Gone A.W.O.L – to Slovenia and Switzerland
Source: http://www.investmentpostcards.com/2009/06/26/gone-awol-%e2%80%93-to-slovenia-and-switzerland/Posted on Friday, June 26th, 2009 | In Market Commentary
I will find myself in Slovenia and Switzerland over the next two weeks, taking a break and soaking up some Northern Hemisphere sun with my wife Isabel and two kids, Monique (10 years) and Jean (8 years).
Blog posting will be slow (and totally absent on some days) while I am on the road and “Words” from the Wise” will take a break for the next two Sundays (June 28 and July 5). The normal blogging service will be resumed on my return to Cape Town on July 11.
However, I will be “tweeting” regularly throughout my trip. For those not familiar with the concept, a Twitter feed has been added to the sidebar of Investment Postcards where I post short comments (maximum 140 characters) on topical market issues, and also on my personal whereabouts. You can also “follow me” direct on Twitter by clicking here.
For those not familiar with Slovenia, the country has been dubbed many things – “Europe in Miniature”, “The Sunny Side of the Alps”, “The Green Piece of Europe” – and they’re all true. It is a compact country, around half the size of Switzerland, and is situated between Austria (280 km from Salzburg and 370 km from Vienna), Croatia (135 km from Zagreb), Hungary (440 km from Budapest) and Italy (220 km from Venice and 470 km from Milan), in the very centre of Europe.
Although it is a small country of only 20 273 km2, it is very diverse with areas of outstanding natural beauty ranging from rugged Alpine mountains to tranquil lakes to fairytale forests to valleys with lush vineyards and even a stretch of beautiful coastline on the Adriatic. The country’s “wooded” area amounts to 63% of the total, making it a clear leader in this category among all European countries (even beating Sweden).
Add a historic capital like Ljubljana with unsurpassed architecture, museums and numerous cafes along the river banks and you indeed have a cross-section of Europe. Moreover, all this can be experienced in a single day – after all, it only takes three to four hours to drive across the entire country.
Now for braving 13 hours at airports and on airplanes flying from Cape Town to Johannesburg, then on to Frankfurt, and finally to Ljubljana. Meanwhile, I have posted a few pictures below to give you a feel for my surroundings over the next few days …
Last 5 posts by Prieur du Plessis
- Words from the (investment) wise for the week that was (November 16 – 22, 2009) - November 22nd, 2009
- Prieur’s readings (November 21, 2009) - November 21st, 2009
- The lie of the investment land, according to Dylan Grice - November 21st, 2009
- Gross: Anything but .01% - November 21st, 2009
- The week ahead - November 21st, 2009
Adriatic, Alpine mountains, Alps, Austria, Budapest, Cape Town, clear leader, Croatia, Europe, Frankfurt, Hungary, investment postcards, Isabel, Italy, johannesburg, Ljubljana, Market Commentary, Milan, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Twitter, Venice, Vienna, Zagreb
 About Prieur du Plessis (http://www.investmentpostcards.com)
Prieur du Plessis has 25 years’ experience in professional investment research and portfolio management. More than 1,000 of his articles on investment-related topics have been published in various regular newspaper, journal and Internet columns. He has also published a book, Financial Basics: Investment. Prieur is chief executive and principal shareholder of South African-based Plexus Asset Management, which he founded in 1995. The group conducts investment management, investment consulting, private equity and real estate activities in South Africa and other African countries. Plexus is the South African partner of John Mauldin, author of the Thoughts from the Frontline e-letter, and also has an exclusive licensing agreement with California-based Research Affiliates for managing and distributing its enhanced Fundamental IndexTM methodology in the Pan-African area. Prieur is 52 years old and lives with his wife, television producer and presenter Isabel Verwey, and two children in Cape Town, South Africa. His recreational activities include long-distance running, motor cycling, traveling and reading. |
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