An Afternoon on the South Bank and Above the Thames

Spent a couple of days just walking around. Down by the River Thames, the view of the Houses of Parliament was as classic as ever. It was a bright July day with a few clouds, and tour boats were making their way up and down the murky brown water.

From the south bank, we decided to get a different perspective and went for a rotation on the London Eye. The capsules are these big glass bubbles, and you get a clear view of Parliament and Big Ben just across the river as you get on.

From the top, the whole city just opened up. The Thames snakes through the urban landscape, crossed by one bridge after another. You could see the trains pulling into Charing Cross station and the general sprawl of London stretching out to the horizon. Looking straight down gave a new angle on familiar landmarks, with tiny boats and cars moving below. It was a completely different way to see the layout of the city center. Once back on the ground, the big wheel just looked like part of the skyline again.