Saturday, August 21, 2010

London Eye

Was in London on vacation last  week and since I was staying near the County Hall, managed numerous visits to one of the most popular landmarks of London – The London Eye.  The County Hall which till 1986 was the seat of the Mayor of London has now been converted into a hotel - The Marriot. And next to the county hall are 2 of most important landmarks of London - Westminster and The London Eye,. londoneye5606mThe London Eye, . towering at a height of 135 metres, is the tallest cantilevered observation wheel in the world and attracts over 3,5 million visitors a year.LondonEye5639m Shot of the London Eye from the Westminster Bridge
The London Eye is the most popular paid tourist destination in the UK. Situated on the south bank of the river Thames, it is located between the Westminster bridge and the Hungerford bridge.
The London Eye at Night
In the summer months of July and August, the London Eye is open till 9.30 at night giving one an excellent opportunity to have a birds eye view of London at night. Particularly spectacular are views of  Westminster and Big Ben overlooking the river Thames.
The London Eye has 32 air conditioned capsules which can hold 25 people each and weighs  10 tonnes. The capsules are designed such that one can easily move around to get views from all angles.The capsules move at a speed of around 10 in per second and takes around 30 minutes to make a full revolution. Since the speed is slow, people alight and get on to the capsules while moving.
 A capsule of the London Eye
The capsules are fixed on a rim which is supported by spokes resembling the wheel of a cycle. An interesting fact is that different parts of the wheel were produced in various European countries - steel from UK, cables from Italy, bearings from Germany, the spindle and hub from Czech Republic.

If you are visiting London and haven't visited the London Eye ,do plan a visit and ride on this most interesting landmark. To avoid ques, book tickets online.
Click on the Link Below to go to the :

2 comments:

  1. Wonderful pictures. I always wanted to go to london one day and just by seeing these pictures you put makes me want to go and enjoy myself even more.

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  2. Yes, London is a fun and lively place. Do visit this lovely city whenever you can

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