London, England: The London Eye

All right, the technical name for this giant ferris wheel is the Coca-Cola London Eye. A few other sponsors have been attached to the name over the years. Some people call it the Millennium Wheel, which should give you an idea when it first opened - Dec. 31, 1999. I could have used this fact when I missed a trivia question about the Eye on our cruise.

The wheel is 443 feet high and was the tallest structure in London until the Shard came along a few years later. The wheel takes 30 minutes to make a circle, and goes slowly enough so that it doesn't have to be started and stopped for passengers. Exceptions for that rule are made in special cases, such as for those with disabilities. Most people simply walk on and off while the structure is in motion.

As of 2015, it costs at least 19 pounds to go for a ride - more if you don't want to wait as long and are willing to pay to cut in line. I didn't get too close to it, although this picture gives you an idea of the neighborhood. So I appreciated the chance to see a video:



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