High in the Sky on the Eye

I've always thought the London Eye(the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe) was rather a blemish on the classic London landscape.

But after a twirl on the London Eye -- I have to say it's a darn fun ride!

We spent the last couple days of our England tour in London. The last evening was a surprise; our tour group was driven to the London Eye, where it was announced that we'd all get a champagne! twirl and a birds-eye view of London on the famous London Eye. (Meester and several other chickens heights-challenged members of the tour group headed for the cafe to wait it out on solid ground.)

The London Eye does look intimidating from the ground up!

I wasn't so sure about the Eye myself, but champagne was involved. I hopped on -- grabbed the first glass of champagne -- and was amazed at how much I enjoyed pressing my nose and camera to the sides of the clear viewing capsules.

• The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium.
• An experience on the EDF Energy London Eye will last about 30 minutes taking you to a height of 135 metres.
• You can see for around 40KM (25 miles) from the top.
• The total weight of the wheel and capsules is 2,100 tonnes - or as much as 1,272 London black cabs!
• Each rotation takes about 30 minutes, meaning a capsule travels at a stately 26cm per second, or 0.9km (0.6 miles) per hour - twice as fast as a tortoise sprinting; allowing passengers to step on and off without the wheel having to stop.

I always get by with a little help from champagne!

P.S. Wish you had all been with me for this one!