Marco Polo

Marco Polo:
Marco Polo (13th century) was an Italian merchant traveler who wrote his travels trough Central Asia  and China in the book Livres des merveilles du monde.

His father and his uncle decided to set out on a journey to deal jewels with Mongols. They had success in their business, but different wars started in Asia doing difficult their return to Venice.
During the journey, they met  Grand Kan, Kublai Kan.Who request them walk with his diplomatic to visit the Papa.When they came back, Kublai Kan offer them a paiza; one gold tablet that allow who have it, use the mongol´s stages.
It took them around nine years before Marco could see his father again.

  

Few years after, father and uncle started the return to Kublai Court, this time with Marco, who was seventeen years old.
Quickly, Kan´s favor was won for Marco. Kublai made him his adviser,and shortly after, his emissary
.After seventeen years of service to Kan,Marco decided return to Venecie.

 When they arrived to Venecie,it was in war against Genove. Marco was imprisoned and during his imprisionment he wrote his journeys. 
When he was released he became in a rich merchant. 
Marco was not the first traveler, but he was the first that wrote with details his journeys. 

Abney Park

Last week we had holidays in the college.We had free those mornings so we decided do something together. We checked the weather and we saw that on Wednesday it didn't rain so Alex proposed go to know Abney Park.
At the end, only Noelia and me went ( but it was enough).  The morning was sunny, in the afternoon the day become cloudy, but days before were raining so there was a lot of mud in all of paths. Our boots finished completely cover for mud.
The park is a garden cemetery that was opened in 1840. There are over 200,000 graves and one chapel in the middle of the park. Unfortunately, the chapel is very damaged by vandalism and it is considered like build at risk.

 

 

My profile

A few words about me :

 

I’m 31 years old Spanish girl is living in London for three months now. I’m geologist although my currently work is as sales associate for a Switzerland International Company since seven years ago. My proposition is improve my English and use it  like tool to change of kind of work.

I consider myself an extrovert person and enthusiastic,  activities outdoor are my favourites, including photography, sport, walk...I also enjoy learning new languages and cultures.

National Portrait Gallery and more photos

We have visited  The National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square. I had visited the National Gallery but Portrait Gallery was unknown for me. The exhibition that we saw had sixty portrait of different international photographers.
It is forbidden taking  photos so I have looked for internet some of them to show you and speak about them.Unfortunately, my favorite photo is not available in internet, so I'm going to try to describe it you.

It was a portrait of a mid-age women with long brown hair.She is wearing a orange dress, the dress is a kind of sari.Her chest is naked, so you can see that she lost one breast for the cancer. She is sitting in a empty room. The photo must be sad, but her face give you so calm and the color of her dress give you energy. It's like she wants to show us :"look at me , I'm alive, this is the most important".

Now I attach some portrait of the exhibition that I could take of internet:

This portrait is of one of the most popular jockey player of England...if my memory doesn't fail.
I saw this photo before in the tube, every morning in the aisle to go the platform.
She looks like sad or tired, may be both of them. It is curios for me, because this picture remember me when I ride a mountain bike. Normally this is the way to finish, you are completely cover by mud...but my face is not this, include when I don't have a good day to ride (it's mean that I've fallen down, or I've had to carry on my bike for technical problems...)

 Others photos....

This photo is really fascinating. Colors of the bird and the movement of the water. The photographer was lucky to be in the right place and doing the shot in the accurate second.

Walking along the Tames

Last Wednesday we had our first "outdoor class". We walked along Tames from London Eye until OXO Tower. There, Milagros showed us the terrace in the last floor and we could enjoy of a nice 

landscape.

We left the college and crossed a tunnel was fully of gratifies. Here it is permit but there are rules. At the end of the tunnel you can see an advert when explain them.  

I though that our college was more far of the Tames, but in a few minutes we arrived to London Eye. It was cloudy day, but it didn't rain. My photos are better than others days, because I didn't bring my tablet because Patricia lent me her camera.

London Eye

London Eye

 

 London Eye

The London Eye was built in 1999 and it is the Europe's tallest Ferris wheel and one of the first tourist attraction in London. The structure has 135m high.

Jubilee Gardens

That day, there were a lot of contrast between green color of the grass and grey of builds and sky.
The Jubilee Gardens were inaugurated in 1977 for the Queen's Silver Jubilee and has a memorial to the casualties of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War.

It is so difficult takes a photo of whole Royal Festival from this side of the river, so I took a photo only of windows.

Royal Festival Hall

Royal Festival Hall

The Royal Festival Hall was opened in 1951 and it is a venue with 2500 seat .

National Film Theater

 

 

The National Film Theater was founded in 1933. It is a charity governed by Royal Charter. Its encouraged is to promote the art of film and television.
  

National Theatre

 

OXO Tower 

 

 

 

 

OXO Tower

Oxo Tower was a power station built at the end of 19th century. The build was acquired by Oxo (food brand). The owner wanted put oi the top one illuminated advertisement with the name of his brand. When the permission was declined, he built the tower with windows in shape of O and X.
In the last refurbishment, the tower was prepared to include flats, workshops and one restaurant in the top floor.