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What a trip!

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DanHolohan
DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
in THE MAIN WALL
Just got home last night from a week in Frankfurt and Iceland. Frankfurt, as always, was fun and educational. Iceland was one of the most-beautiful places I've ever seen. It snowed all the while we were there, and we got a personal (read, engineering) tour of one of the two geothermal power plants. It was both astonishing and inspirational. The Blue Lagoon, a major tourist attraction gets its water (it's waste water) from the plant, which is right next to it.



If you ever get a chance to go to Iceland, <em>go</em>.
Retired and loving it.

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  • Brad White
    Brad White Member Posts: 2,398
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    Iceland

    is definitely on our list- The women all look like Michelle Pfeiffer, the country is gorgeous and they are an energy-efficient, friendly and happy lot, by most accounts.



    After Iceland's recent financial meltdown, they are hurting and tourism is their salvation. Iceland Air is promoting a stay-over if you are flying to mainland Europe, for no additional charge.



    Thanks for the reinforcement, Dan!
    "If you do not know the answer, say, "I do not know the answer", and you will be correct!"



    -Ernie White, my Dad
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    The new plan

    is to run a cable to Scotland and become a green-energy exporter to Europe. It will be the longest electrical cable in the world.



    You have to see one of these high-pressure geo plants to believe it. It had me reduced to giggling.
    Retired and loving it.
  • Mark Eatherton
    Mark Eatherton Member Posts: 5,853
    edited March 2011
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    Welcome back!

    See anything in Germany that made you giggle ?



    My daughter and son in law went to Rekyavik (sp?) 5 years ago. He ran in a marathon, and she soaked in the Blue Lagoon. They both said that they WILL be going back some day.



    I met a caretaker at a ranch here in Colorado that we use to service who was from Iceland. He said he heated his house with a Grundfos 1558 pump. Had a shallow well in his back yard with a closed loop heat exchanger...



    Mother Earth is a powerful entity. Probably THE most powerful entity known to man kind :-)



    We missed ya.



    ME
    It's not so much a case of "You got what you paid for", as it is a matter of "You DIDN'T get what you DIDN'T pay for, and you're NOT going to get what you thought you were in the way of comfort". Borrowed from Heatboy.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    Some pics from the plant

    This place is a delicious blend of engineering and Norse mythology. The waste water is the source for The Blue Lagoon spa. I've never seen anything like this place.



    The colorful tanks aren't filled with oil or gas. They contain hot water. This flows downhill in the villages to the taps. They heat with radiators and snowmelt most of their sidewalks, driveways and parking lots.



    The two guys in the control room are running the whole place by staring at a screen. They work from 7 am until 7 pm and then go to bed. If something goes wrong, the computer calls them. There's just 25 people at this whole facility.



    All the water, except for what flows into The Blue Lagoon goes back into the ground. Life expectancy for this facility is 100,000 years. Nothing is wasted. They take the chemicals from The Blue Lagoon water and make cosmetics and health-care products, for which they get big bucks.



    Oh, and the people are gorgeous.
    Retired and loving it.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    We had a grand time.

    Random Icelandic people. I'm shy.
    Retired and loving it.
  • jp_2
    jp_2 Member Posts: 1,935
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    the sun's got the earth beat!

    and its all gravity......
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    Gravity.

    Because the sun's up there?  I can use that. Thanks!
    Retired and loving it.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    Scotland from 34,000 feet.

    They have a few turbines.
    Retired and loving it.
  • MAKev
    MAKev Member Posts: 6
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    Wonderful Place!

    I used to go to the U.S. Naval Base next to the Blue Lagoon once or twice a year, back when I was in the Air Force.  Every chance I got I'd spend some time enjoying the waters there.  Totally wonderful!  Beautiful and hardy people.  I used to see women out sunbathing when it was about 55 degrees out...
  • Brad White
    Brad White Member Posts: 2,398
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    Ya know, Laddie, they be Scottish Turbines!

    How ye tell? Ach, at each rrrrotation, three times per, tha middle finger reaches oop!

    That's how ye knows, aye!
    "If you do not know the answer, say, "I do not know the answer", and you will be correct!"



    -Ernie White, my Dad
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    Don't ever change.

    Please. 
    Retired and loving it.
  • jp_2
    jp_2 Member Posts: 1,935
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    gravity

    the way I understand it, gravity keeps the planets together themselves.  under huge forces toward the center of the planet, these huge forces either generated or keep the centers molten.   that's what I seem to remember, but I do often forget how old I am.



    of course, mankind's big show of energy I'd guess is the big bang!  If it happen or not?
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,526
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    Good answer.

    Here's a picture of the hot-dog man as your prize. Grill in the front, propane tank in the rear. 
    Retired and loving it.
  • TonyS
    TonyS Member Posts: 849
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    Iceland

    The only country who had the b*lls to stand up to the international banksters and default.

     My hat is off to Iceland...they must be an extremely intelligent group.
  • joe_94
    joe_94 Member Posts: 39
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    It's the Irish.

    On a bleak one night layover en route to Paris, we met Thorthur the genial host at the Rosenburg tavern in Reykjavik  who explained that genetic  analysis showed that  75% or so of the Icelandic women were Irish. I am not asserting we Irish are necessarily good looking people, but  that if you were a passing Viking rover stopping in Ireland en route west you would probably kidnap the better looking , stronger ones.

    joe w
  • Robert O'Brien
    Robert O'Brien Member Posts: 3,541
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    Brad

    You had me at Michelle Pfeiffer!
    To learn more about this professional, click here to visit their ad in Find A Contractor.
  • Robert O'Brien
    Robert O'Brien Member Posts: 3,541
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    Brad

    You had me at Michelle Pfeiffer!
    To learn more about this professional, click here to visit their ad in Find A Contractor.
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