July 26th 2000
The British Airways London Eye is a huge
observation wheel built on the South Bank of the Thames opposite
the Houses of Parliament. A "flight", as BA like to
call it, takes 30 minutes and lasts for one complete revolution.
There are 32 cars on the wheel and each one holds about 25 people
including a flight attendant who answers questions and points out
the landmarks. The wheel doesn't actually stop (except for
wheelchairs) so you get on and off it like a ski gondola. The
structure itself is brilliantly designed and when it was built in
1999, it was floated down the river on huge pontoons and then
winched to an upright position over a period of a few days.
Despite the Eye's much publicised bad start (by not being
operational in time for the Millennium celebrations), today it is
a great attraction and well worth a ride. The views from the top
are incredible.
Looking towards Buckinghamshire Palace (centre of trees):
