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London Eye

There are few better views of London than from the top of the London eye. From its position next to the Thames and the Palace of Westminister, the London Eye has provided birds-eye-views of London since March 2000, and is a good spot to visit during clear London days. At time of construction it was the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world, but has since been surpassed by the Singapore Flyer and the Star of Nanchang (but all will be surpassed when the Beijing Great Wheel is completed in 2009). A trip on the London Eye takes some 30 minutes, and is a a challenge for anybody who struggles with hights. The wheel moves slowly enough so that passengers can get on and off on the run, but usually stops for so that the disabled can get on and off safely. The London Eye is owned by the Tussauds Group (outright since 2006).

To get to the London Eye stop off at the Embankment underground and cross with the passenger bridge over the Thames River. This page has a series of photos taken around and from the London Eye.

London Eye with Thames in the foreground

The following picture shows the tower of the Palace of Westminister (Houses of Parliament) within which Big Ben (the name of the bell) is housed.

Big Ben in the Palace of Westminister

The Palace of Westminister (British Houses of Parliament).

Palace of Westminister in London

Behind the tower of the Palace of Westminister, we can sea the old Battersea Power Station.

Big Ben and the Battersea Power Station

Medical help is close at hand, with St Thomas' Hospital being nearby.

St Thomas' Hospital

inside the London Eye

capsule of the London Eye

The Upstream Building (Shell Centre) forms the backdrop to the London Eye - it's easy to spot with its Shell flags on top. The Shell Centre is 107m tall with 26 floors, and was completed in 1961. Together with its building in the Hague, Shell Centre is the central office of the oil company, Shell. If you look into the Thames river at low tide you may notice turbulence a metre or so into the river, arising from the Shell Building's air conditioning system which sucks Thames water in and then pumps it out.

Shell building in London

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