victoria. Here is the vote from Calare. Victoria: And last but not least, Exaletas! May we have your vote please. Alexos: Thank you. And finally, here is the vote from Exaletas for you all. Victoria: You, the public, have had your say. All 24 countries have now voted, and our winner has been decided. Teresa: The winner of the AINVision Song Contest 2013 is Kingston and Boyce, with the highest score in the history of AINVision. Congratulations to Kingston and Boyce! Teresa: Thank you to all the team here in Jennai and across the world, thank you to our contestants and representatives and most of all thank you to you for celebrating this fantastic evening with us. Victoria: Congratulations to Kingston and Boyce and we look forward to seeing your festival of music this winter. This is your winning song, BOY, with Little Numbers.