London Times | Old Friends and The London Eye
In the middle of our trip, I was contacted by an old friend via Facebook - Janine had seen the photos I was posting on my timeline. We learned that she and her family were flying over to London and our trips would overlap by a day. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with great friends we hadn't seen in probably five years. We were neighbors and co workers when we lived in Indiana. Our kids were born within a year of each other and they were close friends until we moved away. Since then, Jeff and Janine also moved from Indiana to Oklahoma. What better place to meet up but in London!
They arrived into London early Saturday morning, so that afternoon, we met them at the apartment they were renting. We ended up talking for several hours before heading out for lunch at a nearby pub - their family enjoyed some fish and chips, but Jeff tasted some mushy peas and decided they were not for him. We headed into Central London and ended up at Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.
We had tickets for the London Eye that evening. The rains were off and on all day long, but I noticed that most evenings had been relatively clear so I had reserved tickets for 7:30pm. Sure enough, the rains passed and the sun was starting its decline. It doesn't get dark until well past 10pm this time of year and the lovely evening sun lasts forever.
The London Eye gives you the most perfect views of Big Ben and Parliament. I must have taken a dozen photos - each a little higher in the sky as the giant wheel slowly turned.
You can see the southern bend of the Thames:
Or look north towards the Embankment Rail station and the Hungerford Bridge:
The views were fantastic all around.
Over the past five years, I have visited London three times and this was my first ride on the Eye. If I get another chance in the future, it will have to be at night with all the buildings lit up against an ink black sky (that of course means it will have to be in winter).
