Greg Jenner

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Do you want to come?

So the polos now, our pack of polos, let's call them that. So Maffeo, Niccolo and Marco, they head back out to Mongol China in 1271. Marco is a young, he's what, 17, 18? He's a young man. That's right. And they travel to Acre, which is in the Holy Land of what we now call the Middle East.

So the polos now, our pack of polos, let's call them that. So Maffeo, Niccolo and Marco, they head back out to Mongol China in 1271. Marco is a young, he's what, 17, 18? He's a young man. That's right. And they travel to Acre, which is in the Holy Land of what we now call the Middle East.

And they definitely go to China, Sharon, because when I was a student about 20 years ago or something like that, there was a big sort of like, oh, did he really go to China? Did he make it up? Was he telling stories? But he definitely went to China, right?

And they definitely go to China, Sharon, because when I was a student about 20 years ago or something like that, there was a big sort of like, oh, did he really go to China? Did he make it up? Was he telling stories? But he definitely went to China, right?

Listeners, if you want to know more about the Mongols, we did an episode on Genghis Khan, the grandfather of Kublai Khan. Genghis Khan, I guess, more famous name, but Genghis is what we called him. I mean, he's there. He's quite impressed by Kublai Khan and the capital, Dadu or Khanbaliq. Do you want to guess how long the Polos stay in this part of the world?

Listeners, if you want to know more about the Mongols, we did an episode on Genghis Khan, the grandfather of Kublai Khan. Genghis Khan, I guess, more famous name, but Genghis is what we called him. I mean, he's there. He's quite impressed by Kublai Khan and the capital, Dadu or Khanbaliq. Do you want to guess how long the Polos stay in this part of the world?

Well, let's call it a trip, but it's quite a long trip.

Well, let's call it a trip, but it's quite a long trip.

That's a really good guess. It's 24 years. Yes. So you've done very well. You're very good at this, Ria. You've got incredible knowledge here.

That's a really good guess. It's 24 years. Yes. So you've done very well. You're very good at this, Ria. You've got incredible knowledge here.

Well, amazing. But yeah, they're there for 24 years. And Sharon, we get a sense then that Marco Polo, even though he arrives as a 17-year-old, he becomes a man in China, in Mongol-controlled China. What does he tell us about his life in Mongol China?

Well, amazing. But yeah, they're there for 24 years. And Sharon, we get a sense then that Marco Polo, even though he arrives as a 17-year-old, he becomes a man in China, in Mongol-controlled China. What does he tell us about his life in Mongol China?

24 years, Marco. Come on. He's too busy having fun. You talked about a book. What have we got?

24 years, Marco. Come on. He's too busy having fun. You talked about a book. What have we got?

Sharon, Marco Polo tells us some really interesting things about life in the Mongol court, but also kind of wider administrative aspects. And two of the things I think that are particularly interesting would be the postal system.

Sharon, Marco Polo tells us some really interesting things about life in the Mongol court, but also kind of wider administrative aspects. And two of the things I think that are particularly interesting would be the postal system.

Welcome to the nerd show over here.

Welcome to the nerd show over here.