When I bought the tickets for the London Eye, I held my breath and crossed my fingers in the hopes that we’d have a bright day. Luck was on our side, when we went on it, there were a few wispy clouds and a bright sky. Later, the clouds thickened, but we had perfect weather.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with it, the London Eye is a giant observation wheel located on the South Bank of the River Thames. The motion is so smooth that when you’re riding it you might not even know you are moving. But the panoramic views of the city keep changing as you travel up and around. There are eye-popping views of Big Ben, Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Buckingham Palace among many others. Each of its thirty-two glass capsules (or eggs) can hold up to twenty-five people and it takes about 30 minutes to complete a full rotation. Whenever I bring someone new to London, it is a must-do activity.
After our circuit on the Eye, we went for a different perspective of the city—a boat on the Thames. The boat took us past the Tower of London and under the Tower Bridge. It then went on to Greenwich. At the Greenwich stop, Scott, Sherrie and Brianna disembarked for a return ride. They wanted to see Parliament and Westminster Abbey. I decided to stay on the boat until the end in Woolwich and then return.
For me it was fascinating to see how much East London has been built up. In the 1990s, I sometimes had to go to meetings at Canary Wharf. At the time, the area was just beginning to change. It had been a derelict dockland full of old, crumbling buildings. The office building where I went had been modernized, but it was just enough to make it usable. Canary Wharf is now one of the city’s major financial hubs, filled with sleek, modern skyscrapers and global bank headquarters. In fact, for much of the ride there was new development with unusual and often beautiful buildings.
I disembarked at the Tower of London. Not because I intended to visit the Tower, but because of the juxtaposition of old and new buildings. I walked around for a couple of hours, taking many breaks on benches and cafes, thrilled with the wonderful views. I visited Trinity Square Gardens, what I would call a pocket park, right behind the Tower of London. It was a wonderful place to relax away from the tourism craziness. It’s got lovely plantings and the area surrounding it has lots of lovely statues. When I really couldn’t walk any longer, I took a bus back to the hotel.
While I was on my own, the trio was having their own adventures. Scott exchanged with local law enforcement for several more coins. They got to see Big Ben and Parliament up close. Walked entirely around Westminster Abbey and lots more.
We met for dinner and got to exchange adventures. They were especially pleased that Brianna was their navigator. At twelve years old she’s highly proficient with using GPS.