Monday, July 13, 2015

London, England: The London Eye


Go to almost any European city, big or small, and it seems you'll be able to find a ferris wheel. This is London's, and it's a beauty. 

All right, the technical name for this giant ferris wheel is the lastminute.com London Eye. It used to be the Coca-Cola London Eye, which is at least familiar. 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.

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.

In 2015, it cost 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. Now it's 29 pounds, and 44 if you don't want to wait. 

We turned up for it the week before Easter, and you couldn't get near the ticket window in the middle of the day. Oh, well, maybe next time.

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