London's Eye in the sky not just a Ferris wheel

September 23, 2007|By Elliott Hester, Universal Press Syndicate

LONDON — Built in 2000, London Eye has become as much a part of the city's identity as Big Ben or Westminster Abbey. Standing 443 feet high on the south bank of the Thames River, it is the world's tallest observation wheel.

It's also the United Kingdom's most popular paid tourist attraction. Each year, more than 3.5 million people queue up for the carnival-like ride that offers spectacular views of the city.

After buying my ticket, however, I remained skeptical. From the ground, the massive 2,300-ton attraction resembles a glorified Ferris wheel.

Yes, it's the fourth-tallest structure in London -- only the One Canada Square complex (770 feet), British Telecom Tower (620 feet) and Tower 42 (600 feet) are taller. But would my tourist dollars have been better spent on a Thames River cruise? A visit to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum? A day-trip to Legoland Windsor?

When I took off on the 30-minute London Eye "flight," I realized I had done the right thing.

Unlike Ferris wheels that carry a handful of passengers in suspended gondolas, London Eye utilizes "passenger capsules." Egg-shaped, air-conditioned and made primarily of glass, the 32 capsules look like escape pods attached to a circular space station. The futuristic capsules, which represent London's 32 boroughs, weigh 11 tons each and accommodate up to 25 people.

Mounting rings positioned on the outside of the main rim allow the passenger capsules to rotate as the wheel revolves. This makes for dramatic 360-degree views from the top of the wheel.

As my capsule began to rise, I felt as if I were floating above London in a bubble. The wheel turned at the almost imperceptible rate of 0.6 miles per hour.

On a clear day you can't see forever. But you can see for about 25 miles from a London Eye passenger capsule. Looking south past Westminster Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, I followed the muddy Thames past Lambeth Bridge to MI6 Headquarters, where the British Secret Intelligence Service (and its famous fictional agent 007, James Bond) launch covert overseas operations.

Farther along the Thames, I could barely make out the four white smokestacks of the defunct Battersea Power Station.

As the capsule climbed, I watched the river snake through a landscape of shrinking buildings that faded into the horizon.

At static viewing platforms like Chicago's Sears Tower (or revolving platforms like Sydney's Centerpoint Tower), perspective is limited due to the fixed altitude.

But because the passenger capsules are constantly changing altitude, and because they allow viewing in every direction, London Eye is perhaps the world's most comprehensive viewing platform.

From London Eye, I got a bird's-eye view of Whitehall Court and Buckingham Palace. I could even see 18-foot-high Lord Nelson's Column, which stands at the center of Trafalgar Square.

From the top of the wheel, the views are even more amazing. Covent Garden, St. Paul's Cathedral, the British Museum, Tate Modern gallery -- many of London's most popular attractions paraded before me like Monopoly board game pieces.

Romantic couples can rent a private capsule for two. The "Cupid's Capsule" flight comes with a bottle of Laurent-Perrier champagne served by a host. Like all trips on London Eye, it lasts only 30 minutes. But the complementary truffles and $600 price tag will make it a memorable flight.

London Eye is located at the Riverside Building, Westminster Bridge Road (011-44-870-990-8883; Admission: $29 for adults (16 years and older), $14 for children (free to kids under 5). Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, June-September; 10 a.m.-8 p.m., October-May (closed Christmas Day and one week during mid-January for maintenance).