London Eye. Information about London

The London Eye, also known as the London Eye or Millennium Wheel, is a gigantic 135-metre high Ferris wheel located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the bank of the Thames opposite the nearby Big Ben.

Despite its recent construction, it is already one of London's most popular tourist attractions. Its purpose was to commemorate the city's millennium celebrations. It was completed in 1999 but opened in 2000 after a year and a half construction process, which involved many tonnes of concrete for its foundations and steel for its structure.

The Ferris wheel has 32 spacious, egg-shaped, glass-enclosed cabins, which can accommodate up to 25 people. The entrance to the cabins is on the move, as the wheel rotates so slowly that there is no need to stop to pick up passengers.

The ride lasts 30 minutes and thanks to the transparent cabins, you get 360-degree views of the whole of London and the surrounding area. It is spectacular to get a bird's eye view of monuments and buildings such as St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster next to Big Ben.

It is advisable to book your tickets in advance to avoid surprises and be patient as the queues are usually quite long.

The entrance fee can be a little expensive for the more thrifty tourist, but it also includes a four-dimensional video exhibition of the city of London called the 4D Experience.

Location: Riverside Building, County Hall, London SE1 7PB, Reino Unido - Telephone: +44 20 7967 8021

Underground stopping at Westminster or Waterloo stations.

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Tower Bridge. Information about London

Tower Bridge is one of London's most treasured landmarks and the subject of many of London's postcard images. The bridge is world famous for its beautiful Victorian Gothic style and its ability to soar, facilitating the passage of large vessels on the Thames.

The great expansion of London and its rapid growth made it necessary to build a bridge to relieve congestion in the east of the city, as most of the existing bridges were to the west.

It took eight years to discuss its location and choose the winner of the design competition, in which more than 50 proposals were considered.

Finally, after the design by city architect Horace Jones was chosen, work began in 1884. After 10 years of work, the bridge was completed in 1894.

The bridge is 265 metres long, with two 65-metre-high towers and a distance of 61 metres between them. Each of the two lifting platforms is 30 metres long and can be raised 83 degrees to facilitate river traffic.

The original mechanism worked with steam engines that pumped pressurised water to the 6 accumulators it had. Today the hydraulic system is still in use, although the water has been replaced by oil and the steam engines have been replaced by electric motors. The accumulators have also been removed, of which only two remain in the museum housed inside the bridge.

In the museum open to the public, located in the south tower, apart from the two accumulators, the steam engines and various machines used in the construction and maintenance of the bridge are preserved. In addition, models and videos of the bridge are shown and its history since its construction is narrated.

The two towers of the Tower Bridge have several rooms that can be rented for business meetings or celebrations of any kind.

Location: Tower Bridge, London, SE1 2UP. - London EC3N 4AB, Reino Unido - Telephone: +44 20 3166 6000

Underground / "Tube": Tower Hill station with District, Circle and DLR lines.
Buses: Lines 8, 9, 11, 15, 15B, 22B, 25, 133 and 501.

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Soho, London. Information about London

Soho and Piccadilly Circus form the so-called centre of London. What was once a neighbourhood notorious for its bad reputation is now a lively, multicultural place with a special tourist attraction.

Old Compton Street is the main thoroughfare of this picturesque neighbourhood and is packed with tourists who enjoy its shops, boutiques, restaurants, as well as its popular pubs, nightclubs and a few sex shops.

Another street that stands out in Soho is Leicester Square and its surroundings, full of theatres, cinemas and nightclubs where young people party on Saturday nights.

Chinatown is also an attractive corner of Soho for people looking for oriental restaurants, exotic spice shops, fish and Asian food. Looking at the street decor in this area is like being transported to China itself.

Location: North of Piccadilly Circus

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City Hall, London. Information about London

City Hall is one of London's newest and most modern buildings housing the offices of the City Council and the City Assemblies. It is located south of the Thames, very close to the Tower of London Bridge.

It is a modern building designed by the well-known architect Norman Foster, the same architect who designed London's Millennium Bridge and who remodelled the iconic Reichstag (Berlin's German Parliament).

The building was inaugurated in 2002, but not without some controversy among the population due to its curious appearance. Some call it 'the onion', others 'the motorbike helmet' or the 'glass testicle'.

The building is about 45 metres high, with a total of 10 floors and a long spiral staircase 500 metres long. At the top is an exhibition and meeting room called London's Living Room, with an open bay window that is sometimes open to the public.

Its modernity does not only apply to its quirky, futuristic design. This steel and glass building replaces air conditioning with natural ventilation and is precisely angled to avoid direct sunlight during peak hours so that air conditioning is not necessary.

It also has a series of solar panels to supply the electricity consumption of the entire building.

Location: The Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA, Reino Unido - Telephone: +44 20 7983 4000

Underground: from Tower Bridge station.
Bus: any line that passes through Tower Bridge.

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Big Ben. Information about London

Big Ben is the most representative tower of the City of London and is home to one of the largest mechanical clocks in the world. Big Ben is the name by which the tower is known worldwide, but officially this name is due to the main bell, which weighs about 13.8 tons (the first one weighed 16 tons but it broke and was replaced).

The construction of Big Ben began in 1843, after the Great Fire of London on 16 October 1834, which seriously affected the Palace of Westminster. Charles Barry was in charge of the reconstruction project, which added the tower to the palace and designed it in a Victorian Gothic style.

The monument is 96.3 metres high and sits on a 225 square metre base. Each clock face of Big Ben is 7.5 metres long and the hands are of great length; the hour hand is 2.7 metres long while the minute hand is 4.3 metres long. The watch's numerals are no slouch at 50 centimetres high.

The clock is known for its reliability, as it has rarely stopped working. Even after the bombing of London during the Second World War, the clock has not altered its punctual reputation one iota.

Location: London SW1A 0AA, Reino Unido - Telephone: +44 20 7219 4272

Underground: Westminster, Circle, District and Jubilee lines.

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What to do when faced with a megalomaniac?

Megalomania is quite common. It can be very annoying for those around you. Tips for living with a megalomaniac.

What is megalomania?

Megalomania corresponds to a hypertrophied pride. This psychopathological illness is part of the narcissistic personality. It is expressed by an overestimation of oneself which makes the megalomaniac attribute prestigious actions, exceptional gifts, unlimited love affections, unsuspected wealth.

Megalomania is often the result of a narcissistic personality disorder. It may be reinforced by paranoia or schizophrenia.

Megalomania, to varying degrees, is quite common. This self-expansion is quite exemplary in artists, dictators and great politicians. As our society pushes individuals to become more and more self-centred, megalomaniacs are becoming more and more numerous.

Megalomania is often linked to emotional deficiencies in childhood, where self-esteem could not be acquired in a solid way.

The symptoms of megalomania

A megalomaniac feels superior, more talented, more beautiful, more important than everyone else. He or she thinks that he or she has the glory and the power. He or she is often delusional and delusions of grandeur. One megalomaniac thinks he is a great actor, another sees himself as Napoleon Bonaparte! In extreme cases, megalomaniacs have hallucinations.

Cognitive and behavioural therapies can improve the behaviour of megalomaniacs. Psychoanalysis can also help. But most of the time the megalomaniac does not seek treatment because he/she thinks he/she is better than the therapists!

Living with a megalomaniac is complicated

Megalomaniacs think that they are entitled to everything. They believe that they can do anything they want and that their desires must always be fulfilled. Opposing them can lead to crises. The people around them are at their disposal. Megalomaniacs lack empathy. They are so focused on themselves that they do not pay attention to the feelings of others.

In addition, megalomaniacs are haughty, arrogant, and need to be admired.

All this makes them difficult people to deal with, whether in a family, friendship or professional setting!

What to do when faced with a megalomaniac?

If you have a megalomaniac in your circle, show approval only when it is sincere and deserved and explain why others do not find them as exceptional as they think.

If you want to criticise her, it is better not to attack her as a person but to criticise one of her behaviours in particular.

Be aware of her attempts to manipulate you, whether through fear ("Be careful if you..."), flattery ("You are the best") or guilt ("After all I have done for you...").

Do not expect reciprocity, give and take. The megalomaniac expects to receive a lot, but will not give you back what you give, because everything is due to them, they deserve what you give them.

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Mejora tu pronunciación en inglés con esta app.

Una de las preguntas que más escucho entre las personas que estudian inglés es: ¿Cómo puedo mejorar mi pronunciación si no tengo con quien practicar o quien me corrija cuando cometo errores? ¿Te suena esto familiar?

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