27. August 2009 10:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Going Solar 27. August 2009 10:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetgoing solarShareWhen we came back from our holiday our watertank had started leaking significantly. Actually it had started leaking slightly back in May where at the same time the government was introducing the stimulus package as part of their rescue plan for the financial crisis. Part of this package was an increased rebate on Solar hot water which provided a total $3400 government funding. Back then I got a couple of quotes, but never proceeded hoping that the tank would last a little longer.When we came back the leak had become a lot worse and could burst any time. It therefore had to be replaced very fast. It seemed that just replacing the existing electric tank would cost almost the same as installing Solar hot water and would be more expensive in electricity. Besides we have already installed extra insulation and energy efficient appliances so it only made sense to use Solar hot water as well.It took them 3 hours to pull down the old 160 litre tank and install a new 300 litre tank on the roof. So far we are happy with the system. We have more hot water than before, it is not nearly as hot as the old system, but plenty hot for what is needed (The old system had water which was close to 90 degrees Celcius and the new is appx 60 degrees).It has an electric booster installed for cloudy days, but once summer is here I should be able to turn that off completely. And an extra advantage is that it has cleared out some space on the side of the house.
27. August 2009 02:00 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Jump shots 27. August 2009 02:00 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetjump shotsShare While we were travelling in Denmark and Italy we did a large number of Jump shots. Here are some of the coolest ones we did. First in Denmark Then Italy
17. August 2009 10:30 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Switzerland - Going home 17. August 2009 10:30 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetswitserlandShareAfter Lake Como it was our last day and Italy and was time to go home. We had to return to Milan that evening to fly back to Sydney next morning. We decided to detour around the lake and possibly stop at some of the villages along the way. At the top end of the lake we came to a T intersection. I told kim that Switzerland was one hour if we turned left and Milan was 2 hours to the right. I asked her if she felt like a quick dash across the border before returning. Most of the borders to Switzerland (and Austria) are located on the top of the mountain passes since the Mountains was what defined the borders the old days. The road up to this mountain pass was very narrow and full of blind corners. Kim developed stomach cramps on a number of occations on the trip and we eventually came to the conclusion that it was the tension when driving on these roads. The scenery on the way up there was stunning. It was nice and cool climate and we were soon above the tree line and could see patches of snow on the mountains surrounding up. The style of houses changed from being traditional italian to be more swiss looking. Eventually we got to the border. Unfortunately the officer at the post didn't have a stamp to stamp Kims passport. We had lunch at the border and then returned toward Milan. We had dinner at the southern end of Lake Como and arrived at our airport hotel at 10pm. I had to return the car to the rental company at the Airport. Fortunately the hotel had an efficient shuttle bus service that made it easy to come back to the hotel. Unfortunately I forgot the cover for my phone in the car so I had to make the trip twice and was pretty knackered (and grumpy) when I eventually got back. At 6am next morning we were back at the airport returning to Sydney.
17. August 2009 10:29 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lago di Como 17. August 2009 10:29 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetlago di comoShare After the Riviera we drove up to Lago di Como (Lake Como). This was the only place on the trip where we hadn't organised accomodation prior to us arriving. When we arrived we initially used the TomTom to find us a B&B, but it kept taking us up into the hills on all these narrow streets with blind corners. We therefore instead decided to drive up along the shore of the lake and just check out whatever hotels we came past. We ended up finding a place for a reasonable price in Argegno. It was right on the lake next to the passenger ferry and our room was facing the lake....perfect! For dinner we drove to Menaggio a bit further up the lake. Parking was impossible because there was another festival happening so I ended up doing another illegal parking (If you are in Italy you do like the Italians). Next morning we went down to the ferry and bought a day ticket for the central part of the ticket. This enabled us to take the ferry and hop on and off whenever we felt like it. This meant that we we easily could get to other places on the lake such as Bellagio and Varenna. It also meant that we were able to look at the expensive villas from the lakeside. On the way back in the afternoon we stopped at Tremezzo at one of the large villas that was open to the public. The villa was surrounded by a beautiful garden. Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 15. March 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Port Macquarie ( 1998 ) . . . 15. March 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetport macquarie 1998ShareDuring my first year in Australia, after coming from Denmark, I was contracted out to work at Port Macquarie - a quiet, but beautiful and peaceful seaside town a few hours north of Sydney. The first pictures were taken in Port Macquarie during Easter 1998. Lance, Anne and Graham, some good friends of mine, decided to do some exploring around the area... Graham here, on the right, The Admiral himself... (also called "Wobber") "Is that a chicky-babe in the water ?"The photo is taken on "Kermit" (Note, the green seats...) in the river at Port Macquarie. Lance seasick ???? No, just a little tired ! This is one of many photos I have of Lance sleeping - he has a knack for taking a nap just about anywhere - just ask Anne! *smile* It's a great day to sail on "Kermit". Whereas, who do we have here? Me! I love sailing, and as usual, like to be a'head' of things... "Clear water ahead Navigator?" "Aye-Aye Admiral!" "The Admiral" is giving Anne a good whacking. Poor Anne... Lance and The Admiral in front of the lighthouse at Port Macquarie In the mangrove at Port Macquarie, there are millions of these small blue crabs (Taste like shit). It's pretty amazing though - crabs do not exist only on a beach. They live wherever there is enough water and they can burrow quickly and easily away from danger. The photo above is taken on a sandbar in the river at Port Macquarie. There are also a lot of pelicans in Port Macquarie. I managed to get a picture of one flying. And one yawning! There are quite a few pelicans here in Narrabeen, on Pittwater Rd - a main street near where I live. Narrabeen lakes draws its salt water from the sea, and at one point on Pittwater Rd, there is a bridge. This is where I see most of the pelicans - perched on top of the flat heads of street lights! It's quite funny to see them there, and have never managed to get a photo of this yet, as I usually see them when I am driving over the bridge. We went bushwalking in the mountains and forests at Port Macquarie and found this beautiful rockpool. We used the opportunity to go for a swim. Off the beaten track in the forests around Port Macquarie! Moi! One of the few pictures of me (as you will notice in this whole website). I tend to prefer taking pictures of other people and places - but my girlfriend is trying to remedy that! (she's still trying not get blurry pictures...) As you can see, this place is really good for getting comfortable, enjoying my lunch, no worries, good place to get a bit of sleep... Like my new haircut? I wanted to do something radical. I needed a change, I wanted people to look at me when I was walking down the street. So decided to change my hairstyle. By the way, you like it green? I can't be a dumb blond forever... A picture of Lance and I with the beaches at Port Macquarie and one of the Brothers in the background ! There was a storm in Newcastle. These were the biggest waves I had ever seen - some were 7-8 meters high. The waves were washing all the way up to where I am standing taking the picture. The kids in the photo were waiting for a big wave to hit them and wash them into the rock pool. You know the big wave coming towards them? They were still a couple of hundred meters away from it... Henrik, Lance and I made a bet with Anne about whether or not we would be able not to use a computer in our sparetime for two weeks while we were up in Newcastle. We accepted the bet and won it simply because it was impossible for us to lose since we didn't have access to any computers! That meant that Anne had to cook us a dinner... Australian Style! Aussie? We had to dress "Australian style" for the dinner (at least to start with). Reckon it is Aussie with a billabong hat? (Need some flies for the corks to chase away). But it is DEFINITELY Aussie with that holey surfie t-shirt and a Fosters (disgusting) in hand! Can't see, can't hear and can't talk, who am I? No actually he was trying to wear his wife's earrings but didn't want it on a photo! I have often said that Port Macquarie was a beautiful place, but it is much too quiet for me in the long run. Working there during 1998 was good, but I was also glad to be back in Sydney! 15. February 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Anne's Birthday ( 15th Feb 1998 ) . . . 15. February 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetanne s birthday 15th feb 1998ShareWe celebrated Anne's birthday at a restaurant called Pete's Bite. The only access to the restaurant is by seaplane or boat. It is located 2 hours north of where I live. The food is marvelous and bloody expensive. It is definetely worth trying (once)! It was 40-45 degrees that day and no wind so everybody moved out on the lawn in the shade of palms! So this is what a heat stroke looks like ! 15. March 1997 11:14 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Narrabeen Beach . . . 15. March 1997 11:14 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetnarrabeen beachShareNarrabeen Beach . . .My apartment is situated right on Narrabeen beach - one of the nicer and quieter northern beaches. Now that I've said this, you're probably wondering about that surfer in the middle of that photo... and is the wave real? You betcha! I even have a photo of this surfer being 'chased' by this HUGE wave, on the wall in my apartment. Narrabeen is renowned for its great surf and dangerous rips. Many famous lifesavers come to surf at this beach. However, usually after a big storm, the beach is closed as the waves can get pretty rough and dangerous rips pull you out to sea. These photos were taken outside my apartment during the annual National Surf and Lifesaving competition. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...84858687888990919293Older posts SearchInclude comments in search Newsletter Get notified when a new post is published. Enter your e-mail Please enter an e-mail address Please enter a valid e-mail Thank you ShareAfter Verona we drove to Tuscany to a small medievil town called San Gimignano. It is a very small town where in the medievil days they were competing who could build the most 'high-rises'. This means that today the town is full of all these tall towers (There used to be a lot more back in those days).The town is full of tourists during the daytime and at night the town is again taken over by the locals including the werewolves from the surrounding area.We were staying inside the old city walls, so for the most part we were safe except for the odd werewolf. They also have the world champion in Gelato...normally I don't belive marketing gimmick like this, but I must admit that the gelato was very nice.At night time once the tourists were gone it was an amazing place. The towers are rising into the night sky and I had a lot of fun taking photos of the towers just using the ambient light.
15. March 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Port Macquarie ( 1998 ) . . . 15. March 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetport macquarie 1998ShareDuring my first year in Australia, after coming from Denmark, I was contracted out to work at Port Macquarie - a quiet, but beautiful and peaceful seaside town a few hours north of Sydney. The first pictures were taken in Port Macquarie during Easter 1998. Lance, Anne and Graham, some good friends of mine, decided to do some exploring around the area... Graham here, on the right, The Admiral himself... (also called "Wobber") "Is that a chicky-babe in the water ?"The photo is taken on "Kermit" (Note, the green seats...) in the river at Port Macquarie. Lance seasick ???? No, just a little tired ! This is one of many photos I have of Lance sleeping - he has a knack for taking a nap just about anywhere - just ask Anne! *smile* It's a great day to sail on "Kermit". Whereas, who do we have here? Me! I love sailing, and as usual, like to be a'head' of things... "Clear water ahead Navigator?" "Aye-Aye Admiral!" "The Admiral" is giving Anne a good whacking. Poor Anne... Lance and The Admiral in front of the lighthouse at Port Macquarie In the mangrove at Port Macquarie, there are millions of these small blue crabs (Taste like shit). It's pretty amazing though - crabs do not exist only on a beach. They live wherever there is enough water and they can burrow quickly and easily away from danger. The photo above is taken on a sandbar in the river at Port Macquarie. There are also a lot of pelicans in Port Macquarie. I managed to get a picture of one flying. And one yawning! There are quite a few pelicans here in Narrabeen, on Pittwater Rd - a main street near where I live. Narrabeen lakes draws its salt water from the sea, and at one point on Pittwater Rd, there is a bridge. This is where I see most of the pelicans - perched on top of the flat heads of street lights! It's quite funny to see them there, and have never managed to get a photo of this yet, as I usually see them when I am driving over the bridge. We went bushwalking in the mountains and forests at Port Macquarie and found this beautiful rockpool. We used the opportunity to go for a swim. Off the beaten track in the forests around Port Macquarie! Moi! One of the few pictures of me (as you will notice in this whole website). I tend to prefer taking pictures of other people and places - but my girlfriend is trying to remedy that! (she's still trying not get blurry pictures...) As you can see, this place is really good for getting comfortable, enjoying my lunch, no worries, good place to get a bit of sleep... Like my new haircut? I wanted to do something radical. I needed a change, I wanted people to look at me when I was walking down the street. So decided to change my hairstyle. By the way, you like it green? I can't be a dumb blond forever... A picture of Lance and I with the beaches at Port Macquarie and one of the Brothers in the background ! There was a storm in Newcastle. These were the biggest waves I had ever seen - some were 7-8 meters high. The waves were washing all the way up to where I am standing taking the picture. The kids in the photo were waiting for a big wave to hit them and wash them into the rock pool. You know the big wave coming towards them? They were still a couple of hundred meters away from it... Henrik, Lance and I made a bet with Anne about whether or not we would be able not to use a computer in our sparetime for two weeks while we were up in Newcastle. We accepted the bet and won it simply because it was impossible for us to lose since we didn't have access to any computers! That meant that Anne had to cook us a dinner... Australian Style! Aussie? We had to dress "Australian style" for the dinner (at least to start with). Reckon it is Aussie with a billabong hat? (Need some flies for the corks to chase away). But it is DEFINITELY Aussie with that holey surfie t-shirt and a Fosters (disgusting) in hand! Can't see, can't hear and can't talk, who am I? No actually he was trying to wear his wife's earrings but didn't want it on a photo! I have often said that Port Macquarie was a beautiful place, but it is much too quiet for me in the long run. Working there during 1998 was good, but I was also glad to be back in Sydney!
15. February 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Anne's Birthday ( 15th Feb 1998 ) . . . 15. February 1998 10:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetanne s birthday 15th feb 1998ShareWe celebrated Anne's birthday at a restaurant called Pete's Bite. The only access to the restaurant is by seaplane or boat. It is located 2 hours north of where I live. The food is marvelous and bloody expensive. It is definetely worth trying (once)! It was 40-45 degrees that day and no wind so everybody moved out on the lawn in the shade of palms! So this is what a heat stroke looks like !
15. March 1997 11:14 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Narrabeen Beach . . . 15. March 1997 11:14 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetnarrabeen beachShareNarrabeen Beach . . .My apartment is situated right on Narrabeen beach - one of the nicer and quieter northern beaches. Now that I've said this, you're probably wondering about that surfer in the middle of that photo... and is the wave real? You betcha! I even have a photo of this surfer being 'chased' by this HUGE wave, on the wall in my apartment. Narrabeen is renowned for its great surf and dangerous rips. Many famous lifesavers come to surf at this beach. However, usually after a big storm, the beach is closed as the waves can get pretty rough and dangerous rips pull you out to sea. These photos were taken outside my apartment during the annual National Surf and Lifesaving competition.
17. August 2009 10:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Verona and the Opera - Italy 17. August 2009 10:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetverona and the operaShareWe arrived to Milan in Italy from Copenhagen in the evening. The first thing we did after landing was to pick up our rental car which was a small Fiat Panda (Never, ever rent a large car in Italy...some streets only accomodate snall cars) and then drive to our Hotel. The Tom-Tom nagigator software on my mobile phone turned out to be exceptionally useful on our trip to find our way around. The next morning we drove towards Verona and at lunchtime we had a look at our map and noticed that we'd drive right past Lago di Gardia (Lake Garda). I asked Kim to plan a diversion somewhere for a lakeside lunch. She chose Sirmione which is a long peninsula on the southern side of the lake. I used to stay at Lake Garda with my parents when I was a kid. The water is bright blue and it is a beautiful place. We then continued to Verona early afternoon and found our bed and breakfast which is about a kilometer from the city centre. The road up there was very narrow and anything wider than the Panda would not have been able to get through. As soon as we had gotten settled we walked down into the city centre. We had opera tickets for Aida in the old coloseum in Verona in the evening, but had to first pick up the tickets. The tickets were quite pricey so we had chosen to get ticket on the upper stairs with almost everyone else. It meant that it was a bit less confortable and that we would have to enter early to get a good seat. But it also meant that we were sitting up higher which is better for taking photos. The performance was amazing. There was approximately 500 actors on stage (and 4 horses) and ther used about a quarter of the coloseum as the stage. It was a beautiful and warm night with a brightly lit full moon. The performance finished around 1am at night and from there we walked to one of the squares of Verona and had some coffee (Places were still open). The next morning we did a bit more exploration around Verona. Kim wanted to see the romantic balcony of Romeo and Juliet (Or Donald and Daffy Duck as I called them as they are just as real as the imaginary Romeo and Juliet) Since we were there we also had to rub the right breast of the Juliet statue there for good luck. In Daffy's house they also has a lot of interesting art work. Verona is an interesting city. They have a whale bone suspended from one of the gates...apparently the legend says that it will fall down upon the first 'Just' man who passes under it (and kills him??). Unfortunately (or fortunately) it didn't fall on neither Kim or I. The city is full of old buildings with interesting architecture