Author Topic: The Little Island with Rare Grapes in France (Read 19024 times)

Carl · « **on:** November 28, 2009, 07:02:35 PM »

I can't even find now who gave me the tip to get the rare grapes in France. There's a little island, and there must be some trick to getting there. It would save me some time if someone knew how to get there. I suspect it's a dungeon because Sims can't swim across rivers. Something I didn't consider before I published. If you can help, thanks.

PJSim · « **Reply #1 on:** November 28, 2009, 07:25:37 PM »

I tried to find that too. I thought there must be some underground passage but now I'm thinking there's really only one way: zeneport.

I thought the easiest way to find a passage would be to search the island for a way off instead of searching every possible site for a way on so I made my Sim zeneport there. I couldn't find anything, there are some stairs but they seem to go nowhere.
There's also an island in Egypt where you can buy property. It's completely empty except for a mailbox and trashcan, nowhere to hide stairs or a door. That must be a vacation home for the serious loner.

Carl · « **Reply #2 on:** November 28, 2009, 07:28:10 PM »

All right, so I have to modify this to say people are stuck with the special merchant for the rare grapes unless they can zeneport. But since we've learned that it only takes level 5, and you can snag level 3 with a skill book, most Sims should take it up!

Pam · « **Reply #3 on:** November 28, 2009, 09:58:58 PM »

I didn't even think of Zeneport! It will be awhile before my nectar making Sim can do that. Lucy Ricardo is the Sim I made to do the Bottomless Nectar Cellar Lifetime Wish and she'll be focusing on France most of the time. A kudo to anyone who knows why it's Lucy Ricardo.

wildredchild · « **Reply #4 on:** November 28, 2009, 10:51:51 PM »

Hey Lucy!!! I'm home..... I saw that episode on I Love Lucy where she ends up stomping grapes and is a mess....loved it and used to watch the show all the time with my mom.

Pam · « **Reply #5 on:** November 28, 2009, 11:28:05 PM »

*presenting kudo to wildredchild*

Akila906 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 29, 2009, 01:39:33 AM »

Quote from: Pam on November 28, 2009, 09:58:58 PM

I didn't even think of Zeneport! It will be awhile before my nectar making Sim can do that. Lucy Ricardo is the Sim I made to do the Bottomless Nectar Cellar Lifetime Wish and she'll be focusing on France most of the time. A kudo to anyone who knows why it's Lucy Ricardo.

Because of the episode where Lucy stomped grapes in Italy...lol. One of my favorite episodes...besides the Vegameatavitamin and the candy making episodes

Of course the one where she "stalks" William Holden in the restuarant in Hollywood and then later lights her fake nose on fire while trying to disguise herself from him when he's in their hotel room is a riot too...lol

Akila906 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 29, 2009, 01:42:00 AM »

Quote from: Carl on November 28, 2009, 07:02:35 PM

I can't even find now who gave me the tip to get the rare grapes in France. There's a little island, and there must be some trick to getting there. It would save me some time if someone knew how to get there. I suspect it's a dungeon because Sims can't swim across rivers. Something I didn't consider before I published. If you can help, thanks.

The real way to get there is thru a dive pool in the bottom of the "Celtic Burial site".

Pam · « **Reply #8 on:** November 29, 2009, 02:09:50 AM »

Quote from: Akila906 on November 29, 2009, 01:42:00 AM

Quote from: Carl on November 28, 2009, 07:02:35 PM
I can't even find now who gave me the tip to get the rare grapes in France. There's a little island, and there must be some trick to getting there. It would save me some time if someone knew how to get there. I suspect it's a dungeon because Sims can't swim across rivers. Something I didn't consider before I published. If you can help, thanks.

The real way to get there is thru a dive pool in the bottom of the "Celtic Burial site".

Welcome to our Forum, Akila!

Wow! Thanks for the tip about the dive pool. We'll definitely check that out and add it to the guide!!

PJSim · « **Reply #9 on:** November 29, 2009, 04:30:36 AM »

Quote from: Akila906 on November 29, 2009, 01:42:00 AM

The real way to get there is thru a dive pool in the bottom of the "Celtic Burial site".

Ah, so maybe there's a door that's only visible from the inside. Thanks.

Pam · « **Reply #10 on:** November 29, 2009, 05:06:02 AM »

Well, now I can't find Celtic Burial Site. It's not on any of the maps in the Prima Guide, either.

PJSim · « **Reply #11 on:** November 29, 2009, 05:42:23 AM »

Isn't it that first tomb your Sim gets sent to after visiting France, the one with a tiny Stonehenge and some gravestones on top? I think I remember the French Sim calling it that even though it wasn't marked that way on the map and it confused me.

Pam · « **Reply #12 on:** November 29, 2009, 06:31:31 AM »

That one is call the Forgotton Burial Mound, or something like that. I went through it again and got more loot, but didn't see anything about a dive pool. Maybe I haven't explored it fully.

Akila906 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 29, 2009, 08:26:17 PM »

Quote from: Pam on November 29, 2009, 06:31:31 AM

That one is call the Forgotton Burial Mound, or something like that. I went through it again and got more loot, but didn't see anything about a dive pool. Maybe I haven't explored it fully.

Sorry, the Adventure was called the Celtic something. The dive pool is at the bottom, which is, I think, 2 levels down. Next time I go to France, i will go there again and try to remember the way down to it.

sims96fan · « **Reply #14 on:** December 01, 2009, 12:50:07 AM »

Someone posted about this on the EA forums:

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/129886.page#1588059

If you have the Tears of Horus adventure reward from the special merchant in Egypt, you can see the dig site and relics to the southeast of the little island in France. You need Pangu's Axe from China to break the big boulders covering a stairwell. This goes into an elaborate tomb and at the very bottom you will find a green dive well to get to the island in France. You need two Sims to get through the puzzles here, or you need to have found the pieces for and reconstructed a pushable statue beforehand. On the little island, there is a room with life fruit plants, money trees, all the rare grape varieties, and even death flowers. I had my Sims harvest these and that's where they got the produce to plant their own life plants and death flower bushes.

If you have a vacation home in France, you can also get the teleportation pad lifetime reward and put it in your home. Then all of your Sims can teleport to the little island directly and use their cell phones to teleport home.

My Sims love France, as I think it has the fewest adventures of the 3 locations, so they finished them and can now go there to focus on their skills and skill challenges (mostly nectar making and writing books). When they get stressed out they can go for jogs in the countryside and jog home. They even got extra sets of martial arts training dummies and blocks from China for their French vacation home.

sims96fan · « **Reply #15 on:** December 01, 2009, 02:30:27 AM »

I sent my Sims to France again, so here are some pictures. The little pond circled by trees in the center of the screenshot is where you need to go:

There, you need Pangu's Axe to remove the boulders to uncover the stairs:

This is the first level down the stairs:

This is the second level down the stairs:

Three levels down:

Entering the dive well:

Cavern of treasures on the little island:

ava · « **Reply #16 on:** December 02, 2009, 08:17:35 PM »

I know that this might sound like sacrilege or something, but if you don't want to go through all of the tomb trouble or learning to zeneport, you can always do the "testingcheatsenabled true" cheat, and then shift-click the ground on the island and choose "teleport here."

That's probably the easiest way, even though it is totally cheating, haha.

Carl · « **Reply #17 on:** December 02, 2009, 09:35:31 PM »

Thanks for the very detailed response as to how to do it without cheating or teleporting "legally". Not looking forward to needing 2 Sims for that, my dude is single at the moment.

sims96fan · « **Reply #18 on:** December 02, 2009, 11:07:19 PM »

You could also have your single Sim complete enough of the Egyptian quests to get the fragments to reconstruct a pushable statue. You just need an extra one. Though I found for a lot of the big quests, it's easier with 2 Sims just because there's a lot of rubble to clear, doors to inspect, etc. and one Sim easily gets tired and has to return to sleep before finishing a tomb.

Once you are able to get enough ancient coins and visa level 3 somewhere, you can also purchase the Sultan's Tabernacle, which is the fanciest tent (a palace in a tent). I originally thought you could only put tents within base camp, but it turns out you can put them outside the entrances to pyramids, etc., so for particularly large tombs I just put the tent outside and have them sleep there, eat some dried food and have a shower in a can in the morning, and they are good to go again! They also get a big moodlet boost for sleeping like a queen or king in the palace.

It's also faster for them to get to places if you either have a vacation home and teleportation pad (teleport home and then where you want to go each time), a fancy car in your backpack inventory, or at the least the Kenspa scooter from the Egyptian merchant. A lot of the terrain in Egypt and China is sandy/hilly though, so they end up having to get on and off their vehicles and jog frequently, which is why the tent saves a lot of time in travelling.

Akila906 · « **Reply #19 on:** December 03, 2009, 01:15:14 AM »

Quote from: sims96fan on December 01, 2009, 12:50:07 AM

Someone posted about this on the EA forums:

http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/129886.page#1588059

If you have the Tears of Horus adventure reward from the special merchant in Egypt, you can see the dig site and relics to the southeast of the little island in France. You need Pangu's Axe from China to break the big boulders covering a stairwell. This goes into an elaborate tomb and at the very bottom you will find a green dive well to get to the island in France. You need two Sims to get through the puzzles here, or you need to have found the pieces for and reconstructed a pushable statue beforehand. On the little island, there is a room with life fruit plants, money trees, all the rare grape varieties, and even death flowers. I had my Sims harvest these and that's where they got the produce to plant their own life plants and death flower bushes.

If you have a vacation home in France, you can also get the teleportation pad lifetime reward and put it in your home. Then all of your Sims can teleport to the little island directly and use their cell phones to teleport home.

You do NOT need 2 sims to get thru the puzzles there. I got thru them no problem with one 1 sim. And you also do NOT need to reconstruct a movable statue either. There are 2 floor switches that are right next to each other and if you push the green statue up it will sit on both of them, then you put the rest of the statues on the other floor switches.

You don't need the teleportation pad either. You can teleport to the island by typing in "testingcheatsenabled true" and shift click on the ground on the island and click on "teleport me here".

sims96fan · « **Reply #20 on:** December 03, 2009, 03:28:19 AM »

The teleportation pad is if you want to play without cheating, you can get it as a lifetime reward.

Pam · « **Reply #21 on:** December 03, 2009, 03:37:26 AM »

Quote from: sims96fan on December 03, 2009, 03:28:19 AM

The teleportation pad is if you want to play without cheating, you can get it as a lifetime reward.

Yeah, big difference in gameplay theory. The teleportation pad is "legal."

PJSim · « **Reply #22 on:** December 03, 2009, 01:32:40 PM »

Quote from: Akila906 on December 03, 2009, 01:15:14 AM

You do NOT need 2 sims to get thru the puzzles there. I got thru them no problem with one 1 sim. And you also do NOT need to reconstruct a movable statue either. There are 2 floor switches that are right next to each other and if you push the green statue up it will sit on both of them, then you put the rest of the statues on the other floor switches.

Great tip, thanks. I was hoping there was a trick.

I'm off to France next.

jkelpapi · « **Reply #23 on:** December 12, 2009, 12:05:48 AM »

Quote from: sims96fan on December 01, 2009, 12:50:07 AM

If you have the Tears of Horus adventure reward from the special merchant in Egypt, you can see the dig site and relics to the southeast of the little island in France. You need Pangu's Axe from China to break the big boulders covering a stairwell. This goes into an elaborate tomb and at the very bottom you will find a green dive well to get to the island in France. You need two Sims to get through the puzzles here, or you need to have found the pieces for and reconstructed a pushable statue beforehand. On the little island, there is a room with life fruit plants, money trees, all the rare grape varieties, and even death flowers. I had my Sims harvest these and that's where they got the produce to plant their own life plants and death flower bushes.

Hi. I have a question. Where can I find Pangu's Axe?

PJSim · « **Reply #24 on:** December 12, 2009, 12:42:47 AM »

Hi and welcome.

Pangu's Axe is from China. You don't just find it there, you need to get an adventure in China to get it. I forget what it's called but it starts with a Chinese Sim wanting to smash boulders, then you will get the key to the tomb where you can find it.

----------------------

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That way we can see what is a quote and what is new. I fixed it in your post just now.

Carl · « **Reply #25 on:** December 12, 2009, 05:32:30 AM »

I believe the first quest is called confounded boulders. It's worth checking to see if it's in the short list... decline other adventures and see if this one comes up.

PJSim · « **Reply #26 on:** December 12, 2009, 06:26:43 AM »

It so happens my Sim just got that first one and it's called Confounded Boulder!

jkelpapi · « **Reply #27 on:** December 13, 2009, 06:31:29 PM »

Ok, I get it. Thanks. Next up, off to China.

RockinRobin · « **Reply #28 on:** December 14, 2009, 12:53:12 AM »

I wanted to add to everyone's comments here and say that you can NOT get into the tomb on the little island by zeneporting over there because there is no outside entrance. I had already done that tomb with my other sim and was trying to figure out a way to get over there because my "Tear of Horus" showed me that there was treasure on that island...LOL But I never could figure it out until I basically ended up there accidentally by doing the other tomb by the fishing hole. I came across that place by using the "Tear of Horus" also and already had the Ax of Pangu, so I got in there without any problem.

I have to say though.....THAT tomb is probably the MOST tedious ones I've gone through so far. Sheesh!

Pam · « **Reply #29 on:** December 14, 2009, 01:42:07 AM »

Thanks for the additional information, RockinRobin. My Sim just Zeneported to that island to get the grapes, insects, and gems and I couldn't find an entrance from the surface, either. I got my rare grapes, though!

RockinRobin · « **Reply #30 on:** December 14, 2009, 02:03:53 AM »

Yeah Pam....I did the same thing with my newest sim that I'm playing, and thought I might go in that end of the tomb while I was there, but could never find an entrance. I realized that the ONLY way to get into it is by doing that other tomb first and using the dive well to get there.

Carl · « **Reply #31 on:** December 14, 2009, 09:16:05 PM »

Anyone know the adventure chain that leads you to exploring that tomb? If there is one associated that is

wildredchild · « **Reply #32 on:** December 14, 2009, 09:35:07 PM »

There is no Adventure chain leading up to finding that particular tomb. You just have to go to the frog/anchovy pond and smash the boulders there and then you can enter the tomb. All keystones that are required can be found within the tomb itself.

RockinRobin · « **Reply #33 on:** December 14, 2009, 09:35:50 PM »

Carl, if I can remember I'll let you know. I did that when I was playing my other sim a few weeks ago and I can't remember what it was now.

seekhunt · « **Reply #34 on:** January 05, 2010, 10:15:04 AM »

I would say that there is NO adventure for that "cave."

I have just explored it fully and there's nothing to it other than the almighty diving well that leads you to the island, or well another cave that then... oh, maybe I should stop talking for spoilers.

Anyway, it's the way to the island. And a nice portion of the rare plants are down in the cave, not on the actual island, so there's actually no point in teleporting because you won't get the good stuff before you have that axe and explore the cave. :-D

Pam · « **Reply #35 on:** January 05, 2010, 05:56:07 PM »

Quote from: seekhunt on January 05, 2010, 10:15:04 AM

And a nice portion of the rare plants are down in the cave, not on the actual island, so there's actually no point in teleporting because you won't get the good stuff before you have that axe and explore the cave. :-D

I've been able to zeneport to the island and get both of the rare grapes.

bshag · « **Reply #36 on:** January 05, 2010, 06:53:10 PM »

Well I finally had my little Renee find her way through the "cave" and she came out on the island. There are all the grapes throughout the way and several money trees. I think there are 3 or 4 levels that are narrow mazes. Nevermind her, I got lost like crazy.

I had her excavate a couple of great sites while there with a lot of expensive relics. She then zenported off the island as she was way too pooped to go back through that dumb cave.

Pam · « **Reply #37 on:** January 05, 2010, 09:14:13 PM »

Congrats, bshag! Now, where exactly is the entrance to that cave?

seekhunt · « **Reply #38 on:** January 06, 2010, 04:28:12 AM »

oh yeah lot of excavation site also.

and to you pam. if you have the island in front of you and the nectar "house" in you view direction as well.
then a little north-west there is a "bench" icon with a little pond and some insects. There you will se those big stones you need the axe for to destroy. Smash those and the stair to the cave intrance will come :-)

here is a photo and a location of the starting place to get to the island

Pam · « **Reply #39 on:** January 06, 2010, 06:58:56 AM »

Excellent!! Thanks very much for the instructions and map!

PJSim · « **Reply #40 on:** January 06, 2010, 07:10:26 AM »

Also there's this guide I've heard about...

http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/skills/gardening/plant-list.php

Almost at the bottom of the page, right above a map by someone called Pam Marsden.

cupcakebcs · « **Reply #41 on:** February 14, 2011, 01:41:58 AM »

Quote from: Pam on January 05, 2010, 05:56:07 PM

I've been able to zeneport to the island and get both of the rare grapes.

How were you able to do this? I teleported to the island, and there's nothing there besides stairs that go nowhere. I was hoping to find the grapes without going through the cave...

Saltypaws · « **Reply #42 on:** February 14, 2011, 02:09:31 AM »

On the island itself, there are three grape plants. Now I am not sure if those are the rare ones or not, but there is grapes over there. One plant is kind of hidden around the wall and I almost missed it. You can also still excavate those sites too and if you go at night you will sometimes find the glowy butterfly, so it is worth the trip anyway.

Pam · « **Reply #43 on:** February 14, 2011, 02:10:36 AM »

Quote from: cupcakebcs on February 14, 2011, 01:41:58 AM

How were you able to do this? I teleported to the island, and there's nothing there besides stairs that go nowhere. I was hoping to find the grapes without going through the cave...

The grapes are on vines that are up against the walls of the ruins (above ground). They are a bit hard to see. I think there are 3 or 4 of them. Usually, they don't have grapes to harvest on the same day, so you'll have to make another trip to the island or stay overnight in a tent.

And welcome to our Forum!

Pam · « **Reply #44 on:** February 14, 2011, 02:11:32 AM »

Quote from: Saltypaws on February 14, 2011, 02:09:31 AM

On the island itself, there are three grape plants. Now I am not sure if those are the rare ones or not, but there is grapes over there. One plant is kind of hidden around the wall and I almost missed it. You can also still excavate those sites too and if you go at night you will sometimes find the glowy butterfly, so it is worth the trip anyway.

Yes, they are the rare grapes: Cranerlet Nuala and Gralladina Fran.

Saltypaws · « **Reply #45 on:** February 14, 2011, 02:14:19 AM »

Oh my, talk about no manners. Yes, welcome to the forum. I didn't even pay attention that was the first post.

Slingsby · « **Reply #46 on:** February 14, 2011, 05:50:30 AM »

If you do the tomb properly [starting with the giant boulders at Petit Bois] there are plenty of rare grapes to harvest as you work your way down to the lowest level. They're not always easy to spot due to the low light.

Once you have used the dive pool to get access to Tuatha's Garden [underneath the little Island] you will find Death Flower, Flame Fruit, Life Fruit, Money Trees and more rare grapes ... harvesting the whole lot can take quite a while.

Then, making your way up to the surface, there are a couple more rare grapes before finally emerging on the surface of the island for more rare grapes, up to 4 workable 'excavate' sites and assorted rocks, gems and butterflies.

PS ... if you teleport/zeneport to the island, the stairs going down won't be revealed. They only appear if you work your way up from the bottom.