Welsand's in London

Riding the London Eye and seeing the local sights

The London Eye is a 443 ft. high observation wheel which was erected in 2000 as part of London's millennium celebrations. It has become one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. On a clear day you can see it from the top of Parliament Hill where we live. The eye has 32 capsules, each holds up to 25 people for the 30 minute ride. On a clear day you can see 25 miles across the city. We were fortunate to have visited on such a day! It clouded up almost immediately after our ride and rained a bit later on in the day (as usual). The eye does move continuously so you have to be quick when you get on and off, it moves faster than it seems. The views of the city were really fantastic! Jeremy and I had been by the eye many times, but were waiting to ride it with guests. It was worth the wait. It is a must for visitors to London to see all the city has to offer.

Second, we walked by the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben which is actually the name of the 14-ton bell, not the famous four-faced clock in the 320 foot tower. Since 1512 the Palace of Westminster has been the seat of the two Houses of Parliament called the Lords and the Commons. It is a beautiful mock-Gothic building that has major significance in London.

Next, we fought the crowds and walked to Westminster Abbey. It is the world famous resting place of Britain's monarch's, as well as the setting for coronations, the latest for Queen Elizabeth II, which was actually the first ever televised in 1953. We opted to tour the inside of the Abbey at a later date and just walked around the grounds a bit.

Finally, after a little lunch, and a lot of walking we took our visitors to the Borough Market. It is London's premier fine food market selling meats, produce, cheeses, breads, sweets, chocolates, coffees, etc. My mom was a little squeamish about trying any of the samples and thought it was an "interesting" experience. She was quite glad we lunch at a "regulated" restaurant earlier. Yes, the photo includes what you think it does...I can't look at it...

This was a fun but exhausting day and my mom ended up with shin splits which were a real bummer and she is in great shape! London is a walking city! She ended up losing 6 pounds (almost 1/2 a stone!) after the trip from all the walking.

posted by Chris @ 1:00 PM