When you live in a major city it becomes a rare thing to check out the major tourist attractions. When it comes to the weekend most of the time you just want to chill out locally rather than taking on a gaggle of new visitors – especially in a city as vast as London. However, it’s definitely worth setting off on a touristy adventure on the odd occasion so you never forget just what an exciting and dynamic place you live in.
Last night I joined Mr O and Mr and Mrs O Senior for a trip on the London Eye. I have actually been on the Eye before when my dad made his first trip to London but that was almost nine years ago so I was excited to experience it again. Mr O works for the company manages the Eye so one of his key perks is getting a set number of annual free tickets.
The London Eye is a giant ferris wheel set on London’s South Bank and is currently the largest of its type in Europe. Interestingly it was supposed to be a temporary installation to celebrate the millennium but it proved so popular that it has become a permanent fixture of the London skyline. It’s no surprise because the view as you make a 40 minute journey around the wheel in a little glass pod, is unsurpassed. Like many European cities London is built on its largest river (The Thames) and the view from the Eye allows you to see up and down river as well providing a 360 view that goes as far as Wembley.
We were lucky enough to make our trip on a particularly bright evening which meant we could see for miles… and witness a rainstorm happening distantly in West London. I was excited not only by the fact that I could see major landmarks like The Shard, St Paul’s and Westminster but also that I could see my office building.
Whether you’re a local or a visitor I would highly recommend taking the time to see the city from above… so you can take cool pictures like this!
The area around the Eye is really great for pre or post drinks and food and there are loads of cool bars and restaurants. It’s also a particularly artistically rich area and hosts loads of temporary and permanent installations… like this collection of cartoon people we found. It seems everyone can find their graphic doppelganger!
abbiosbiston 
Looks good and lookin’ good!
Thanks 🙂
Wow, stunning views! I’m not sure if my husband would head to London the next time we visit his family in England. Having said that…I’d love to see these views in person and my daughters too (maybe when they are a little older and can appreciate it more).
Thanks for sharing!
it’s a really iconic city but it can be a bit intimidating. Some of my husband’s friends and family were reluctant to come into the city for our wedding. I would say it’s absolutely worth coming to check out some of the main tourist sites because there is so much history.
Looks like you had a great time Abbi.
We did. It was great fun.
Gorgeous photos. I’m glad you had fun!
What a beautiful photo! I’m not crazy about heights, but I l’d like to think I’d check this out.
Neither am I but it feels really safe in the pods and fortunately they have solid floors!
What a beautiful city! Would love to hop on the Eye!
If you ever come to London I promise to take you!
Deal! 🙂
Super cool lady! I would love to see the UK sometime, there are so many things I want to see there!
Come and visit! I’ll put you up!
Very cool I want to go there. Your photos are beautiful.
Thank-you! It’s the best view of London!
These are some really good pictures! I can only imagine the view, since I’ve not been yet, but one day I want to get this combo ticket of the Eye and Madame Tussaud’s so I cross these out of my London bucket list. Yay for wall-art doppelgangers and for Mr O’s awesome haircut!
Thank-you! If you want to go, let me know when you get back and I will see if Mr O has a spare pass. He gets loads!
Aw!! That’d be awesome, thanks so much! 🙂 Ideally that could be July, where my best friend visits for the whole month! 🙂
Your photos are beautiful. I went on the London Eye years ago, and I hadn’t realised how slow it went. I was expecting it to be over fairly quickly, but I was so pleased that you get so much time to take in the views 🙂
I hope I can get to Europe sometime. I would love to go to London, and I would definitely go to The London Eye. Not only does the view look incredible, but it also played a major role in Doctor Who’s big comeback with Christopher Eccleston’s first episode.
One of the best things about visiting the centre of London is how packed it is with familiar landmarks from iconic films and TV shows. I’ve lived here for almost eleven years and sometimes it still doesn’t feel real.