Wind Power

With the price of oil what it is today, there are all kinds of people talking about alternative energy. In Spain there are windmills all over the place. The ones in the photo below happen to be the modern kind that make electricity but there are also the old ones that mill grain or pump water.

These magnificent machines go a long way to provide for Spain’s electricity needs. The amazing part is they make very little noise. From where I was standing in this photo, you could barely hear them. At another location, there were literally hundreds of windmills and barely a sound came from them. I thought this can’t be true; they have to make noise. I spoke with an engineer who specializes in windmills and he explained that the windmills are not “loud” per se. He added that the ambient noise produced by the wind itself also disguises the noise of the machine.

At the time of this writing, there are no commercial sized windmills on my beloved island of Aruba. This is unbelievable given that the trade winds, the prevailing westerly of yore, blow across the island day in and day out. There are very few times in Aruba when the wind is not blowing with enough force to turn a giant windmill. Naturally, energy prices on the island have gone into the stratosphere with the price of oil. A string of large windmills would go a long way to alleviate this problem, not to mention how it would help the environment. Similarly, it would benefit the Aruban economy by reducing the cost of energy, giving the island a competitive edge against less fortunate locales. I’ll be doing some politicking to bring this issue to the fore with my friends on the island. It makes economic sense, is good for the planet, and won’t hurt a bit. Why delay?

I decided not to delay by having a system designed for my home there. It incorporates a 1kW turbine and an 800 watt solar array. This is not very much generating capacity. However, given the constant winds and reliable sunshine it will produce enough power to generate more than 75% of my energy needs. From January through April it will most likely supply 100%. There is a battery bank which keeps the power on during times of low wind and/or sun. I’m working on a deal with my neighbor to use the power when I’m not there, which will make the system that much more affordable for both of us. As soon as these pieces are in place I’ll ship the parts to the island and start getting a nice return on the investment.

Published in: on June 16, 2008 at 12:01 pm  Comments (1)  
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The Alhambra

The Alhambra is one of those mythical sites that is a must-see. Here’s a photo of your author, taken from across the valley with the palace/fortress in the background.

Washington Irving is the American given credit for saving much of what we see today when visiting the Alhambra. Irving traveled to Seville by ship and then overland to Granada. He documented this trip and various other adventures in his Tales of the Alhambra. These stories are fantastic in the true sense of the word. More interesting is the vivid accounts of the Spanish character which I found very accurate during my visit. Some of the people I met might have stepped directly from Irving’s pages despite more than 170 years between the two encounters.

It should also be noted that when Irving visited the Alhambra it was a much abused site. French troops retreating from Spain nearly blew up large portions of it. Looters stole pieces from every possible place. Thanks to Irving, conservations efforts began and the site was ultimately preserved and refurbished for all of us to see.

When visiting the Alhambra it is best to have tickets in advance. The regular tours are not simple cattle calls. My group’s guide had grown up in Granada but spent his summers in Germany. He spoke Spanish, English, and German with brilliant fluency, switching between the three for different people in the group. He never missed a beat and his enthusiasm was irresistible. As he said, “I love my job. Everyday I come to work in a magnificent palace.” And magnificent the Alhambra is. I remember seeing glossy photos of it in my childhood but nothing could have prepared me for the atmosphere of the place. If you have the good fortune to go to Spain, don’t miss it.

While you’re in Granada, the tapas are worthy of their looming neighbor on the cliff. But we’ll get into that later. Buen provecho!

Published in: on June 14, 2008 at 12:01 pm  Comments (3)  
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Three Men and A Writer

There I was in Tarifa, Spain. A story idea came to me, so I fired up the notebook. Leaning against the wall for support, I scribbled away without noticing these three guys until later.

Take notice to the shape of the arch above me. This is called “mudejar” architecture, which derives from the Moorish occupation of Spain. The arches continue past the supporting columns giving that distinct bump.

I would guess these men were old enough to be my grandfather’s age. They had quite a conversation going, very animated. No doubt they solved a few of the world’s problems and decided where they were going to have their afternoon drink. I’ve had the good luck to be counseled over the years by many people much older than myself. If you’re willing to listen, they’ll teach you as much as you can learn. For the price of drink, it might be more valuable than a college course or funnier than an hour of stand-up.

Published in: on June 8, 2008 at 6:51 pm  Leave a Comment  
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