Day 3, Part 1 -- Another Tour Bus Ride and the London Eye

I knew it wouldn't last, the beautiful weather, that is, but I was thankful for the previous two days of warmth and sunshine. Besides, rain and a little chill are London hallmarks, and wasn't I there to experience all it had to offer? The offering of the third day had me bundled up in layers complete with wool scarf, hat, and gloves. As I walked, I decided it was a little too nasty to keep on walking in the off and on drizzle. The 48-hour tour bus pass I had purchased my first day there would expire in 30 minutes and I hadn't taken the blue bus tour yet. It was the same as the red bus tour I took my first day in London, only with added areas and neighborhoods, like Notting Hill, Kensington, and other upscale London parts. By the time I made it to the bus pick-up point, I had 15 minutes to spare and the guy barely checked the validity of my ticket before waving me on. Fortunately, this bus had the first four rows of seats covered over on the upper deck. I managed to get a spot in row 2, well under cover of the spitting rain.

The sun peeked out for a moment, just in time for me to capture the glow of Marble Arch. I can't remember its significance, just that it's a well-known London landmark.

On the blue bus tour, we got into the heart of the designer store shopping district. This is Burberry. What a grand old building, huh!

 

 

If memory serves, I believe we were on Oxford Street when what to my wondering eyes did appear a monumental store that I knew had to be--and I was totally right--Harrods!! The bus stopped here to let people off. Have to admit I debated a bit, then decided against it. Didn't want to be tempted to spend too much. After all, I would be traveling for three weeks, and this was only my third day in. Looking back on it, I should have gone in just to say I had had the experience. Wah wah. Next time.

 

A lady sat next to me on the bus for a little while and she was taking notes of the places she snapped photos of. Probably so she could blog about it and get it right, unlike me. I think in the photo below, that it's Oxford Circus. The name "Circus" derives from the Latin meaning "circle." Not trapeze artists and lion tamers, as our guide was quick to point out. When more than four streets meet at one place, a "circus" or roundabout is how they handle the traffic. The covered red buses you see in the second photo are standard London city buses, not tour buses.

If any of you were around and aware in the 1960s, you remember Carnaby Street in London. It was the hip place for fashion. Those of us in the States probably only heard of it but never visited. It was still a thrill for me to see this sign and know of the significance of the area way back in the day.

 

Aha! Another circus, this one being Piccadilly. Have to admit that I thought it would be larger and more dramatic, along the lines of Trafalgar Square. Don't get me wrong, it was still cool, with the fountain and bustling crowds. And I was at Piccadilly Circus. In London. With the photo to prove it.

 

There were many other landmarks I saw that I wish I had been able to take a photo--Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, area of Notting Hill--but the rain rivulets down the glass prevented it. Sometimes, you have to put the camera down and enjoy the moment, you know? The rain forced me to do just that.

 

When I got to the part of the bus tour I had been on two days prior, I jumped off at the London Eye because it was next on my to-do list. I took this photo after my ride, when the sun was shining again and I was standing on Westminster Bridge. But don't worry--I took plenty of shots during the ride, so scroll down.

 

The London Eye stands 443 feet at its tallest and takes 30 minutes for one complete rotation from the time you get on until you disembark. It doesn't stop, unless it's to allow someone in a wheelchair to roll on. So you get on and off while it's moving. One pod comfortably holds 15 to 20 people. Since it was still sprinkling off and on during my ride, some of the photos may show rain spots.

 

Looking east on the Thames right after we got on.

 

West on the Thames, looking back at Westminster Bridge and those other landmarks I can't seem to recall. Oh, yeah. Big Ben. House of Parliament.

 

This is a rail bridge leading into a major train station, Charing Cross.

 

The very center of the Eye--isn't this a cool photo! That's Westminster Bridge at the very bottom of the picture.

 

No explanation needed. I just love this view.

 

Charing Cross station, with a bit of London spread out behind it.

 

Looking west down the Thames, when we were at the pinnacle of the ride.

 

This is a good shot of Big Ben, but an even better aerial shot of Westminster Abbey behind it. It's where Will and Kate got married but I never got to tour. If you followed my trip on Facebook, you know why. On TripAdvisor, I gave them a rating of 2 out of 5 for poor signage misinforming tourists of their visiting hours. 

 

This was my first full look at Buckingham Palace! It's hard to see in this photo, but the flag is flying right on top, which means the Queen is at home. St. James Park is spread out in front of it. 

 

My last aerial view of the famous landmark.

 

Back on land. What a ride! If you have no fear of heights, the London Eye is a must. If you do fear heights, get over it and ride this thing. It's a thrill. Next time, I'm going for a sunset ride, then a ride at dark with the lights of London shining.  

Just so you know how far I walked, I went from here (where I took the photo below), crossed over Westminster Bridge (the bridge in the photo) to Westminster Abbey, which you can see one of the towers to the right of Big Ben. It was only the third day and I wasn't used to all that walking. My hip was killing me. Sorry to say I had to take a taxi from the Abbey back to my B&B, which was only a few blocks.

 

I did get some outside shots of Westminster Abbey, but that's for the next blog.